Dr. Smith Goes to Washington

The Hospitalist. 2007 April;2007(04):

April 1, 2007 | The Hospitalist

Testimony Tips from a Veteran Speaker

Dr. Rifkin suggests several keys to presenting testimony that is effective in a way that is stress-free and results in a positive outcome and an enjoyable experience:

Look at yourself as a source of information. Be prepared to be an educator and answer questions about who you are and what you do;
Remember that the hearing is not a debate. Be friendly and reasonable; don’t portray the issues as all black and white. Don’t get drawn into arguments;
Give legislators take-home materials—a packet or a fact sheet. Include a strong summary up front, and follow up after the hearing with something that reminds legislators and their staff members about what you said;
Try to make a connection for follow-up and work on future issues. Position yourself as a source of ongoing information; and
Present yourself as an informed, concerned physician with no hidden agenda or ulterior motive.—JK

Seymann: Another Kind of Testimony

Hospitalists don’t have to present testimony before a governmental body to have a positive effect on legislation and make a strong impression on lawmakers. Ask Gregory Seymann, MD, associate clinical professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego School of Medicine. While in Washington, D.C., for the 2006 SHM Annual Meeting, he visited his House and Senate representatives.

“Our goal was to educate lawmakers about hospitalists—who we are and what we do—not to ask for favors or handouts,” explains Dr. Seymann. “Several of us went as a group to our senator’s office, and it was a rather short visit. We met with a staff person, who listened briefly and took our materials but asked few questions.”

When he went alone to his House representative, Susan Davis’ (D-CA) office, Dr. Seymann had a much different experience. The representative’s staff was extremely welcoming. “They told me that she was still in session marking up a bill, but that she really wanted to meet me,” he recalls. “They asked me if I could wait; and eventually they took me over to another building to meet her.”

Dr. Seymann’s House representative met with him for half an hour. “She was very pleasant, and I felt comfortable talking with her. I just gave her the basics of who we [hospitalists] are and what we do. She admitted that she didn’t know much about hospitalists and seemed interested in what I had to say,” he says. Davis asked several questions, Dr. Seymann notes. “She mostly wanted to know about how our practice differs from general internists and the difference between hospital and outpatient-based medicine,” he recalls, adding, “I felt like she heard me. The meeting exceeded my expectations.”

The difference between the two visits was striking. Dr. Seymann explains that it is important to realize that “you never know when something you say will make a difference or have an impact. You have to try and, sometimes, keep trying.”

Follow-up is important for these visits. “I sent e-mails on returning home to thank them for their time and remind them that I would be happy to help on hospital medicine issues in the future,” he says.

While Dr. Seymann believes he helped educate legislators about hospital medicine and the hospitalist’s role, he also learned something himself. “I realized that one person can effectively engage in the legislative process and that Congress is interested in what we have to say,” he says. Additionally, he observes, “They take the input of their constituents pretty seriously, and we have a role to play in ensuring that our voices are heard on issues that affect our patients and our profession.” TH