Endocrine Insider
June 25, 2009
Taking advantage of the location of ENDO 09 in Washington, DC, members of The Endocrine Society’s Executive Committee visited Capitol Hill on June 11, 2009 to discuss with key House and Senate offices issues of concern to the Society's membership. The Society’s delegation included Robert Carey, MD, Lisa Fish, MD, John Marshall, MD PhD, Kelly Mayo, PhD, Carole Mendelson, PhD, Nanette Santoro, MD, Margaret Shupnik, PhD, Andrew Stewart, MD, Robert Vigersky, MD and Leonard Wartofsky, MD. The Society’s messages focused on five main issues: biomedical research funding, legislation to reverse cuts to physician reimbursement for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA), legislation to create a diabetes coordinator, endocrinologist workforce issues, and stem cell research.
Congress was working on appropriations at the time of the Hill visits, enabling Executive Committee members to address the need for increased funding for biomedical research in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 appropriations bill with Representatives Tom Perriello (D-VA) and Brian Bilbray (R-CA), and staff of Representative Dave Camp (R-MI). The Endocrine Society recommends that NIH receive an increase of at least seven percent in FY 2010 to prepare for the post-stimulus era and to ensure the steady, sustainable growth necessary to complete the President’s vision of doubling the investment in basic and clinical research.
From left to right: Janet Kreizman, Senior Director of Government and Public Affairs;
John Marshall, Secretary-Treasurer-Elect; Congressman Tom Perriello; Robert Carey,
Immediate Past-President; and Margaret Shupnik, Past-President.
From left to right: Kelly Mayo, President-Elect; John Marshall,
Secretary-Treasurer-Elect; Margaret Shupnik, Past-President;
Representative Brian Bilbray; Robert Carey, Immediate Past-President;
and Carole Mendelson, Vice President – Basic Science.
In an effort to strengthen support for the Medicare Fracture Prevention and Osteoporosis Testing Act (HR 1894 and S 769), Society members encouraged those members of Congress that they visited to support the legislation when it is debated or considered as part of a larger package in the House and Senate. The legislation would return drastically reduced reimbursement for DXA and vertebral fracture assessment scans to 2006 levels.
Members of the Executive Committee also visited the office of Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) to discuss the creation of a national diabetes coordinator, who would be responsible for coordinating the diabetes-related programming and research in all federal agencies. The Society has been actively working with his office to further his efforts to develop such a position.
Executive Committee members also spoke with Senator Harry Reid’s (D-NV) staff and Representatives Perriello and Camp about endocrinologist workforce issues and the importance of ensuring that there are enough primary care physicians and subspecialists to care for the vast numbers of newly insured that will result from the proposed health reform.
Finally, members met with Representative Diana DeGette’s (D-CO) staff to thank her for her support of stem cell research and her work related to diabetes. The Executive Committee members also offered the Society as a resource for information and support for her efforts to impact the availability of federal funds for stem cell research.
