Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum

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The Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum (Forum) is a leadership and advocacy skills-development curriculum created by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) with the mission of training AAN members to better advocate for their patients and the profession of neurology. Forum graduates have gone on to use their skills at the state, local, and national levels. The four-day program is highly interactive and offers challenging instruction in the areas of media relations and communication, legislative and grassroots advocacy, and advocacy action planning.

Since its inception in 2003, the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum has graduated 240 advocacy leaders who are working on critical issues throughout the United States and fifteen other countries (Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Japan, Jamaica, Georgia, Guatemala, Ireland, India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka).

Palatucci Advocacy leaders have implemented their personal advocacy action plans and achieved success promoting state and federal legislation, working with the media, obtaining financial support for research, developing coalitions, organizing state neurological societies, lobbying for fair reimbursement, and helping the Academy draft position statements that affect future legislation.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Palatucci?

The Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum honors the memory of AAN Board of Directors Member Donald M. Palatucci, MD. His spirited efforts as an advocate for his patients and profession will continue to inspire future champions for neurology through this premier program.

Who can apply for the Forum?

The Academy seeks applicants who possess strong leadership potential and have a clear passion for their patients and their profession. Only members of the American Academy of Neurology who are in good standing may apply for the Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum.

How do I become an AAN member?

The AAN offers a variety of membership types, including membership for physicians, medical students, non-physician neurology professionals, and the AAN's esteemed fellowship status. Learn how to join and about the benefits of membership.

Please note that applications for membership can take up to two weeks to process. Only once your application for AAN membership has been approved may you apply for the Forum, so apply early!

How do I apply for the Forum?

Members apply online by providing their background information, a summary of their advocacy and leadership experience, and responses to the following application questions:

  1. What advocacy issue motivated you to apply for the Palatucci Forum?
  2. Please provide your definition of advocacy and give one example of an effective advocate.
  3. Why do you want to be trained as an advocacy leader?
  4. How do you envision applying the skills (media, grassroots, action planning) that you would learn at the program?
  5. What past advocacy/leadership experience do you have? Provide at least one example of a time when you demonstrated leadership and/or collaborative skills to overcome an obstacle.

What makes a great application?

The following are some ideas for crafting an outstanding application:

  1. Describe how you possess the desire, skills, and knowledge to make organizational change at some level
  2. Tell a story that exhibits your passion for the profession and your patients
  3. Outline examples that highlight your strategic thinking and planning skills
  4. Give an example of your perseverance and dedication to a selected project
  5. Demonstrate your ability to collaborate and network with outside groups to accomplish an objective
  6. Give an example of when you have motivated your peers to join you in your advocacy

Who will be selected?

The Academy will select 30 members for the training program, typically 27 members from the US and three international members. The application process for the Forum is highly competitive, especially for international members. If you are not invited to the Forum after applying, don't be discouraged! Some of the Forum's most successful graduates were not accepted to the program based on their first application.

How are Advocates selected?

Applications are evaluated by members of the Academy's Government Relations Committee and Academy staff based on the following criteria:

  1. Strong leadership potential and good character, clear passion for the profession and patients, and a desire to make organizational change
  2. Applicant's ability to think and plan strategically, communicate effectively, motivate others and collaborate/network - based on previous experience and responses to questions

What skills will I learn?

The Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum will equip you with the tools you need to be an effective leader. The Forum focuses on three areas of development, including:

Action Planning: Explore how to create an effective plan that clearly identifies your issue and focuses on resolving the problem with specific and measurable goals.

Media Training: Increased public awareness is proven to make advocacy efforts more successful. Learn how to sharpen your on and off camera interview skills, work successfully with reporters, and improve your confidence.

Grassroots Legislative Training: Get an inside look at how governments work, and the steps you need to take to get results. Identify the key players and find out how to build effective relationships with policy makers and decision makers

What is expected of Forum participants?

Participants are expected to actively participate in the program by:

  1. Attending all of the planned sessions, workshops, and activities
  2. Developing and completing an advocacy action plan
  3. Reporting on their activities in the online advocacy blogs
  4. Serving as a key contact for the Academy throughout the year on vital local, state, and national issues

What is the cost to me?

The Academy will cover your travel expenses, hotel accommodations, and meals during the Forum. All participants' all air and train travel must be arranged through the Academy's travel agency. Any other expenses are the responsibility of program participants. Guests are welcome to accompany participants to a small number of events for a limited cost but are not permitted to attend day to day activities.

What are graduate benefits?

After completing the Palatucci Forum, graduates have access to exclusive advocacy resources including the Palatucci Advocacy listserv, making it easy to communicate and share ideas with all past program participants. Graduates also have access to the online advocacy blog, which allows them to share their stories, journal their progress, and track other graduates advocacy activities. Other benefits include receiving periodic updates through The Palatucci Connection newsletter, the ability to apply to come to future Forums as an Advisor, and being eligible for the annual Palatucci Advocate of the Year Award.

Are there any other leadership-development opportunities after the first year of training?

Graduates of the Forum are eligible to apply to serve as an Advisor to an incoming class of Advocates. The Advisor program is an advanced leadership development track that provides training on how to coach individuals and institutions through their personal development. Up to 10 graduates are selected each year to participate as Advisors in the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum.

Does the Academy offer any other advocacy programs?

The Academy also hosts Neurology on the Hill annually in the spring. This program brings Academy members to Washington, DC, to put a face on the challenges of people with neurologic disorders and the neurologists who treat them. Applications for this program are accepted in the fall. Like the Palatucci Forum, no prior advocacy experience is needed to apply.

Learn more about Neurology on the Hill

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The Donald M. Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum is supported in part by an educational grant from UCB, Inc.

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For More Information
Melissa Larson

Manager, Advocacy Development
mlarson@aan.com
(651) 695-2748

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