American College of Physicians outlines advocacy approach in post-election environment

Letter to 148,000 members identifies opportunities and challenges

Washington, November 18, 2016 –The American College of Physicians (ACP) has outlined its plans to address the implications of the 2016 U.S. presidential and congressional elections.

In a letter sent to ACP’s 148,000 domestic and international members, ACP President Nitin S. Damle, MD, MS, MACP, reaffirmed ACP’s continued commitment to equal access to care and non-discrimination against persons based on their gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, including support for our international ACP members and immigrants to the U.S. who are concerned about potential changes in U.S. immigration policies.

Damle said ACP, as a non-partisan organization, will strive to engage in a constructive and bipartisan way with President-elect Trump and his administration, and with Congress, to achieve progress on the College’s policy objectives. Damle also reiterated that ACP supports the critical role played by internists and other primary care physicians in providing high-value, team-based, patient and family-centered care.

In seeking common-ground, Damle laid out several areas where ACP hopes to make bipartisan progress including addressing the cost of prescription drugs, working to stem the opioid epidemic, increasing access to mental health services, strengthening graduate medical education, and supporting the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) and the transition to quality based payments and new models for physicians.

In the letter, ACP acknowledges that there may be more challenging issues, and remains committed to working to sustain the gains that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has made, as well as continue to sustain and pursue  progress on addressing the health impacts of climate change and seek to advocate for evidence-based policies to reduce injuries and deaths from firearms.

***

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization in the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact: Jackie Blaser, (202) 261-4572, jblaser@acponline.org