Nation’s Ob-Gyns Meet in Washington to Bridge the Gap in Women’s Health

Washington, DC—Politically passionate obstetrician-gynecologists from all fifty states convene March 8-10 at The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ 33rd Annual Congressional Leadership Conference, The President’s Conference (CLC). This "lobbying boot camp" is ACOG’s most popular advocacy event.

Following two days of intensive legislative training with nationally prominent speakers, including Former Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, 450 ob-gyns will storm Capitol Hill to lobby their Members of Congress on key women’s health issues.

CLC hot topics range from environmental and reproductive health to medical liability reform alternatives. This year's CLC theme is, "Bridging the Gap: Coming Together for Women’s Health," and all ACOG asks will feature bi-partisan legislation, under the direction of John C. Jennings, MD, ACOG President and Chair of ACOG's Government Affairs Committee.

"Today we welcome hundreds of ob-gyn advocates to Washington. Through our Fellows' tremendous efforts and leadership, ACOG has seen numerous legislative achievements," said Dr. Jennings. "We must continue to fight these important battles and promote positive change for our patients and specialty. The start of 2015 brings with it a new Congress, big changes in statehouses, and opportunities – as well as challenges – for women's health."

Ob-gyns will ask Congress to pass legislation to:

1. Increase Access to Maternity Care in Underserved Areas
   50% of US counties do not have an ob-gyn, and more than half of women in rural communities live more than 30 minutes away from a hospital offering perinatal services. The Improving Access to Maternity Care Act will create a maternity care shortage area designation within the National Health Service Corps, helping women in underserved areas receive timely access to quality maternity care.
2. Ensure Our Nation Has an Adequate Ob-Gyn Workforce
   The ob-gyn specialty faces a serious workforce shortage by 2030, limiting access to needed care for women across the country, especially as millions of women gain health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. But coverage is only meaningful if people have timely access to high quality care. Americans need an adequate ob-gyn workforce to care for all patients in need.
3. Repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB)
   IPAB puts critical decisions in the hands of unelected individuals who would have little or no accountability to the American people. Repealing IPAB is a top ACOG priority.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (The College), a 501(c)(3) organization, is the nation’s leading group of physicians providing health care for women. As a private, voluntary, nonprofit membership organization of approximately 58,000 members, The College strongly advocates for quality health care for women, maintains the highest standards of clinical practice and continuing education of its members, promotes patient education, and increases awareness among its members and the public of the changing issues facing women’s health care. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), a 501(c)(6) organization, is its companion organization. www.acog.org