Category: MHA Rounds

Prioritizing a Culture of Safety — For Everyone in Healthcare

Member News, MHA Rounds

Amy Brown, chief nursing officer, field engagement, MHA

The MHA proudly affirms our commitment to the safety and well-being of our patients AND healthcare workers. Which is why we are diligently working to address the alarming rise in violence against healthcare workers and continue to advocate for federal legislation to make assaulting a healthcare worker a federal crime.

As the chief nursing officer for the association, I have the privilege of overseeing the MHA Keystone Center, the safety and quality arm of the association. In addition to supporting MHA’s advocacy on healthcare worker safety, the Keystone Center is a founding partner of Lawrence Technological University’s Healthcare Violence Reduction Center (HVAC). The HVAC is conducting critical, multidisciplinary research to develop innovative solutions to reduce violence against healthcare workers. We’ve also partnered with MHA Endorsed Business Partner, Tarian to offer resources that address violence.

These efforts are more urgent than ever considering new data from the American Hospital Association. Their recent report, The Burden of Violence to U.S. Hospitals, found that hospitals incurred an estimated $18.27 billion in costs related to violence in 2023 alone. Beyond the financial implications, the report also highlights the significant challenges in staff recruitment and retention and the psychological toll on healthcare workers.

Promoting a culture of safety means more than protecting patients – it means protecting those who care for them. We must not only condemn violence against healthcare workers, but also ensure that our workforce strategies and budgets prioritize protecting those who care for others.

Please join me in recognizing the American Hospital Association’s Hospitals Against Violence Day by participating in the online dialogue about how hospitals are addressing violence in healthcare settings. Use the hashtag #HAVhope to share your voice.

Together, we can create a culture where safety is universal.

Language, Trust and Care: Reflections from the AHA Behavioral Health Workshop

Member News, MHA Rounds

Byline: Lenise Freeman, Government Relations and Public Policy Fellow

I had the opportunity to attend at the end of April a Behavioral Health Workshop in New Orleans hosted by the American Hospital Association. This interactive event brought together hospital leaders, clinical teams and behavioral health professionals to co-design care strategies that improve outcomes, particularly for individuals managing mental health and substance use conditions.

The workshop focused on person-centered care, with the clear message of how we communicate with patients is just as important as the services we deliver. In one session, we discussed “how might we” questions, such as how to align care with patients’ language needs and how to involve families and caregivers in treatment planning.

We explored practical solutions like hiring staff who speak multiple languages, giving patients the option to search for providers based on language and adding visual tools and multilingual signage to clinical spaces. Among the discussion, the value of training teams to use clear, respectful language and to be mindful of different communication preferences from patients was highlighted.

One message that stood out to me was how often communication gaps point to broader challenges in the healthcare system. When patients don’t have access to language support or feel uncomfortable speaking up, it becomes harder to build trust and deliver effective care. Attendees raised long-standing issues such as staffing shortages, outdated licensing rules and underdeveloped data systems.

There was a shared urgency to address these concerns. Participants emphasized the need for national standards on language access, better career pathways for multilingual professionals and increased resources for staff training. Many also talked about the importance of building stronger relationships between providers and the communities they serve.

This discussion reminded me of Michigan hospitals’ commitment to prioritizing the patient voice. Across the state, hospitals continue to invest in patient advocacy and support services. The MHA has worked with several organizations through its Endorsed Business Partner Program to connect members with solutions that improve access to care, including tools and resources for language services.

My biggest takeaway is that thoughtful care requires intention at every level. From how we design spaces and prepare staff to how we listen and respond to patient feedback, every detail matters.

This workshop was a meaningful reminder that improving behavioral healthcare starts with listening and that progress is possible when we commit to clear, consistent action.

Today’s Students Are Tomorrow’s Workforce

MHA Rounds, Member News

Byline: Katelin Wiersma, Director of Marketing and Branding, MHA

The healthcare workforce has been a top priority for MHA’s members, an active pillar in the annual strategic action plan for several years. The healthcare profession is arguably one of the most rewarding career fields, leaving lasting impacts on communities. With a strong personal connection to the healthcare field with 15 years under my belt, I found myself working in healthcare by chance, I tried leaving the field for one year and quickly came back to it. Even as a non-clinician, I felt a strong sense of purpose in healthcare. It has given me the opportunity to tell remarkable stories of heroism, provide lifesaving education and most recently, help others discover how rewarding a career in healthcare can be.

