Advocacy Winds of Change at POMA
Written by Executive Vice President, Public Policy and Association Affairs, Andy Sandusky

December 13, 2018

POMA heads into a new 2-year, state legislative session, in January. Physician leadership, POMA staff and consultants are collaborating to enhance and sharpen the organization’s advocacy capabilities. We are developing ways to foster communication between POMA members and their state legislators. Better known as “grassroots lobbying”, and a significant portion of the strategic plan, POMA will enhance the velocity and timing of getting information into member hands, so each physician, resident and student can be heard by the state legislators that represent their home district.

Some of these activities include developing and sharing strong organizational position on public and healthcare policy impacting your patients and your practice.  POMA members will receive legislative and administrative briefings on issues POMA is working on in Harrisburg that provide the information needed to better understand these impacts. POMA recognizes that the more educated you are on public policy, the more impact you will have to effect informed public policy decision-making.

In the halls of the state capitol, POMA will continue increasing its visibility with lawmakers and administrative policy-makers by deploying both in-house and contract legislative counsel to lobby state officials on the value that POMA brings to the healthcare landscape.

Finally, POMA will educate members on the importance of POMA’s Political Action Committee (POMPAC) in achieving its government affairs goals. It’s a simple fact that in order to get elected, state lawmakers need funding. POMA has many friends in the state legislature that it has supported using POMPAC funds, raised by POMA members. While some people have negative views of Political Action Committees (PACs), Pennsylvania makes the process of political giving extremely transparent. State PACs, like POMPAC, must track and report every dollar it receives, and every dollar it gives, which is electronically published by the state. POMPAC is a critical component of POMAs overall advocacy success.

2019… bring it.