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Sign Up for Forum Hill Day and Advocate for PA Education

Hill Day is a powerful opportunity for attendees to mount a large-scale advocacy effort on Capitol Hill to advance the interests of PA education. If you plan to attend the Forum, please consider signing up for Hill Day when you register. If you have registered already and did not opt in to participate in Hill Day, you can go back to your registration and change your selection. To learn more, check out these answers that PAEA’s Government Relations team has prepared to frequently asked questions:

Is there a deadline to register to participate in Hill Day?
Yes. Because coordinating meetings on Capitol Hill requires significant advance time, attendees interested in participating in Hill Day must opt in through the Forum registration process by August 15.

When is Hill Day?
The 2019 PAEA Education Forum Hill Day will take place from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. on Friday, October 11. Charter buses will transport attendees from the Washington Marriott Wardman Park hotel to Capitol Hill following the morning general session and return them to the hotel following the Hill visits.

Why should I participate in Hill Day?
When determining policy positions and priorities, members of Congress look to constituents for guidance. Grassroots advocacy is a core component of PAEA’s policy efforts on behalf of programs, faculty, and students, and your engagement with the offices of your elected officials helps to facilitate progress on behalf of PA education.

What are the policy priorities for Hill Day?
Because effective advocacy depends on aligning policy requests with the congressional agenda, the policy requests or “asks” will be communicated to attendees directly a few weeks in advance of the Forum. However, PAEA typically asks grassroots advocates to urge their representatives to support the Physician Assistant Higher Education Modernization Act (H.R. 1685), the Physician Assistant Education Public Health Initiatives Act (H.R. 1686), and allowing all preceptors of PA students to verify, rather than re-perform, medical record documentation provided by students.

Is there a cost to participate in Hill Day?
No. Hill Day is free for all Forum participants to attend.

What is the dress code for Hill Day?
PAEA strongly encourages all Hill Day participants to wear business attire when conducting meetings. We also encourage you to bring your professional cards to leave behind with the offices.

How do I opt in to participate in Hill Day?
Interested attendees can indicate that they would like to participate in Hill Day when prompted to do so during the regular Forum registration process. If you have already registered and did not opt in, but would like to participate, you can modify your registration to do so.

Will there be an in-person training session?
Yes. PAEA Government Relations staff and the Association’s external consultants will be leading an in-person training session on Thursday, October 10, from 5:20–6:10 p.m. Please note that it is critical that all Hill Day participants attend this session. During this session, briefing materials will be distributed to each individual, and you will have an opportunity to coordinate with your state delegation.

Am I responsible for arranging my own meetings on Capitol Hill?
No. PAEA’s Government Relations staff will secure all meetings for you in advance. Please note that meetings will be scheduled with the elected officials from the state where your PA program is located rather than your personal residence. Your schedule will be distributed along with your briefing materials at the Thursday training session and may be subject to last-minute changes due to the fluidity of congressional staff schedules.

How should I communicate meeting outcomes to PAEA staff?
In your briefing folder, you will be provided with a meeting outcomes form. Please plan to complete the form in between Hill meetings and return it to the designated location, which will be announced during the Thursday training session. These forms are crucial for our staff’s ability to follow up on the outcomes of your meetings.

Over the coming weeks, the Government Relations team will be conducting informational webinars on Hill Day for both potential and confirmed participants, which will be communicated through the Networker and the PAEA website. For any questions in the interim, please contact Tyler Smith at tsmith@PAEAonline.org.