One of the first projects I embarked on at the MHA was the MiHospitalCareers campaign. An effort to raise awareness and interest in hospital-based careers. This campaign showcases the breadth and depth of positions within a hospital and the sense of purpose and meaning a healthcare career can provide. This campaign began in the spring of 2023 and has grown to reach new and different audiences. One way of reaching people has been attending in-person events with career-minded high school students. The state of Michigan is fortunate to have many organizations with similar missions working together to help students get exposure to professions and the education and training needed to prepare Michigan’s workforce of tomorrow.

Many of these organizations have events that provide an opportunity to have meaningful conversations and connect directly with students. This spring, I had the opportunity to attend the Michigan HOSA State Leadership Conference held April 17 and 18 in Acme and the Youth Solutions Career Development Conference held May 1 in Lansing. During both events, students offered energy and excitement that is unmatched. They are eager to learn and are still dreaming of what their future will be. I engaged with students who had many questions about opportunities and how their futures may involve healthcare and hospitals. The professionalism and poise exemplified by these students was, to say the least, impressive. Several MHA member hospitals attended these events too, and they shared similar feedback, stating things such as: “I wish I could offer these students jobs on the spot.”

As many of us are entrenched in our daily responsibilities, it is easy to forget that we all have the opportunity to shape the youth and caregivers of tomorrow. It is also easy to overlook that many students are actively seeking guidance, mentorship and insight into their future career and education paths. If you find yourself feeling stuck or lacking enthusiasm for your own career, I encourage you to connect with students in any way you can. Let their excitement for future potential and zest for life be a reminder of why you chose your path.

Students are not only the future of our workforce, they are the future of Michigan and of healthcare itself. Let’s invest in them and make them aware of how we can help guide them. After spending time at several events with these students, I feel proud and at ease knowing that Michigan’s future is in exceptional hands.

Because today’s students truly are tomorrow’s workforce.

The Reality for Medicaid Patients Entering the ED With a Behavioral Health Crisis

Member News, MHA Rounds

Marianne E. Huff, LMSW, President and CEO, Mental Health Association in Michigan

Imagine this: You enter a hospital emergency department for chest pain. The clinicians onsite confirm you’re having a heart attack, but before can receive lifesaving care, you must wait for a second pre-admission screening from an agency outside of the hospital. The process could take hours – maybe even days.

The odds of that happening are not likely; However, it’s often the reality for Medicaid beneficiaries who come to the emergency department experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

In my role at the Mental Health Association in Michigan, I’ve had the privilege of advocating for patients and communities across the state who are living with mental illness. Unfortunately, a part of this job is having to witness the lasting impact that barriers in the system have on patients, providers and the overall care landscape.

When it comes to getting patients with Medicaid coverage inpatient behavioral healthcare, there are a series of unnecessary hurdles. One of the most time-consuming steps is that following an assessment by qualified ED clinicians, a patient with Medicaid must receive a secondary pre-admission screening from a community mental health (CMH) agency. Although it’s required for a CMH to perform the pre-admission assessment in a three-hour window, that’s rarely the case.

This effects people at all walks of life, but I’ve seen a troubling number of pediatric patients suffering as a result. In one case, a mother sat in the emergency department for weeks with her young daughter who was in dire need of inpatient behavioral healthcare services.

Sadly, that experience is not uncommon. I’ve seen parents put their jobs at risk to accompany children boarded in the ED. Oftentimes mental health conditions are compounded with acute medical issues, which further complicates the process of finding care.

As an association, we strive to transform the way our state and nation approaches mental illness. This is not possible if we don’t uphold a system that supports early intervention and gets patients the care they need without unnecessary delays.

Alongside the MHA and Michigan hospitals, our association agrees that one solution is to expand the three-hour assessment responsibility to allow clinically qualified ED staff to conduct pre-admission screenings. As a result, we can help improve the delivery of care for behavioral health patients who enter hospital EDs across Michigan.

The Mental Health Association in Michigan is the only statewide, non-governmental agency concerned with the broad spectrum of mental illness across all age groups.

