Seventh Annual Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum

January 8–11, 2009, Location: TBD

Advocacy—and in turn the training of qualified, effective physician advocates—is quickly becoming a top priority for the Academy.

Since its inception in 2003, the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum has graduated 180 advocacy leaders who form an incredible network of neurology advocates throughout the United States and eleven other countries: Austria, Australia, Canada, China, Japan, Georgia, Guatemala, Ireland, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines.

These trained advocates work on critical issues that are important to the future of neurology. They have implemented their personal advocacy action plans and achieved success promoting legislation, developing coalitions, working with the media, obtaining financial support for research, organizing state neurological societies, lobbying for fair reimbursement, and helping the Academy draft position statements that affect future legislation.

The Sixth Annual Palatucci Forum

The Sixth Annual Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum recently trained 29 new advocacy leaders in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Participants were educated on effective grassroots advocacy and media skills. They also worked to develop a range of personal action plans, including:

• Improving stroke care in Sri Lanka
• Developing state neurological societies in Missouri, New York, and Oklahoma
• Enhancing the care of dementia patients and increasing their caregivers' support
• Educating young adults on preventable risk factors for stroke
• Regional collaboration to improve MS care, research, and education

See if any 2008 Forum participants live in your community.