Alliance of Specialty Medicine Legislative Conference

Jodie Hurwitz, MD, representing the Heart Rhythm Society, meets with Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX) during "Capitol Hill Day" at the Alliance of Specialty Medicine Legislative Conference.

On July 13-15, 2009 the Alliance of Specialty Medicine organized a Legislative Conference in Washington DC, with approximately 50 specialty physicians attending. Jodie L Hurwitz, MD, FHRS and R. Chris Jones, MD represented the Heart Rhyth Society, which is a member of the Alliance.

The agenda for the conference included a full day Health Policy Forum on Tuesday, July 14, where participants were briefed on health care reforms proposed legislations. Influential Members of Congress came to present their views on healthcare reform and policy and news analysts presented at the conference. On Wednesday, July 15, participants engaged in "Capitol Hill Day," visiting their legislators or the legislative staffs and discussing proposals in health care reforms legislation issues such as health information technology, Medicare physician payment reform and comparative effectiveness research.

View the Alliance of Specialty Medicine Legislative Conference hand outs (PDF, 2M)

Left to right, David Jimenez, MD (AANS); R. Chris Jones, MD (HRS); Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX); Jodie Hurwitz, MD (HRS) and David Jimenez, MD (AANS)

Conference speakers included:

• Representative Frank Pallone (D-NJ)
  Chair, Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee
• Representative Tom Price, MD (R-GA)
  Chair, Republican Study Committee
  Ranking Member, Education & Labor, Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee
• Representative Bart Gordon (D-TN)
  Chair, Science Committee
  Member, Energy and Commerce Committee
• Representative Mark Kirk (R-IL)
  Member, Appropriations Committee
• Senator Tom Coburn, MD (R-OK)
  Member, Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
  Member, Judiciary Committee
• Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA)
  Member, Appropriations Committee
  Member, Judiciary Committee
  Member, Special Committee on Aging
  Member, Veterans Affairs Committee
• Senator David Vitter (R-LA)
  Member, Commerce & Small Business Committees
• Chris Jennings
  President, Jennings Policy Strategies
• Juan Williams
  Senior correspondent, NPR
  Political Analyst, Fox Television
• Jonathan Blum
  Director, Center for Medicare Management, CMS