In the Middle of Nowhere and Everything: Why Our Community Hospital Matters

Member News, MHA Rounds

Laura Peariso, Senior Director, Healthcare Information, MHA, written in honor of National Hospital Week

I live in a rural town—what I call the middle of nowhere, and everywhere. We’re miles from the nearest city, surrounded by open space instead of traffic. But out here, you learn to value what’s close. In the city, everything is nearby. Out here, everything is a drive—but what’s nearby is priceless.

One week before my son turned ten, my husband, Doug, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. That moment shattered our world, but it also showed us the quiet strength of something we’d always had: our community hospital.

I sent Doug to Memorial Healthcare’s Emergency Department because I knew he would be seen quickly. Their ED is efficient, sharp with diagnostics, and will transfer you if needed. But for the next 16 months, Memorial became more than just a place that could help—it became our medical home.

We consulted with other hospitals for opinions and eventually surgery. But nearly all of Doug’s care happened just 10 miles down the road. That mattered more than I can explain. When you’re going through something as intense and draining as cancer treatment, being at home matters. Being where you’re comfortable, where your son can visit after school, where you can drive back to him after a long day holding him and help him prepare for what no child should have to face.

There are so many appointments for cancer treatment.  Doug completed 28 rounds of chemo. On days I couldn’t be there, he had access to a volunteer ride service to safely get him to treatment. Small town, big heart.

When it came time to make end-of-life decisions, we had a choice: transfer to another hospital for one more procedure—or enter hospice. He needed to be home. And home wasn’t just our house. It was Memorial. It was the physicians, nurses and staff who had walked this journey with us. It was familiar faces, voices that knew his name, and caregivers who understood our story without needing to be told. From diagnosis to after his last breath he was home.

Doug’s hospice nurse had a daughter in our son’s class. That’s what it’s like here. You see the people who cared for your husband at the grocery store. At the school pickup line. At church. These aren’t just healthcare providers. They are neighbors. They are the people who held us up during the hardest days of our lives.

This is what a community hospital means. It’s not just about proximity. It’s about trust, dignity, and being surrounded by people who care—not just because it’s their job, but because it’s personal.

I will never stop being grateful for that.

That’s why supporting our local hospitals matters—because they support us when we need it most. If you can, donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Share your story. Community hospitals don’t just heal bodies—they hold families together.

MHA CEO Report — Highlighting Hospitals

Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, MHA Rounds
MHA Rounds image of Brian Peters

“Sometimes when you sacrifice something precious, you’re not really losing it. You’re just passing it on to someone else.” ― Mitch Albom, The Five People You Meet in Heaven

MHA Rounds image of Brian PetersThis month’s CEO Report is being filed from Washington, DC, where I am honored to join my colleagues from throughout our state and nation at the American Hospital Association’s Annual Meeting. On the agenda are robust conversations about the many challenges confronted by the healthcare field amid a tumultuous and often unpredictable political environment. The timing is fortuitous, as we officially celebrate our healthcare providers with National Nurses Week beginning May 5, followed by National Hospital Week. These honorary weeks shine a spotlight on the amazing dedication of hospital and healthcare workers in service to their patients and communities and encourage us to show our deep appreciation.

Our nurses, and many other healthcare workers, were widely hailed as heroes throughout the pandemic, and the reality is that they continue to show extraordinary commitment to service on a regular basis.  Just one recent example: northern Michigan was ravaged by a devasting ice storm earlier this year and despite power outages that were measured in weeks, the healthcare providers in that region did whatever was necessary to make sure people received the medications and care they needed. This included utilizing snowmobiles and ATVs for patient and staff transport when countless roads remained inaccessible due to downed trees and power lines.

Hospitals annually quantify the benefits they provide to the community through the IRS 990 form, and the MHA disseminates our own Community Impact Report. However, in reality, it is impossible to adequately document or fully do justice to the examples shared above, and countless others.  Healthcare interactions change people forever. And I’m not talking about the physical changes from surgery or treatment, but the emotional impact that saving a life, lending a helping hand or crying shoulder can make for someone. In times of need, emergency and disaster, hospitals – and more specifically, the people who work inside of them – are there WHEN and WHERE you need them. The sacrifices made by these extraordinary people are real, and they do so for our benefit.

