Congressional Leadership Conference, the President's Conference

Schedule

Sunday, March 27, 2022

• 3:00 p.m.

  “Welcome” to Washington
  • Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG, @raebo13
  • Maureen Phipps, MD, MPH, FACOG, Chief Executive Officer, ACOG
  • J. Martin Tucker, MD, FACOG, President, ACOG
    
     
• 3:30 p.m.

  Intro to the Asks and Capitol Hill 101 (required session)
  • Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG, @raebo13
  • Featuring: Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA), @SenatorWarnock

  Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election in January 2021 and quickly made his mark as a champion for maternal health when he sponsored the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, key maternal mortality legislation recently signed into law. Prior to serving in the U.S. Senate, Sen. Warnock was the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta and was a leading advocate in state efforts to expand Medicaid in Georgia.

• 4:00 p.m.

  Congressional Speaker

  Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), @RepBrianFitz

  Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2017, and as Co-Chair of both the Bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, Rep. Fitzpatrick has prioritized finding bipartisan solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing physicians. This includes his sponsorship of the Violence Against Women Act and support of the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, key maternal mortality legislation recently signed into law.

• 4:30 p.m.

  Intro to the Asks & Capitol Hill 101, cont. (required session)

  Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG, @raebo13

• 4:45 p.m.

  Maternal Mental Health – Insight from the Expert

  Tiffany Moore Simas, MD, MPH, MEd, FACOG, @TMooreSimas

  Dr. Tiffany Moore Simas is an obstetrician-gynecologist and maternal mental health expert and the Co-Chair of ACOG’s Maternal Mental Health Expert Work Group. She is Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at UMass Chan Medical School and is the Medical Director of Lifeline for Moms, which provides expert training, consultation, and implementation assistance for organizations and states working to develop integrated perinatal mental health programs.

• 5:15 p.m.

  Congressional Speakers
  • Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), @SenCortezMasto 
  • Representative John Katko (R-NY-24), @RepJohnKatko 
  • Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), @SenTinaSmith
  • Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO-1), @RepDianaDeGette 
  • Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) (pending confirmation), @lisamurkowski

  Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) made history in 2016 by becoming the first woman from Nevada and the first Latina ever elected to the United States Senate. Sen. Cortez Masto serves on the Senate Finance Committee and has been a strong advocate for women’s health care, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, and strengthening our nation’s health care system. Before coming to Congress, Senator Cortez Masto served two terms as Attorney General of Nevada.

  Rep. John Katko (R-NY-24) was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014 after a 20-year career as a federal prosecutor. Rep. Katko has championed legislation to increase medical residency slots and as Co-Chair of the bipartisan Mental Health Caucus, he is a steadfast champion for bipartisan solutions and policies that support increased access to mental health treatment and services.

  Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 2018 and serves on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee. Sen. Smith is co-chair of the bipartisan Rural Health Caucus and is committed to lowering health care costs, lowering prescription drug costs, and expanding care in rural communities. She is the sponsor of the Rural MOMS Act, which was recently signed into law.

  Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1) is currently serving her thirteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is recognized as a leading voice in the nation’s ongoing health care debate and a champion for women’s health. Rep. DeGette is Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and was the sponsor of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, to authorize funding for maternal mortality review committees, which was signed into law in 2018. As Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Rep. DeGette is responsible for overseeing some of our nation’s most important federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined the United States Senate in 2002, and since that time has earned a reputation in the Senate for her ability to work collaboratively and across the aisle to reach common sense solutions. Sen. Murkowski has a proven track record as a champion for maternal health and was the lead republican sponsor of the Rural MOMS Act, which was recently signed into law. Sen. Murkowski is a third generation Alaskan and proudly serves as the first Alaskan-born Senator.

• 6:00 p.m.

