Advocacy at the National and State Levels
For current information about osteopathic advocacy from the AOA click here.
Federal Advocacy
SAVE THE DATE FOR DO DAY 2025
MARCH 22 - 23, 2025 | Virtual Conference
MARCH 26 - 27, 2025 | In-Person Congressional Meetings
Join us for the osteopathic profession’s largest public policy and advocacy event of the year, hosted in conjunction with National Osteopathic Medicine (NOM) Week. DO Day offers unmatched opportunities to hone your leadership skills and raise your voice to educate members of Congress on the issues that matter most to you and your patients. Participate in-person alongside your osteopathic colleagues in Washington, D.C., or join the virtual leadership and professional development conference from the comfort of your home or office! Participants may earn dually-accredited CME.
Preparing for an Advocacy Day
How to Read a Bill
Legislation does one of three things: creates a new act, adds to existing statutes, or deletes a portion of existing statutes. If the bill creates a new act, it will state this in the first line of the bill: “This is an Act to create…”. It is important to know this because as you read the bill all of the language in the bill is new language. If the bill is adding new language, the new language is underlined. If the bill is deleting language, the language to be deleted has hash marks through it. Let me know if you have questions about this.
New Legislation
For the next several weeks, legislators will be busy introducing legislation. As bill are introduced, we will review them to determine if they could have an impact on the IOMS membership. We will send bill updates to the IOMS Legislative Committee to review. Please contact the IOMS if you have any concerns or questions about pending bills or legislation in which you have concerns. We want to hear from you! Call or email us here.
Meeting with Your Public Officials
A face-to-face meeting with an elected or appointed official, or with the official’s aide who handles the issues of importance to you, is often the best way to voice your concerns. Meetings with your member of Congress can take place in the member’s state or district office or in Washington, D.C. Meetings with state legislators can take place at the state capitol or in their districts. Meeting with local officials can be more informal, taking place at a neighborhood function or county courthouse. Here are some tips for meeting with your public officials:
- Make an appointment and arrive on time.
- Arrive prepared with the facts about the issue you wish to discuss. Contact IOMS for talking points on issues related to Osteopathic Medicine in Illinois.
- Be brief and specific about the purpose of your meeting.
- Whenever possible, provide an alternative to the issue you’re address. It’s much more powerful than just saying ‘this won’t work’.
- Have support materials (e.g., articles) available to leave with your representative.
- Follow up your meeting with a short thank you note. It provides another opportunity for you to state your message.
Federal & State Advocacy
SAVE THE DATE FOR AOA HOD 2025
AOA House of Delegates Call for Volunteers
The call for 2024 Delegates has closed. The call for 2025 Delegates will open in the Spring.
What is the House of Delegates?
The House of Delegates (HOD) is the legislative body of the AOA. It speaks for the members of the Association and the osteopathic profession. The HOD meets once a year to review and vote on key policy issues. In addition, the HOD nominates officers and members to the AOA Board of Trustees. As a divisional society of the AOA, IOMS is entitled to a certain number of delegates based on DOs in the state, our membership, and other criteria. The delegation includes student and resident representatives as well.
What is Involved with Being an Illinois Delegate?
As a member of the Illinois delegation, you will confer with your colleagues to vote on issues presented to the House. There will be one or two planning conference calls prior to the HOD meeting, and you will be required to attend the entire weekend’s activities. A detailed schedule of activities will be provided.
AOA House of Delegates Reference Committees
If you have any interest in serving on an AOA House Reference Committee or any of the AOA Bureaus, Councils, and Committees, we are asking for your interest, availability and qualifications. The House Reference Committees are listed below for your information. The AOA Bureaus, Councils, and Committee openings can be reviewed on the AOA web site.
The Reference Committees of the AOA House of Delegates are:
- Credentials Committee
- Committee on Governmental Affairs
- Committee on Public Affairs
- Committee on Professional Affairs
- Committee on Educational Affairs
- Ad Hoc Committee
- Committee on Constitution and Bylaws
- Committee on Resolutions
- Committee on Rules and Order
The IOMS is a member in the United Federation of Osteopathic Societies (UFOS) caucus. As a member, our voice is heard through the caucus and therefore involvement is important. There are approximately 110 positions available on the AOA House Reference Committee and the UFOS have filled 50 to 60 of those slots in recent years. We would like to see more IOMS members appointed this year!
The AOA House of Delegates is the opportunity for Illinois DOs to make their voice heard on important issues impacting our profession. The weekend provides an opportunity to give back to your Society and enjoy the camaraderie of colleagues from across the country. We hope you consider participating in this important event. Please contact IOMS if you have any questions.
