Happy New Year! Now that the new year is here we find ourselves preparing for the upcoming mid-term election primaries as well as the 2010 Session of the North Carolina General Assembly. The 2010 General Assembly Session opens on Wednesday, May 12, 2010, so the time is now to start creating the 2010 ‘White Coat Wednesdays’ (WCW) Advocacy Day Program calendar. WCWs will start on Wednesday, May 18th, and be held each Wednesday through June 30th. Additional WCW dates in July and August will be scheduled if needed.
The WCW program provides physicians, physician assistants, and partner organizations with an opportunity to visit Raleigh and lobby legislators. Participants receive advocacy training, an up-to-the-minute legislative briefing, and personal staff assistance to guide them through the day’s activities at the General Assembly. Last year, legislators not only looked forward to meeting with their physician constituents on Wednesdays, but they expected it.
It will be important to have a consistent physician presence in Raleigh this summer. As North Carolina continues to face difficult economic times ahead it will be crucial for physicians and their partners to stand united in strong numbers this summer on budget issues and scope of practice threats. Physicians and their healthcare partners coming to Raleigh, telling their personal stories, and relaying their message is the best advocacy tool we have.
Available dates include Wednesdays – May 18, May 26, June 2, June 9, June 12, June 23, June 30. The standing agenda will be the same as in past years. For more information on scheduling a date to participate, please contact Allison Clipp at [email protected]
WCW Tentative Agenda:
8:30 AM – 9:15 AM – Light breakfast, Advocacy Day Training, and NCMS Legislative Update
9:30AM – Noon – Individual Meetings with Legislators and Attend Committee Meetings (Senate Health Committee meets on Wed)
Noon – 1:00 PM – Lunch, join legislator for lunch if scheduled or plan to dine in the Legislative Cafeteria with colleagues (an experience in itself!)
1:00 PM – 3:00 PM – Continue meetings with legislators and sit in on the action of the General Assembly
3:00 PM – 3:30 PM – Return to NCMS for wrap up
