Sharing the Power of Advocacy with Missouri’s Physicians

Last week, Missouri Government Relations Director Maura Patel joined a panel discussion at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She connected with second- and third-year pediatric residents from hospitals across Missouri to share the power of advocacy and community engagement.

Maura spoke about how healthcare professionals can use their voices and expertise to make a difference for patients and communities. She also shared the journey behind the passage of Missouri’s Cardiac Emergency Response Plans (CERPs), highlighting an important lesson for advocates everywhere: meaningful change often takes time, persistence, and collaboration, but those efforts can lead to impactful victories.

Residents engaged the panelists with questions about advocacy, exploring how they could use their expertise to make an impact and how each panelist began their advocacy journey. The conversation showcased how volunteers and advocates from all backgrounds can play an important role in advancing policies that improve health outcomes.

A special thank you to Missouri State Advocacy Committee member and pediatric cardiologist Dr. Deepa Mokshagundam for facilitating the panel and inviting the American Heart Association to participate.