A Leader in Public Protection.

As a valuable resource for state medical boards on state and federal legislative issues, administration initiatives, and the legislative process, the Government Relations and Policy Department strives to facilitate communication among state medical boards. Some of the areas addressed by this department are common legislative issues, assisting member boards in accomplishing their legislative goals, supporting member boards' positions in regard to particular legislation, and encouraging member boards to consider FSMB policy recommendations when developing board policy.

The services that the Government Relations and Policy Department provides to member medical boards include:

1. Promoting legislative agendas and policy and encouraging dialogue among state medical boards.
2. Identifying legislative trends as they develop among the states.
3. Developing an effective legislative strategy for state and federal initiatives.
4. Drafting correspondence to federal and state officials.
5. Drafting testimony.
6. Presenting testimony to support member medical board initiatives or to reinforce opposition to particular legislative initiatives.

Government Relations and Policy staff work closely with BKSH & Associates, a bipartisian government relations and public affairs firm in Washington, D.C. consisting of more than 20 senior professionals of diverse political and professional experience. BKSH offers FSMB a wide array of experience and expertise to monitor and lobby on federal legislative and regulatory activity. BKSH represents the FSMB's interests by facilitating congressional contacts, monitoring congressional hearings and the introduction of federal legislation, interacting with federal agencies and developing strategies for effectively representing the interests of the FSMB before congress and health administration officials. BKSH and the Government Relations and Policy staff facilitate contact with member boards and key congressional members in supporting or opposing legislative or administration initiatives with the potential to affect state-based medical regulation.

Government Relations and Policy staff also monitor legislation and administrative rules affecting the regulation of the practice of medicine and state medical boards in each of the 50 states. A national bill service is used to identify and track state legislation of interest to state medical boards and the FSMB.

The issues monitored by the Government Relations and Policy Department include medical board structure and authority, telehealth, medical errors/patient safety, controlled substances, managed care reform, complementary and alternative medicine, pain management, physician profiling, regulation of office-based surgery, Internet prescribing, and a variety of miscellaneous issues. FSMB facilitates communication among states dealing with similar issues and is often able to assist member boards in presenting issues to their state legislatures through letters of support or opposition, research materials, model language, and written testimony. Experience demonstrates that the national stature of the FSMB can have a significant influence in garnering support for or opposition to specific legislation.

Contact Government Relations and Policy by e-mail at: gov@fsmb.org