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Your Voice Matters
Your Voice Matters: Building Relationships
A new legislative term brings new faces, new priorities, and new opportunities to make a difference. With newly elected legislators and fresh appointments to the House Health Policy Committee, it’s more important than ever for physicians to advocate on behalf of their patients and profession. Decisions made at the Capitol directly impact how you practice medicine, and lawmakers need to hear from you about the ramifications to patient access and care.
Advocacy isn’t just about contacting legislators when there’s a crisis or a vote on a critical bill It’s about building relationships and trust over time. Things move quickly in Lansing and when lawmakers know you as a trusted resource on health policy issues, they’re more likely to reach out to you for insight or take your call on issues requiring medical expertise.
Connect with Your Legislators
If you’re new to advocacy, the first step is simple: Find out who represents you and introduce yourself. You can look up your State Representative and State Senator by entering your home address.
When reaching out—whether by email or phone—keep your message short, personal, and direct:
- Introduce yourself as a physician and constituent.
- Mention where you practice and a bit about your role in the community.
- Express your interest in health policy issues and your willingness to be a resource for them.
- Offer to meet for a brief conversation, either virtually or in person.
Example email template:
Dear Representative/Senator [Last Name],
My name is Dr. [Your Name], and I’m a [specialty] physician who lives and practices in your district. I’m reaching out to introduce myself and let you know that I’m deeply interested in health policy issues that affect my patients and our community. I would love to be a resource for you on health care topics and share my perspective from the front lines of medicine. Please feel free to reach out if you ever have questions or would like to meet. Thank you for your service to our district.
Sincerely,
Dr. [Your Name]
[Your Contact Information]
Take Your Advocacy to the Next Level: Join Us for MSMS Advocacy Day – March 19
Once you’ve introduced yourself, a great way to strengthen those connections is to participate in advocacy events. On March 19, MSMS will host Advocacy Day—an opportunity for physicians to meet directly with legislators and discuss key health policy issues. This is a perfect event for those new to advocacy, as MSMS will provide background on current issues and help facilitate meetings with lawmakers.
Advocacy Day is not only a chance to speak up for your profession and your patients—it’s also a way to show legislators that physicians are engaged, informed, and ready to partner with them on shaping sound health policy.
Don’t Delay: Now Is the Time to Get Involved
The start of a legislative term is the perfect time to introduce yourself, build or enhance relationships, and ensure when health policy issues arise, lawmakers know exactly who to call, you, their local physician. Your voice matters—join us and make it heard.
👉 Register for MSMS Advocacy Day on March 19!