  Understanding Oppression & Advancing Equity in Practice
  • Joia Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG, @doccrearperry
  • Beth Cronin, MD, FACOG, @bcronin6
  • Noah Nattell, MD, MSc, FACOG
  • Jennifer Whitehair, MD, FACOG
  • Jennifer Villavicencio, MD, FACOG, Lead for Equity Transformation, ACOG

  Joia Crear-Perry, MD, FACOG
  Founder & President, National Birth Equity Collaborative

  Dr. Joia Crear-Perry is a physician, policy expert, thought leader, and advocate for transformational justice. As the founder and president of the National Birth Equity Collaborative (NBEC), she identifies and challenges racism as a root cause of health inequities. A proud recipient of both the Congressional Black Caucus Healthcare Heroes award and the Maternal Health Task Force at Harvard University Global Visionary Award for Commitment to Advancing Women’s Health, Dr. Crear-Perry’s most notable efforts include the removal of race as a risk factor for illnesses, including premature birth. Previously, she served as the Executive Director of the Birthing Project, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at Jefferson Community Healthcare Center, and as the Director of Clinical Services for the City of New Orleans Health Department. In that role, she was responsible for four facilities that provided health care for the homeless, pediatric, WIC, and gynecologic services within the New Orleans clinical service area. Dr. Crear-Perry currently serves as a Principal at Health Equity Cypher and on the Board of Trustees for Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Community Catalyst, National Clinical Training Center for Family Planning, and the UCSF PTBi. She is an Adjunct Professor at Tulane School of Public Health.

  Beth Cronin, MD, FACOG
  Associate Program Director, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Ob-Gyn Residency Program

  Dr. Beth Cronin is a Clinical Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and works at Providence Community Health Centers providing full scope obstetrics and gynecologic care. Dr. Cronin completed her residency training at Women and Infants Hospital in 2010. She is passionate about medical student and resident education and completed the APGO Scholars Program in 2017. She lectures and advocates on the importance of inclusive welcoming health care for the LGBTQ community.

  Noah Nattell, MD, MS, FACOG
  Director of Women’s Health, Correctional Health, Los Angeles County Dept of Health Services

  Noah Nattell (he/him), MD, MS, FACOG, is Director of Women’s Health for Correctional Health in Los Angeles County Dept of Health Services and the Chief Medical Officer at Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley. He completed a fellowship in Complex Family Planning at USC and OBGYN residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in NYC. He is a member of the LA County Women’s Health Equity Coalition, the national ACOG Committee on the Healthcare for Underserved Women, and ACOG District IX Committee on Public Health. He has consulted for the National Commission on Correctional Health Care and the Congressional Black Caucus.

  Jennifer Whitehair, MD, FACOG
  Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Arizona School of Medicine

  Dr. Jennifer Whitehair serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona School of Medicine. Dr. Whitehair returned to her father’s community, Tuba City, in northern Arizona on the Navajo Nation in 2006 following completion of her residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Arizona. During her years at Tuba City, she has presented a variety of educational topics at local, regional and national medical meetings and conferences and has served as a mentor to countless students and residents over the years, sharing her knowledge about the community on the Navajo Nation, as well as her surgical knowledge. Through her participation in ACOG’s advocacy training series and as an invited lecturer at all three residency programs in Arizona, she has provided education to practitioners to help them to better care for Indigenous communities throughout the state. Dr. Whitehair is the 2022 recipient of the prestigious ACOG Outstanding AI/AN Women’s Healthcare Clinician Award, also known as the William H.J. Haffner AI/AN Women’s Health Award.

  Jennifer Villavicencio, MD, MPP, FACOG
  Lead for Equity Transformation, ACOG

  Dr. Villavicencio, a first-generation Cuban American, is an obstetrician–gynecologist with fellowship training in complex family planning and has expertise in health and public policy and communicating socially complex subjects. Her past experience with ACOG includes serving as the Darney-Landy Fellow with ACOG’s Strategies for Health Equity team and Junior Fellow leadership in District V and District I. Dr. Villavicencio completed her master's in public policy at the University of Michigan where she also completed her fellowship in complex family planning. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island and the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, where she honed her skills in policy and advocacy and was recognized for her teaching skills and compassion for patient care and her community.

• 7:30 p.m.

  Close of Day 1 Programming

Monday, March 28, 2022

• 3:00 p.m.

