SIR’s Grassroots Leadership Program

On any given day, key policy decisions are made on Capitol Hill, which may have a profound effect on the practice of interventional radiology. Members of Congress, who make these decisions, need to know what interventional radiologists know. The society's Grassroots Leadership Program, which debuted in 2014, offers interested SIR members from across the country the opportunity to engage with their elected senators and representatives and key congressional staff about the policy issues that impact interventional radiologists.

Taking IR to Capitol Hill

Through the Grassroots Leadership Program, our doctors meet face-to-face with lawmakers to share their expertise and put a human face to decisions about interventional radiology (IR). Over a two-day period in Washington, D.C., SIR members attend a four-hour advocacy boot camp, gaining an overview of the advocacy process and understanding of society policy issues (for example, funding for graduate medical education residency slots or non-opioid pain treatments). They then take to Capitol Hill to convey the value of IR, discuss advances in the specialty, share examples of innovation and articulate other important messages that are vital to the specialty.

Meeting Face to Face

On May 11–12, 15 SIR members, including attendings and trainees, took part in the 2016 Grassroots Leadership Program, in Washington, D.C. The two-day program allowed participants to spend time on Capitol Hill advocating for IR-related issues. Some of the topics that were discussed included the newly introduced SIR GME funding bill, MACRA implementation as it relates to IR and IR treatments for pain management. Participants met with members of Congress and their staff and took part of three separate SIRPAC events hosting Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Chris Collins, R-N.Y., each of whom serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. 

SIR would like to thank the following participants for taking part in this year’s program:
J. David Prologo, MD; Junjian Huang, MD; Tami Carillo, MD; Karan Patel, MD; Lindsay Thornton, MD; Natosha Monfore, DO; Elliot DeYoung, MD; Hayley Oligane, MD; Andrew Niekamp, MD; Wes Angel, MD; Nathaniel Ott, MD; Erich Russell, DO; Mithil Pandhi; and Rebecca Le.

Being a Voice for IR

Grassroots Leadership Program participants explain, in their own words, the importance of giving IR a voice on Capitol Hill.

Dr. Ali Alikani talks about attending the SIR Grassroots Leadership program. The society's Grassroots Leadership Program, which debuted in 2014, offers interested SIR members from across the country the opportunity to engage with their elected senators and representatives and key congressional staff about the policy issues that impact interventional radiologists.

Interventional radiologist Dr. Paul Rotolo took a moment to talk about the new payment model that will change the way physicians are reimbursed, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) and what the implications might be for the specialty.

SIR spoke recently to Dr. J. David Prologo about new ways that interventional radiologists are treating pain, such as phantom limb pain in amputees, in a minimally invasive, image-guided way--without using opioids.

SIR resident in training, Natosha Monfore, talks about how attendfing the Grassroots Leadership Program, allowed her to share with lawmakers information about the interventional radiology skill set and put a human face to decisions about interventional radiology.

Medical student Mithil Pandhi was able to attend this year's program on May 11–12, in Washington, D.C. The two-day program allowed participants to spend time on Capitol Hill advocating for IR-related issues. Participants met with members of Congress and their staff and took part in three separate SIRPAC events hosting Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., John Shimkus, R-Ill., and Chris Collins, R-N.Y., each of whom serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Junjian Huang talks about the opportunities presented to him by being involved with SIR's RFS section and the information he's taking away from his recent visit to legislators in Washington, D.C., as part of the SIR Grassroots Leadership Program.

Interventional radiologist Tami Carrillo, MD, hopes that SIR's Grassroots Leadership Program and other initiatives sponsored by the society's government relations division help make the possibility of getting lawmakers into IR clinics a reality. The society's hope is that they will meet with interventional radiologists when they return to their districts—and most importantly continue to recognize SIR as a primary staff resource when they are called upon to make important decisions related to the specialty.

Promoting Interventional Radiology

The hope is that these meetings make the possibility of getting lawmakers into IR clinics a reality. We hope that they will meet with interventional radiologists when they return to their districts—and most importantly continue to recognize SIR as a primary staff resource when they are called upon to make important decisions related to the specialty.

For more information on SIR's Grassroots Leadership Program, contact Doug Huynh, SIR's director of government and policy affairs, via email or phone at (703) 460-5585.