Later this month we’ll be able to share our latest economic impact and workforce data for Michigan hospitals and healthcare. While the data may be slightly different, the overall story remains the same: healthcare is the leading private-sector employer in Michigan and the demand and reliance on healthcare has never been greater. So, what can we do to help? May is a time to unite behind our healthcare institutions and the work they do every day to touch and change lives, improving the health and wellness of our communities. While Congress continues to contemplate potential Medicaid funding cuts that would have devasting consequences to healthcare access for all Michiganders, please join us in speaking up and sharing the importance Medicaid plays in our state. You can do so by using the MHA’s action alert to send a personalized message to your member of Congress. Your local hospitals – and more importantly, the nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers who work there – need your help.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

The Five Things I Love Most About Nurses

Member News, MHA Rounds

Amy Brown, chief nursing officer, field engagement, MHA

In a few short days, I will celebrate one year as the inaugural chief nursing officer for the MHA. This position has given me the privilege of bringing together nurse leaders from across the state and country, gathering insights, sharing best practices and collaborating to drive meaningful change that advances care delivery.

When I visit with hospitals throughout Michigan, one constant remains true: nurses represent the essential foundation that supports our patients and communities. With this in mind, it seems fitting that the theme of National Nurses Week (May 6-12) focuses on recognizing the power of nurses as a driving force behind compassionate care, innovation and transformative changes in healthcare.

Before joining the MHA, I worked as a bedside nurse for six years and in hospital leadership for 16. As I reflect on my career, here are the top five things I love most about this workforce:

  1. Our authenticity: Nothing is off the table, whether you’re out to dinner with colleagues or interacting with patients and their families. Nurses keep it real.
  2. Our speed: Being a fast walker, a fast learner and a fast problem-solver is a must when it comes to this work.
  3. Our ability to connect: Nurses are required to get up close and personal. Because of this, we know how to reach others in a way that is meaningful and genuine.
  4. Our problem-solving skills: When you tell a nurse what you need, they will find a way to get the job done.
  5. Our resilience: Regardless of the hardship we’ve witnessed and endured, we continue to show up for our team, our patients and our communities every day.

I hope you’ll join me in thanking all the dedicated nurses across Michigan for their unwavering commitment to protecting our patients, enhancing care safety and quality and for the countless acts of kindness they perform that make a profound difference every day.

The Power of Patient-Centered Care

Member News, MHA Rounds

Tammy Allen, Region Director, Patient Experience and Relations, Trinity Health

It’s no secret that patient experience within hospitals and health systems has evolved over the years – especially following the COVID-19 pandemic. In honor of Patient Experience Week (PX Week), it’s a good time to recognize the strong, positive impact of patient-centered care. Now more than ever, healthcare leaders must consider these collaborative, compassionate approaches that not only benefit patients and providers, but also enhance a hospital’s culture, reputation and viability.

What is the philosophy and impact of patient-centered care?

While the terminology often varies across organizations, the foundational concept of any patient-centered care model is to put patients and their caregiver(s) at the center of all decision-making. Oftentimes, these efforts are referred to as Person- and Family-Centered Care (PFCC) or Person and Family Engagement (PFE).

Regardless of what it goes by, the primary goal is to foster collaboration between patients, families and healthcare staff. I can confirm both first-hand and from sources including the National Library of Medicine that implementing patient-centered care can result in better health outcomes, higher patient satisfaction, safer and more desirable workplaces and reduced costs.

Recent changes to the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey help reflect the evolution of patient-centered care, aiming to better capture the complexities of the modern patient experience. These measures focus on:

  • Patient-Centered Communication: Ensuring patients and their caregiver(s) are given clear explanations of diagnoses, treatment and medication instructions.
  • Patient and Family Involvement: Ensuring patients and their caregiver(s) feel well-informed and involved in the decision-making process for every step of the care plan, from intake to discharge.
  • Seamless, Compassionate Care: Ensuring hospital and healthcare teams collaborate and communicate effectively to create a seamless patient experience and prevent lapses in care. This principle also places emphasis on delivering compassionate, personalized care to meet every patient’s unique needs.

What is required to make a patient-centered care model successful and sustainable?

There are few key elements necessary to implement and maintain patient-centered care within a hospital or health system. This includes:

  • Leadership buy-in to access the necessary resources and tools to implement, enhance and sustain a patient-centered care model.
  • Education and training to help healthcare teams understand the value of patient-centered care and effectively implement new practices.
  • Employee engagement to foster a culture that embraces patient-centered care practices and maintains collaboration across teams.

