Outside Your Comfort Zone
Some of the wisest advice I’ve been given is that change begins at the end of my comfort zone. This summer, I was extremely grateful to have the unique opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and attend the APTA Capitol Hill Day for physical therapy advocacy. As a newly graduated physical therapist, it is my job to maximize my patients’ quality of care, which means speaking up on their behalf when I have the chance. Prior to this trip to Capitol Hill, I had minimal experience advocating for important legislative issues at the state level, but never federally; I knew this would be a completely different and growth-filled experience, and it certainly was.
At the annual APTA Capitol Hill Day, I had the privilege of representing the constituents of Minnesota, building new relationships and professional connections, and learning from several active members of the APTA: Megan Urick, Jackie Lacek, Amanda Sharp, Craig Johnson, Rachel Winthrop, John Borstad, and Anne Lamb. Melina Jordan, Jeremy Kaiser, Julia Black, and I represented the students and new physical therapy graduates in the group. As we attended trainings, prepared for our legislative meetings with our members of Congress, and further educated ourselves on the current issues in our field, I began to sense the nerves building, wondering to myself if I was the right person to be bringing such important issues forward to the Senators and House Representatives. Then, I’d remember my patients who would directly benefit from these bills, including minimizing Medicare cuts and improving patient access to care by enacting Locum Tenens, improving pelvic floor physical therapy awareness, especially postpartum, and clarifying PTAs’ scope of care in private outpatient clinics.
One aspect of the Day on the Hill that surprised me the most was that we did not meet with the legislators directly; instead, we met with their legislative assistants (LAs). I learned the importance of presenting my points concisely, clearly, and in a personal way to ensure that the information was passed along accurately to the legislator and emphasize how these issues directly affected our patients’ access to quality physical therapy care.
My biggest takeaway from APTA Capitol Hill Day was that advocacy is a way we can, and should, give back to our patients. Every day, my patients teach me as much, if not more, than I teach them, and even one person being willing to raise their voice on our patients’ behalf can make more of a difference than we even realize. I plan on continuing to participate in advocacy efforts moving forward as an early professional, and I have realized the importance of staying informed. So, to whoever is reading this, I would challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and get involved in whatever capacity you’re able; after all, you never know just how many people you can impact for the better because you chose to say yes.
