OPHI Farrah Rink, OMS-IV, MHSc

Hello everyone! This will be my last blog post wrapping up my experience serving as an Osteopathic Health Policy Intern (OHPI) with AACOM’s Government Relations team. It has been an experience of a lifetime. I’m heading back to the hospital more informed on graduate medical education and health policy topics including opioids, the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education Program, health care costs, and prescription drug pricing. I had the privilege of attending various congressional hearings, meetings, and countless webinars, and reading up on articles and news stories, which has given me a well-versed experience in health policy. Please enjoy reading about my final month as an OHPI as well as ways to stay engaged throughout the year. 

Events on the Opioid Epidemic:

Senate HELP Committee Hearing: Managing Pain During the Opioid Crisis

This was my third Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing, which included a panel of witnesses who discussed the importance of managing pain during the opioid crisis. Topics included options for non-opioid treatments and medications, with an emphasis on the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to pain.

NAM Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

This National Academy of Medicine (NAM) webinar introduced the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic and was very informative statistically; for example, I learned that over 130 Americans die every day due to overdose. In 2017, the number of overdose deaths including opioids was six times higher than in 1999. In addition, the opioid crisis cost the U.S. $504 billion in 2015. NAM, which was founded in 1970, aims to “improve health for all by advancing science, accelerating health equity, and providing independent, authoritative, and trusted advice nationally and globally.” AACOM is a member of the NAM Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic.

AEI: Navigating the Evolving Opioid Crisis

On February 27, I attended an American Enterprise Institute (AEI) event, which included a panel of experts and community leaders who joined Representative Greg Walden (R-OR) to discuss the country’s ongoing efforts to curb opioid misuse and addiction. The discussion emphasized the Substance-Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act, which was a large bipartisan opioid package sponsored by then-Energy and Commerce Chairman Walden and signed into law in October. This legislation, among other aims, gives the Food and Drug Administration new authority for a post-approval study for certain drugs that contain controlled substances to look at long-term effectiveness. AEI is a Washington, DC-based public policy research institute.

Reminder for AACOM’s Upcoming Annual Conference

Register for Educating Leaders 2019, the AACOM Annual Conference taking place on April 10-12 in Washington, DC.

Calling all advocates: the award ceremony for the 2019 ED to MED Outstanding Advocate of the Year is almost here! How can you prepare?

Step 1: Continue to engage in the ED to MED campaign on social media, and even consider writing a blog post like Alixandria Fiore Pfeiffer, Omega Beta Iota (OBI) National Director.

Step 2: Contact your legislators. Taking time to advocate during your busy schedule only takes a few moments due to the tools available to stay informed. Reaching out to your lawmakers can be as easy as sending a tweet or letter based on a template supplied by ED to MED. Your voice can have an impact on future health and higher education policy.  

Step 3: Consider becoming a member of OBI National Osteopathic Political Honor Society! You can find the application and requirements for induction into OBI  here. Check out AACOM’s very own Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Pamela Murphy, addressing members at the recent induction ceremony held during DO Day on the Hill. 

Step 4: Stay tuned for the big reveal day at the Educating Leaders conference: who will be the 2019 ED to MED Outstanding Advocate of the Year?

Farewell

I cannot believe how quickly eight weeks have gone by; it is truly a blink of an eye in DC’s bustling, fast-paced environment. I appreciate the readers who have joined me on my journey as an AACOM OHPI. I hope this gave you some insight into a day in the life of a government relations intern.

Thank you to everyone at AACOM for this amazing opportunity. I encourage all osteopathic medical students to apply. The entire staff of AACOM has been so kind, willing to teach, and a pleasure to be around. I am so grateful that you are the people representing students and our COMs. You inspired me to become an advocate in the first place and for that I remain grateful!

The knowledge and skills I acquired will make me a more effective advocate for my profession and future patients. Residency will certainly have time limitations, however, my advocacy efforts via Twitter and staying informed via the Washington Insider will continue. I encourage you all to do the same. Best wishes everyone in your future endeavors!

February 25, 2019

Welcome everyone! My name is Farrah Rink and I am a fourth-year medical student from the Georgia Campus Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. I am so honored to be taking all of you on a journey for the next two months as the newest Osteopathic Health Policy Intern (OHPI) at AACOM. This time last year, I was celebrating two of my dear friends as prior OHPIs while submitting my application. It’s hard to believe I have the opportunity to write you as an OHPI only a year later. Being selected to become an OHPI was such an honor. I cannot wait to take the knowledge I acquire here and use it to be an effective advocate for my profession and future patients for the rest of my career.

Political advocacy was not something I expected to be involved in when I was accepted to medical school. I was the first in my family to attend college and medical school, and that would not have been possible without Grad PLUS loans. When I learned that this federal loan program was in jeopardy and my advocacy could make a difference, I didn't hesitate to get involved to #SaveGradPLUS. My passion for political advocacy and for important issues such as addressing student debt and working to ensure there is sufficient funding for graduate medical education (GME) stems from the ability of these programs to allow myself and thousands of other students to pursue our dreams.

My experience with political advocacy expanded when I joined the Omega Beta Iota National Osteopathic Political Honor Society Executive Board and the ED to MED campaign, for which I wrote a blog post and was named the 2018 ED to MED Outstanding Advocate of the Year. I attended the American Osteopathic Association’s 2017 and 2018 DO Days on Capitol Hill, AACOM’s COM Day on Capitol Hill, as well as Physicians’ Day at the Capitol as part of the local Georgia Osteopathic Medical Association chapter.  I knew that this internship was something that I would enjoy and would offer tremendous personal growth.

My policy interests that I hope to focus on during my internship include:

• Health literacy
• Opioid epidemic
• GME funding
• Federal student loan programs
• Student and physician wellness

Senate HELP Committee Hearings

Even during the government shutdown at the start of the year, AACOM’s Office of Government Relations persisted in its work with the new Congress.  In my first two weeks, I attended two Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearings. The first hearing, on January 29, addressed the importance of access to medical care in underserved communities and the importance of community health centers. The second hearing, on February 5, focused on the effects of primary care on health care costs and outcomes. It was an amazing experience to be a few feet away from the Members of Congress you usually only see on TV; I was starstruck. The Senate HELP Committee began in 1869 as the Committee on Education, and from 1884 through the mid-1900s it was known as the Education and Labor Committee. In 1999, it was officially named the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. Today, the committee is led by Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA). I am looking forward to attending more upcoming Senate HELP Committee meetings during my internship.

Bipartisan Policy Center Keynote Address from HHS Secretary Azar

On February 1, I attended an event where I heard from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar who gave a speech on new proposals by the Trump administration to lower prescription drug prices and out-of-pocket costs by encouraging manufacturers to pass discounts directly to patients and bring new transparency to prescription drug markets. The Bipartisan Policy Center is a Washington, DC-based think tank and non-profit organization that actively promotes bipartisanship to promote health, security, and opportunity for all Americans.