  State of Abortion & How to take Ob-Gyn Action
  • Serina Floyd, MD, MSPH, FACOG
  • Tiffany P. Hailstorks, MD, MPH, FACOG
  • Stephanie Toti, JD
  • Colleen McNicholas, DO, MSCI, FACOG
  • N. Dawn Bingham, MD, MPH, FACOG, @MomMD4SC
  • Eve Espey, MD, MPH, FACOG
  • Andrea Friall, MD, FACOG, @akadocmom 
  • Kristin Lyerly, MD, MPH, FACOG, @KristinLyerly

  Serina Floyd, MD, MSPH, FACOG
  Vice chair, ACOG Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women and co-chair, ACOG Abortion Access and Training Expert Work Group

  Dr. Floyd is incoming chair of ACOG’s Committee on Health Care for Underserved Women and co-chair of ACOG’s Abortion Access and Training Expert Work group. A passionate advocate for reproductive health, rights, and justice domestically and internationally, Dr. Floyd has lectured at various institutions and meetings, served on various committees, participated in numerous panels, policy briefings, and media activities, and published articles on topics in this area. Dr. Floyd has also been instrumental in advocating for her patients through the court systems, including providing a firsthand account of the harmful FDA restriction requiring that mifepristone be dispensed in person during the pandemic, as part of a lawsuit ACOG, SisterSong, and other medical organizations filed.
  
  Tiffany P. Hailstorks, MD, MPH, FACOG
  Assistant Professor, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Emory University School of Medicine

  As Assistant Professor with the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Hailstorks’ research has included the Georgia Medication Abortion (GAMA) Project, led by reproductive justice organization SisterLove, to describe Black and Latinx people’s perceptions of, barriers to, and experiences with medication abortion in Georgia. Dr. Hailstorks is cited in press articles speaking as an advocate for practicing comprehensive women’s health care, including abortion care. Her scholarly work has been published in numerous journals such as The American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology, and the Journal of Investigative Medicine. She is on the National Abortion Federation Board of Directors.
  
  Stephanie Toti, JD
  Senior Counsel & Project Director, The Lawyering Project

  Stephanie Toti currently serves as Senior Counsel & Project Director at the Lawyering Project, an organization she founded in 2017. The Lawyering Project aims at improving access to reproductive health care in the U.S. through litigation that advances an intersectional framework. Over the course of her career, Stephanie has litigated cases in federal and state courts throughout the country to improve access to reproductive healthcare and strengthen legal norms concerning liberty and equality, including successfully arguing Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt at the U.S. Supreme Court. Before founding the Lawyering Project, Stephanie spent ten years as a litigator at the Center for Reproductive Rights, served as an Associate at Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson, LLP, and clerked for the Honorable Nina Gershon, a U.S. District Court Judge in the Eastern District of New York.

  Colleen McNicholas, DO, MSCI, FACOG
  Vice Chair and Legislative Chair, ACOG Missouri Section, member, ACOG Government Affairs Committee

  Dr. McNicholas serves on ACOG’s Government Affairs Committee and is Vice Chair and Legislative Chair of the ACOG Missouri Section. She has held multiple leadership other leadership positions within ACOG, including serving on clinical committees. Dr. McNicholas currently is the Chief Medical Officer of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri. Prior, she served as associate professor at the Washington University School of Medicine, where she was an attending physician, associate professor, and director of the Ryan Residency Collaborative.

  Natalie Dawn Bingham, MD, MPH, FACOG
  Vice Chair and Legislative Chair, ACOG South Carolina Section

  Dr. Bingham serves as ACOG South Carolina’s Vice Chair and Legislative Chair and is an ACOG McCain Fellow. In addition to her practice, Dr. Bingham is Clinical Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, where she developed an advocacy curriculum for the department of obstetrics and gynecology. As an advocate and community leader Dr. Bingham has played many leadership roles, including supporting the work of the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy and the South Carolina Birth Outcomes Taskforce and running for elected office in the state Senate.

  Eve Espey, MD, MPH, FACOG
  Legislative Chair, ACOG New Mexico

  Dr. Espey is ACOG New Mexico Legislative Chair and Chair of ACOG’s Contraceptive Equity Expert Work Group. In addition, Dr. Espey is President of the Council of University Chairs of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Past President of the Society of Family Planning. She serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Family Planning fellowship Director at the University of New Mexico. Among many awards, esteemed positions, and accolades, as Immediate Past President of the New Mexico Perinatal Collaborative and Chair of the Department of OB-GYN, Dr. Espey has led projects in reducing maternal mortality from obstetric hemorrhage and implementing immediate postpartum LARC in hospitals throughout the state.

