By: Leslie Faulkner – Northeastern State University c/o 2014
“I was inspired and motivated by the passion and energy of everyone at this meeting. I could feel it in the banquet rooms and lecture halls, but most importantly I could feel it when we stormed Capitol Hill to take our message to our state leaders.”
I felt an instant connection when I arrived in Washington D.C. earlier this month to attend the American Optometric Association Congressional Advocacy Conference. Such a big part of our history and our present can be found in this beautiful city. Not only is it the political center of our country and the place where optometry can grow and change, but it also reminded me so much of the profession that we were there representing. Much like D.C., the profession of optometry has a rich history laced with a struggle to grow and make itself into a recognizable power. The journey has not been easy for our nation’s capitol nor has it been easy for the profession of optometry.
I met 147 other optometry students and several hundred doctors of optometry in D.C. to learn about ways we can make optometry better. We took these ideas to our state senators and state representatives to share with them the importance of supporting our profession and aiding us in making these changes. I was inspired and motivated by the passion and energy of everyone at this meeting. I could feel it in the banquet rooms and lecture halls, but most importantly I could feel it when we stormed Capitol Hill to take our message to our state leaders. We greeted them with a very important message and a passion and love for what we do that they don’t see every day. It was an unforgettable experience.
Aside from interacting with fellow optometry students and doctors from all over the country I learned about two very important issues affecting our profession right now.
The first is an issue that students and already practicing OD’s have been fighting to get into legislation for many years. HR 1195 would allow graduating optometry students to apply for the National Health Service Corps tuition reimbursement program. As of right now we are the only primary care physicians not allowed to apply. That means there are many approved clinics already in business that are unable to provide essential eye care needs to their patients. This is a great opportunity to serve our communities that we as students and the communities are being denied.
Another very important issue we talked to our state leaders about was HR 1219. This piece of legislation would rewrite the Medicaid law and recognize optometrists to offer covered primary eye related medical services to their patients who qualify, as well as preventing states from restricting this access. Both of these legislative pieces are vital to the future of our profession and it was a great joy to share in the experience of bringing them to the attention of our government leaders in Washington D.C.
Much like the beauty and history of our nation’s capitol moving the profession of optometry forward is going to be a lot of work and an ongoing process. However, also like this wonderful city; optometry is built on solid principles and by people who believe in it. It is up to us as the future of optometry to continue to pave the way to a better tomorrow.
Click below to watch a motivating and high quality video re-cap of the Congressional Advocacy event.
Sincerely,
Leslie Faulkner – Northeastern State University c/o 2014