What tools exist for hospitals and health systems looking to adopt a patient-centered care model (especially those with limited resources)?

The MHA Person & Family Engagement (PFE) Roadmap is a great tool that offers guidance on how to introduce or re-engage patient-centered care practices. The roadmap provides standardized definitions, policies and actionable steps for healthcare teams. Later this Spring, members of the MHA PFE Advisory Council will share how to integrate the roadmap in two PFE Improvement Sprint webinars, which are free of charge to MHA members:

What wisdom would you pass along to healthcare teams implementing or re-engaging patient-centered care practices?

If you are a patient experience leader like me, use your voice and expertise to share the far-reaching benefits of patient-centered care. In addition to enhancing the overall clinical experience, these efforts help ensure those who walk through your doors feel valued, involved and understood.

MHA CEO Report — Prioritizing Rural Health

Issues in Healthcare, Top Issues - Healthcare, MHA Rounds
MHA Rounds graphic of Brian Peters

“Be sure you put your feet in the right place, then stand firm.” – Abraham Lincoln

MHA Rounds graphic of Brian PetersWhile snow continues to fall in northern Michigan, spring is officially here, and for many, that means our weekend travel plans shift from skiing and snowmobiling to camping, hiking and boating. Rural Michigan is an amazing travel destination for many, but it also is home year-round to 20% of our state’s population, and access to affordable, high-quality healthcare remains absolutely crucial. Rural hospitals are an integral part of the local fabric of their communities, treating the ill and improving the health and well-being of their residents. They work extremely hard to make sure they’re able to provide the best quality of care, while operating on a budget with slim to nonexistent margins. In a small town, there is nowhere to hide when the hospital is experiencing challenges of any kind. This is especially true when the hospital is the largest employer in the community and a vital economic engine, which is very often the case in rural Michigan.

I recently had the opportunity to attend the annual American Hospital Association (AHA) Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, along with a number of MHA senior staff and Michigan rural healthcare leaders, including Tina Freese Decker, CEO of Corewell Health and current chair of the AHA Board of Trustees; Julie Yaroch, DO, CEO of ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital and current chair of the MHA Board of Trustees; and JJ Hodshire, CEO of Hillsdale Hospital, current MHA Board member and host of the Rural Health Today podcast. We focused on the latest rural health challenges and innovations, as well as our shared federal advocacy priorities. Key topics included rural obstetrical care, cybersecurity, long-term care transformation and strategic partnerships.

According to the latest U.S. census and other demographic resources, rural Americans are notably older, sicker and poorer than their urban and suburban counterparts. While rural areas currently cover 97% of the nation’s land, they are home to only 19.3% of the total population. Demographers believe that we are moving toward a future state in which an even higher concentration of the population will be in non-rural settings – and that in the next five years, more than 40% of Michigan counties will have more than a quarter of their population older than 65, with nearly all of those counties being rural. As we have learned – especially during the COVID pandemic – traditional volume-based healthcare reimbursement methods do not adequately address the fixed costs inherent in healthcare delivery, a reality that is exacerbated for rural hospitals with smaller patient volumes and more constricted resources and economies of scale.

Although Medicaid expansion (a major accomplishment resulting from MHA advocacy) improved the viability of rural hospitals – a fact that is borne out when benchmarking Michigan to non-expansion states – that funding is currently in severe jeopardy given the current state of play in Washington, D.C., as discussed at length in last month’s CEO Report. In addition, the 340B program is another critically important part of the rural healthcare ecosystem, as the cost savings from the program are used by healthcare providers to offer critically important services to everyone in their respective communities, regardless of their socioeconomic status. The MHA continues to advocate at the state and federal level, in the legislative arena and in the courts, to protect and defend the 340B program.

With guidance from the MHA Council on Small or Rural Hospitals, currently chaired by Peter Marinoff, CEO of Munson Healthcare Southern Region (see Peter’s recent insights on rural healthcare), and staffed by Lauren LaPine, MHA senior director of Legislative and Public Policy, the MHA is also advocating for continuation of the rural access pool and obstetrical stabilization fund in the state budget, and promoting good public policy with respect to critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals and a host of other key issues.

