Namita Sharma, MD and Shimona Rajkumar Bhatia, DO, residents in the pediatrics department at the University of Florida College Of Medicine – Jacksonville, attended the 2009 Resident Advocacy Day on Wednesday, February 18, 2009, in Washington, D.C. Drs. Sharma and Bhatia each received one of only eight scholarships provided nationally by this year’s sponsor, American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Friends of Children Fund.
The daylong event included advocacy training, presentations and an in depth legislation session on health reform. Guest speaker J. Nadine Gracia, MD, MSCE, a pediatrician and White House Fellow at the Department of Health and Human Services gave the residents practical advice for advocating for health reform and communicating with legislators.
Dr. Sharma said, “I was so grateful to receive the Advocacy Day scholarship. Not only did it allow me to attend the conference and further my understanding of community pediatrics, but it also allowed me to see how accessible our legislators are, and how easy it is to voice our opinion and to impact change”. She further “encouraged all residents to take part in this opportunity since as pediatricians we are lifelong advocates”.
Following the training and presentation sessions, the resident attendees were given the opportunity to meet at House and Senate congressional offices to put their new found skills to the test.
“I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to attend the 2009 AAP Resident Advocacy Day, said Dr. Bhatia. “The AAP lawyers and other staff members provide residents with not only different perspectives on legislative issues that impact the future of children, but also tools to ensure effective communication with legislators. I highly encourage residents to attend an annual AAP Resident Advocacy Day, as it is an exceptionally valuable conference.”
For more information about Resident Advocacy Day, go to the American Academy of Pediatrics website at www.aap.org.