What is Grassroots Advocacy?

Catherine Boudreaux

When it comes to successful political advocacy, particularly for passing or preventing legislation, grassroots advocacy can be one of the most influential tools that organizations and associations have. Grassroots advocacy differs from traditional lobbying, which brings arguments for or against a specific measure directly to legislators and government officials.

Getting Involved in Advocacy

Kristin Leighty

In recent years, orthopaedic surgeons have realized the increasing importance of taking an active role in advocating on behalf of their patients and their profession. Political advocacy covers a wide range of activities, including voting in elections, lobbying members of Congress and state legislators, and contributing to political action committees (PACs) or an individual candidate’s campaign.

Quiet Before the Storm: What to Watch Out for After the Elections

John M. Froelich, MD; Roshan P. Shah, MD, JD

As summer ends, political rhetoric heats up. Although little is accomplished in Washington, D.C., between the end of the August recess and Election Day, the action is just around the corner. Few truly novel policies may be introduced in the weeks ahead, but orthopaedic surgeons need to keep a watchful eye on legislative activities as Congress moves through the lame duck session and begins a new session in January 2015. An SGR fix?

Second Look—Advocacy

Joint Commission issues Sentinel Event Alert The Joint Commission has issued a Sentinel Event Alert regarding risk management during transition to new International Organization for Standardization tubing connector standards. Because tubes with different functions can easily be connected using Luer connectors, tubing misconnections continue to cause severe patient injury and death.

Power Shift Possible after Midterm Elections

Elizabeth Fassbender

In the 2010 midterm elections, a wave of Republicans surged into the 112th Congress, consolidating the GOP hold on the House of Representatives. Although the Republican onslaught is unlikely to be repeated, this year’s midterm elections may shift the balance in the Senate, where the GOP is expecting to capture the majority. Historically, midterm elections tend to reflect public attitudes toward the incumbent president. According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll conducted Sept.

DEA Reschedules Hydrocodone Combination Products

Move from schedule III to schedule II means tighter prescribing rules The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently released its final rule to reschedule hydrocodone combination products (HCPs) from schedule III to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). The change goes into effect on Oct. 6, 2014.

AAOS, NIAMS Call for Biomedical Research

Elizabeth Fassbender

On July 16, 2014, representatives from the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) met with members of Congress to educate lawmakers about the importance of finding additional opportunities to invest in basic and translational biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Among those in attendance were AAOS Immediate Past President Joshua J. Jacobs, MD; Stephen I. Katz, MD, PhD, and Sen. John A. Barrasso, MD (R-Wyo.), who is an orthopaedic surgeon.

Cloudy Start for Sunshine Act Data Review and Dispute Resolution

Mary Ann Porucznik; Richard N. Peterson, JD

Today’s digital natives are accustomed to accessing information in two or three clicks. But that’s not the case when it comes to physician transparency programs, such as the Open Payments Program established by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as a result of passage of the Physician Payments Sunshine Act.