November 3, 2025
We spoke to several attendees of last week’s Advocacy Summit about the event. Here’s what they had to say:
Teresa McCarthy, MD, MS, CMD: “The summit was a wonderful opportunity to learn how to easily, comfortably, and effectively advocate for important issues. The structure of the 2 days with training, confidence building, stories, and insights, and the (great!!!) app made this absolutely painless. I feel that I can now effectively interact with legislators as an advocate, both nationally and locally. Thank you, PALTmed!”
Karl Steinberg, MD, HMDC, CMD: “In spite of the shutdown and the extreme polarization we are seeing, most of the issues PALTmed supports should not be partisan, and most of the participants I spoke to felt that their legislators did want to promote telemedicine and geriatric workforce improvements. There was a great energy among our contingent. The highlight for me was riding with my awesome congressman, Mike Levin, on the little tunnel train between the Rayburn building and the Capitol. Talk about feeling like a VIP!”
Rajeev Kumar, MD, FACP, CMD: “PALTmed’s inaugural advocacy summit was everything I had hoped for and more! Having participated in numerous ‘Hill Days’ for AMDA in the past, I sensed new excitement and energy among our attendees as we opened doors for all members to join. There were so many enthusiastic first-time attendees this year.”
Advocacy is all about collaborating with like-minded individuals, connecting with decision-makers, and effectively communicating our requests to make a positive impact. This year, our asks were very relevant—focused on extending funding for education in Geriatrics (GACA and GWEP), permanent extension of telehealth flexibilities, and physician payment reform. Every congressional office we interacted with was interested, supportive, and appreciated our efforts to inform them and influence policy. All in all, the summit was a rewarding experience for all the participants.”
Victoria Walker, MD, FAACP: “It was great, an excellent opportunity to bring together so many members who are interested in learning how to effectively engage with their legislators and share insights that allow them to make better decisions for constituents who receive PALTC services.”