  Andrea K. Friall, MD, FACOG
  Legislative Chair, ACOG District XII (Florida)

  Dr. Friall is ACOG District XII (Florida) Legislative Chair. She also serves as Chief Medical Officer for Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare in 2016, and Associate Clinical Professor for the FSU College of Medicine OB/GYN Clerkship. She is also a member of the National Medical Association, the William Gunn Medical Society, and the Capital Medical Society. She has served as a board member of the Florida Obstetric and Gynecologic Society, as a board member of the American Red Cross.

• 4:00 p.m.

  State Advocacy Awards

  Presented by Maryanne McDonnell, MD, member of ACOG’s Government Affairs Committee.

• 4:10 p.m.

  Congressional Speakers
  • Representative Fred Upton (R-MI-6)
  • Representative Diana DeGette (D-CO-1)
  • Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)

  Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI-6) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987 and served as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce from 2010 to 2016. Hard work and bipartisan success were a staple during Rep. Upton’s tenure as Chairman, including his staunch advocacy for greater emphasis on biomedical research to improve public health and through his leadership on the landmark 21st Century Cures Act that was signed into law in 2016.

  Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO-1) is currently serving her thirteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is recognized as a leading voice in the nation’s ongoing health care debate and a champion for women’s health. Rep. DeGette is Co-Chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus and was the sponsor of the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act, to authorize funding for maternal mortality review committees, which was signed into law in 2018. As Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, Rep. DeGette is responsible for overseeing some of our nation’s most important federal agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

  Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) joined the United States Senate in 2002, and since that time has earned a reputation in the Senate for her ability to work collaboratively and across the aisle to reach common sense solutions. Sen. Murkowski has a proven track record as a champion for maternal health and was the lead republican sponsor of the Rural MOMS Act, which was recently signed into law. Sen. Murkowski is a third generation Alaskan and proudly serves as the first Alaskan-born Senator.

   

• 4:40 p.m.

  Showcasing Bipartisan Action for Women’s Health
  • Representative Ami Bera, MD (D-CA-7), @RepBera 
  • Representative Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN-8), @RepLarryBucshon

  Rep. Ami Bera, MD (D-CA-7) is an internist by training and practiced for 20 years before coming to Capitol Hill. Since becoming a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2013, Dr. Bera has prioritized finding bipartisan solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing physicians, including meaningful medical liability reform, protecting access to care, preserving the patient-physician relationship, and averting cuts to Medicare physician reimbursement.

  Rep. Larry Bucshon, MD (R-IN-8) is a cardiothoracic surgeon by training and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2011. Dr. Bucshon is a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, and in addition to his work to avert cuts to Medicare physician reimbursement was the lead Republican sponsor of the Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act, key maternal mortality legislation recently signed into law.

• 5:00 p.m.

  Deep Dive into Ask #1: Improving Maternal Mental Health (required session)

  Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG, @raebo13

• 5:30 p.m.

  Deep Dive into Ask #2: Averting Devastating Medicare Payment Cuts (required session)
  • Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG
  • Lisa Satterfield, MPH, MS, Senior Director, Health Economics & Practice Management, ACOG
• 6:00 p.m.

  Congressional Speaker
  • Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL-14)

  Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14) has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2007 and is a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, where she has championed legislation to advance research in pregnant and breastfeeding individuals, increase medical residency slots, address rising rates of HPV-associated cancers, and improve access to Medicaid coverage. Rep. Castor is also Chair of the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

   

• 6:15 p.m.

  Get Ready to Advocate: How to Have a Virtual Hill Day
  • Lincoln Clapper, Advocacy Associates
  • Rachel Tetlow, Federal Affairs Director, ACOG, @raebo13
• 6:45 p.m.

  State Team Meetings
• 8:00 p.m.

  Virtual Ob-GynPAC Party (ticketed separately)

  Join Ob-GynPAC for our 2022 Virtual PAC Party! Catch up with friends and colleagues from around the country and support our important political work ahead of the 2022 midterm elections at a virtual game night! The event begins at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday, March 28, with event lobby opening at 7:30 p.m. ET. Grab your ticket today!

Tuesday, March 29, 2022

• 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

  Virtual Hill Day

  Individual schedules will be sent to attendees a few days prior to CLC.