Our rural healthcare leaders continue to prove they are exceptional at delivering extraordinary value, despite challenging circumstances. I know from first-hand experience that our rural hospitals provide high quality care and deserve to be fully supported. And we absolutely must support them, as the fragility of the current environment is real: there have been some 151 rural hospitals that have closed across the country since 2010 due to financial variables that make it extremely difficult to maintain hospital facilities in rural areas.

Now more than ever, we need to think about our rural hospitals, stand firm and do all we can to protect these vital institutions.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.

How Policy Shapes the Patient Experience: Reflections from a Public Policy Fellow

Member News, Patient Safety and Quality, MHA Rounds

The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Patient Safety Congress brought together voices from across the healthcare spectrum March 9 – 11, uniting leaders, learners and advocates in a shared goal of delivering safer care to all patients. Among them was Esha Elahi, government relations & public policy fellow at the MHA, who dives into what her current role has taught her, what she learned at the IHI Conference and how those experiences are setting the tone for her next chapter in healthcare.

How has your experience as a Government Relations & Public Policy Fellow at the MHA shaped the way you interpret conversations about patient safety?

Elahi: My experience as a fellow has had a huge impact on the way I interpret and engage in conversations about patient safety. At the MHA, I’ve had the privilege of engaging with health professionals from a variety of disciplines, including doctors, nurses, social workers, administrators and policy experts. Listening to these diverse perspectives exposed me to the complexity of ensuring patient safety and all that goes on behind the scenes. It’s not just about training our frontline workers. Every person within a healthcare setting plays an important role in promoting patient safety. Likewise, for change to occur within health systems, we need multiple perspectives at the table.

How did attending the IHI Patient Safety Congress deepen or expand your understanding of the policies that influence safety in care settings?

Elahi: The IHI Patient Safety Congress helped me recognize just how critical workplace culture is in healthcare and how it directly affects patient outcomes. While healthcare systems often have protocols in place to support patient safety, I started to ask myself: what happens when someone notices a safety risk but doesn’t feel supported enough to speak up?

One session that really stuck with me was “Advancing High Reliability: The Role of Psychological Safety in Supporting Cultural Change,” led by Amjed S. Baghdadi and Amanda Laorenza. It focused on the importance of psychological safety in building high-reliability organizations; workplaces where staff feel empowered to voice concerns and stop potential harm before it happens. It echoes that everyone at a hospital plays a role in patient safety, whether you are in direct contact or not.

That session made me think more deeply about what protections exist for healthcare workers who report safety or quality concerns. At the MHA, we have initiatives like the MHA Keystone Center Speak-up! Award, which recognizes hospitals where staff take action to prevent harm through open communication. It’s one way to reduce preventable incidents caused by miscommunication or silence.

The conversations at the Congress also reminded me of the advocacy work being done at the MHA around protecting healthcare workers, including efforts to pass legislation addressing violence in healthcare settings. Policies such as Public Acts 271 and 272 of 2023 are essential; not just for staff safety, but also for maintaining high-quality care for patients.

Were there any conversations at the congress that highlighted the intersection of policy and frontline care delivery in a way that resonated with your work?

Elahi: The session “Personal Experience to Professional Expertise: Using One Case of Maternal Morbidity for Advocacy,” led by Dr. Charity S. Watkins, resonated with the efforts I’ve been involved in at the MHA. Maternal health has been a key priority for the association. Dr. Watkins shared data on the status of maternal healthcare in the United States, which has the highest maternal mortality rate among high-income countries and that 84% of maternal deaths in the U.S. are preventable. Black women giving birth are three to four times more likely to die while giving birth and twice more likely to experience a life-threatening medical event during childbirth. These facts underscore the importance of the work we’re doing at MHA to improve maternal health outcomes.

What advice would you give to other future providers about understanding the policy side of patient care?

Elahi: Whether you’ve worked in the advocacy-space before or this type of work is brand new to you, understanding the impact of policy on your practice, medicine and on patient care is crucial. If there’s an issue or topic within medicine you’re passionate about changing or improving, there’s a chance there’s some type of policy in motion. Getting involved in public policy and advocacy efforts can seem quite daunting, but you might be surprised at how natural it comes to you. Physicians are naturally inclined with a mindset of service. Scaling this up by sharing your personal stories with stakeholder groups or lawmakers to improve policy is an amazing way to service future patients and community members.