PLEASE WEAR YOUR WHITE COAT ON ADVOCACY DAY
Dear Family Medicine Advocate:

On behalf of Michigan Academy of Family Physicians and Michigan Association of Osteopathic Family Physicians, thank you for joining us for Michigan Family Medicine Advocacy Day on Tuesday, February 25. Below is information you need to prepare. If you have any questions before Tuesday, please email me at [email protected] or call my cell at 616.633.3374.

Sincerely,
Matt Black, MAFP Director of Government Relations
Logistics
  • On-site check-in begins at 8 am in the Mackinac Room, located on the 5th floor of the Anderson House Office Building (124 North Capitol Avenue, Lansing 48933).
  • You will be required to show identification at the information desk in the lobby of the Anderson House Office Building before you can proceed to the Mackinac Room.
  • The morning advocacy seminar will begin promptly at 8:30 am.
  • Click here for the complete schedule.
Preparation Materials
  • An effective advocate is a prepared advocate.
  • To access all of the information you need to prepare for successful legislative meetings during Advocacy Day, please visit our advocate resources and materials webpage (password: advocate).
Legislative Meetings
  • House meetings will take place at 10 am-12 pm; Senate meetings at 1:30-4 pm.
  • The meeting schedule (subject to change) will be posted on the advocate resources and materials webpage; the final list will be provided on-site.
  • Most participants will attend one House meeting and one Senate meeting; however, some individuals are scheduled for additional meetings.
  • Some meetings will be with legislative staff; however, it is also likely the legislator will attend the luncheon, giving you another opportunity to talk with him/her. Remember that staff are just as valuable to talk with as the lawmakers!
  • If you registered for the day and did not indicate you will be leaving early, please stay for all the legislative meetings you are assigned to attend; it creates confusion when advocates don't attend meetings for which they were scheduled.
Weather
  • Advocacy Day entails walking between the Anderson House Office Building, Binsfield Senate Building, and Capitol (approximately a 2 minute walk between buildings).
  • As of today, the forecast for Feb. 25 is a high of 38 degrees with a chance of morning snow showers and a mix of rain and show in the afternoon (accumulation less than 1").
Family Medicine Week
  • Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proclaimed Feb. 23-29 Family Medicine Week in Michigan.
  • Michigan Department of Health and Human Services issued a media release highlighting the benefits of having a family physician in observance of Family Medicine Week.
  • Please join the Family Medicine Week #MiFMW conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and/or LinkedIn to help spread the word!
  • We encourage you to take pictures during Advocacy Day meetings with your state lawmakers and share these via social media, along with a thank you to them for supporting family medicine—be sure to include the hashtags #MiFMW and #FamilyMedicineStrong.