FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ON June 14, 2004

Neurologists Go to Washington

St. Paul, Minn. -

June 8 and 9 marked the second annual Neurology on the Hill Day as a group of 54 neurologists traveled to Washington, D.C. to put a face on neurological issues with more than 100 members of Congress. Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), Neurology on the Hill Day empowers neurologists to advocate on behalf of their patients for sensible healthcare reforms at the national level. On Capitol Hill, the participants asked that their legislators support medical liability reform, the STOP Stroke Act, changes in prescription drug formulary policies and the Medicare physician payment formula, and the completion of the Porter Neuroscience Research Center at the National Institutes of Health. The AAN neurologists, from 29 states, met with 112 members of Congress. This is nearly double the efforts of Neurology on the Hill Day in 2003, when the AAN sent 30 neurologists from 16 states who visited 69 members of Congress. “Creating legislative policy is often an abstract and calculated process, where the true impact of new laws and regulations gets lost,” said Mark S. Yerby, MD, MPH, who chairs the AAN Legislative Affairs Committee. “This event is an opportunity to remind our elected officials in Washington that their decisions have a tremendous effect – good or bad – on the lives of people with neurological disorders and the doctors who are dedicated to treating them.” The 54 participating neurologists are listed below by state. For more information about Neurology on the Hill, visit www.aan.com/advocacy.

The American Academy of Neurology is the leading voice in brain health. As the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals with more than 44,000 members, the AAN provides access to the latest news, science and research affecting neurology for patients, caregivers, physicians and professionals alike. The AAN’s mission is to enhance member career fulfillment and promote brain health for all. A neurologist is a doctor who specializes in the diagnosis, care and treatment of brain, spinal cord and nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke, concussion, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, headache and migraine.

Explore the latest in neurological disease and brain health, from the minds at the AAN at AAN.com or find us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Editor's Notes: The 54 neurologists who attended Neurology on the Hill Day are the following (alphabetical by state):
Thomas Clark, DO, Fort Mohave, Ariz.
Ignacio Carrillo-Nunez, MD, Irvine, Calif.
Jennifer Hopp, MD, Los Angeles, Calif.
Rosabel Young, MD, Culver City, Calif.
Peter Chin, MD, Los Angeles, Calif.
A. Jim Nagy, MD, New Haven, Conn.
Mircea Morariu, MD, Boynton Beach, Fla.
Benjamin Barnea, MD, Coral Springs, Fla.
Hal Pineless, DO, Longwood, Fla.
Mark Werner, MD, Gainesville, Fla.
Maria Wiscovitch, MD, Tampa, Fla.
Erich Garland, MD, Idaho Falls, Idaho
Nicholas Schlageter, MD, Geneva, Ill.
Sandra Olson, MD, Chicago, Ill.
Michael Wasserman, MD, Niles, Ill.
Thomas Vidic, MD, Elkhart, Ind.
Michael Sermersheim, MD, Lafayette, Ind.
John Wright, MD, Bettendorf, Iowa
Kore Liow, MD, Wichita, Kan.
Francis Kittredge, Jr., MD, Bangor, Maine
Bhagwan Moorjani, MD, Laurel, Md.
Bennett Lavenstein, MD, Chevy Chase, Md.
Wendy Wright, MD, Baltimore, Md.
David Heydrick, MD, Ellicott City, Md.
Susan McDermott, MD, Silver Spring, Md.
Michael Morris, MD, Rockville, Md.
Linda Buchwald, MD, Cambridge, Mass.
Walter Koroshetz, MD, Milton, Mass.
Steven Newman, MD, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Roger Morrell, MD, Lathrup Villiage, Mich.
Kenneth Mack, MD, PhD, Rochester, Minn.
John Gates, MD, St. Paul, Minn.
Christopher Janson, MD, Camden, N.J.
Glenn Graham, MD, PhD, Albuquerque, N.M.
J. Lucas Koberda, MD, PhD, Potsdam, N.Y.
O’Neill D’Cruz, MD, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Heidi Moawad, MD, Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Edward Westbrook, MD, Bratenahl, Ohio
Luis Reina, MD, Lawton, Okla.
Mark Yerby, MD, Portland, Ore.
Elaine Jones, MD, Providence, R.I.
Amie Peterson, MD, Providence, R.I.
Kenneth Gaines, MD, Nashville, Tenn.
David Charles, MD, Nashville, Tenn.
Jose Cavazos, MD, PhD, San Antonio, Texas
Liana Dawson, MD, Longview, Texas
Sara Austin, MD, Austin, Texas
William Gilmer, MD, Houston, Texas
Daniel Larriviere, MD, JD, Charlottesville, Va.
Robert Shapiro, MD, PhD, Burlington, Vt.
Anna Hohler, MD, Steilacoom, Wash.
Lily Jung, MD, Seattle, Wash.
Balaji Vishwanat, MD, Onalaska, Wis.
Kenneth Viste, Jr., MD, Oshkosh, Wis.