Help Shape the Future of PALTC Policy

Next month, PALTmed members and other PALTC professionals will travel to Washington, DC, for the inaugural Advocacy Summit to help shape the future of post-acute and long-term care (PALTC) policy. Two of them—Sorah Levy, PhD(c), RN, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, and Michele Brogunier, MD—are attending thanks to a Dr. Rajeev Kumar PALTC Leadership & Advocacy Travel Award, one of the Foundation for PALTC Medicine’s donor-endowed funds.

If you want to join them and the others in the nation’s capital on October 27-28, you have to apply by this Friday, October 3, so there’s enough time to schedule your Capitol Hill visits.

Dr. Kumar—a long-time PALTmed member and the association’s immediate past president—explains his reasons for funding the travel awards: “Advocacy in PALTC is crucial for empowering our clinicians to deliver compassionate and resident-centered care that promotes clinical quality while removing barriers to access. All of us working in PALTC settings need to be fully engaged with advocacy to be heard by policymakers to make an impact.”

He adds, “Encouraging early career clinicians to actively engage in our advocacy efforts helps PALTmed develop a growing force of PALTC advocates that will make immense contributions to our cause. The travel awards are a small step toward that goal. I’m thrilled to have two wonderful clinicians who will attend the PALTmed Advocacy Summit and Capitol Hill meetings this fall because of the awards, and I am hopeful that there will be many more in the future.”

For Ms. Levy, who is based in Maryland, the decision to apply for the travel award was obvious. She is currently dedicating all of her time to completing her PhD, and attending the Summit would have been financially challenging without that support.

“My research focuses on nursing home organizational factors and their impact on pain management in residents living with dementia,” she adds. “Attending the Advocacy Summit will allow me to build on my advocacy skills, connect research to policy action, and contribute evidence-based recommendations that strengthen provider capacity, improve resident-centered outcomes, and advance equity in PALTC.”

Dr. Brogunier credits her state chapter president with telling her about the award. “I decided to apply to offset the cost, but also to challenge myself to think about investing my time and talent in the cause,” she says. “Previously, I've done advocacy at my state capitol with the Wisconsin Medical Society and in Washington with Physicians for Social Responsibility. Doing advocacy work in person is very important, especially when you realize industry lobbying is well-funded and very active!”

Ms. Levy especially looks forward to engaging directly with legislators and their staff during the Summit about the many issues affecting PALTC medicine. She is also excited to learn from experienced advocates, participate in training sessions to strengthen her communication skills, and network with leaders who are shaping the future of PALTC.

“I plan to highlight issues that directly affect the sustainability and quality of PALTC, such as our workforce, and ensure that policies, especially for vulnerable populations such as residents living with dementia, promote equity and are evidence-based,” she notes. “I also intend to emphasize the importance of ensuring that value-based care initiatives are grounded in research and clinical evidence, so that improvements in quality ratings, reimbursement, and care delivery are consistently guided by science.”

Dr. Brogunier—who currently delivers patient care in urban and rural skilled nursing facilities throughout Wisconsin’s Dane County—is also looking forward to the Summit’s opportunities for engagement on Capitol Hill. Still, she says, “I’m most looking forward to meeting colleagues who understand the unique perspective PALTmed practitioners bring to the challenges of quality health care at scale. Every day we navigate the policies that impact our patients, whether it's state licensing of facilities that impact their options (no electric blankets!), or federal laws that affect what services are covered or how long.”

The Advocacy Summit is a great place to share stories with individuals who may not be familiar with the inner workings of PALTC settings. That’s essential, according to Ms. Levy. “Clinicians provide context for how legislation translates into care delivery, staffing policy, and ultimately resident experience,” she explains. “Resident stories supported by data illuminate the urgent needs of residents, families, and providers, and advocacy by PALTC clinicians can influence policymakers to support reforms that reflect both the lived experience of PALTC residents and research-informed best practices.”

Dr. Brogunier says, “The space for civil discourse has become smaller in recent years, and I hope that finding shared vision and representing shared values reminds legislators that the common challenges we face are best met with alliances and collaborations in the spirit of bringing the best talents forward for the best outcomes.”

She further notes, "My grandfather was my role model for advocating and finding ways to be visible about deeply held values in the public space. I hope our efforts in October will make a large impact, and I’m excited about the opportunity.”

Ms. Levy credits the Futures Program (she’s a proud alumna of the 2023 class) for her involvement in PALTmed. “Being part of the PALTmed Futures Program has given me a professional home where values are lived out in practice. PALTmed is shaping not only my career trajectory but also the future of the field. Attending the Advocacy Summit represents a continuation of the PALTmed mission and vision, allowing me to contribute to a collective voice that advances resident-centered, evidence-based improvements in PALTC at both state and national levels.”

If you want to join Ms. Levy, Dr. Brogunier, and the other Summit participants, please register by this Friday, October 3, so PALTmed staff can schedule your Capitol Hill visits.

You can find more information on the Foundation’s donor-endowed funds—including the annual Dr. Rajeev Kumar PALTC Leadership & Advocacy Travel Award—here, and other opportunities to donate on the website.