Advocacy Ambassador Program

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Mid-Year Forum /

Advocacy Ambassador Program

Advocacy Ambassador Program
The Advocacy Ambassador Program provides residents and those in fellowship training an opportunity to participate in the Academy’s annual Mid-Year Forum with seasoned advocates and Academy leaders.

In addition to two-half day virtual Mid-Year Forum sessions on politics, policy and practice management on April 23-24, Ambassadors will participate in Congressional Advocacy Day being held virtually on May 5 as well as a dedicated session for them, L.E.A.P. Forward (Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy and Practice Management) on May 20. Advocacy Ambassadors are sponsored to participate by societies — state, subspecialty or specialized interest — and/or the participants' training programs. In 2021, there are no associated travel costs as the events are all virtual.

Program Goals

Engage and educate members-in-training early on about the importance of advocating for their profession by training future advocates for patients and for the profession

Help members-in-training understand the importance of membership and active involvement in their respective state ophthalmology and subspecialty societies

Expose members-in-training to critical issues in medicine being discussed by leaders in ophthalmology during Mid-Year Forum and Academy Council sessions. The council is the policy advisory body to the Academy’s Board of Trustees.

Advocacy Ambassador Program 2021

Policy, practice management and politics sessions (April 23-24)

Invited guests at Academy Council meeting (April 24)

Congressional Advocacy Day (May 5)
-Congressional Advocacy Day virtual visits (scheduled by the Academy’s Washington, D.C., office)
-Societies sponsoring multiple Advocacy Ambassadors will be required to select just one (1) to participate in Congressional Advocacy Day due to limitations of virtual meetings with legislators.

L.E.A.P. (Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, Practice Management) Forward session for program participants (May 20)
Advocacy Ambassador Alexander De Castro-Abeger, MD (TN) advocates from home during Congressional Advocacy Day 2020.

Begin Slideshow

The Ohio contingent of Advocacy Ambassadors join Ohio Ophthalmological Society leaders Joe Coney, MD and John Stechschulte, MD during their Congressional Advocacy Day visits

2018 Advocacy Ambassadors prepare for their Congressional Advocacy Day meetings

Advocacy Ambassadors sponsored by the North Carolina Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons join U.S. Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) during Congressional Advocacy Day

Advocacy Ambassador Jing Shan, MD (left), sponsored by the California Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, joins Academy YO Committee member Jesse Berry, MD in a meeting with U.S. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA)

Advocacy Ambassadors network with panelist Zelia Correa, MD, PhD during their L.E.A.P. Forward session

Advocacy Ambassadors get their questions answered by Academy and society leaders during L.E.A.P. Forward session

Advocacy Ambassadors participate in roundtable discussions with Academy and society leaders during L.E.A.P. Forward session

Tom Oetting, MS, MD, University of Iowa Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences Residency Program Director, networks with Advocacy Ambassadors during their L.E.A.P. Forward session

2018 Academy President Keith Carter, MD inspires Advocacy Ambassadors from Iowa

Academy 2019 Young Ophthalmologist (YO) Committee Chair Janice Law, MD mentors a contingent of Advocacy Ambassadors

Advocacy Ambassadors share their experiences from Congressional Advocacy Day during their Post Hill Visits Debrief Session
Program Partners

American Academy of Ophthalmology

Mid-Year Forum 2021 has no registration fee

Ensures Advocacy Ambassadors’ virtual visits with members of Congress include seasoned advocates

Offers a dedicated session for program participants, L.E.A.P. Forward (Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, Practice Management)

Provides a template PowerPoint presentation for Advocacy Ambassadors to personalize and present to their colleagues

Participating State, Subspecialty and Specialized Interest Societies

Selects Ambassador(s) to represent the society and attend the Mid-Year Forum sessions on April 23-24, Congressional Advocacy Day* on May 5 and L.E.A.P Forward on May 20. (*Societies sponsoring multiple Ambassadors will be required to select just one (1) to attend Congressional Advocacy Day)

Participating Training Programs

Allows time in the Advocacy Ambassador's work schedule to participate in the virtual Mid-Year Forum sessions; Congressional Advocacy Day and L.E.A.P. Forward without vacation penalty

Allows the Advocacy Ambassador "podium time" to relay to fellow ophthalmologists-in-training what s/he has learned from participation at Mid-Year Forum; Congressional Advocacy Day and L.E.A.P. Forward

Questions

Contact Gail Schmidt, director of ophthalmic society relations.

Program Goals

Advocacy Ambassador Program 2021

Program Partners

American Academy of Ophthalmology

Participating State, Subspecialty and Specialized Interest Societies

Participating Training Programs

Questions

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