ED Visit Agenda

Approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes

Pre-meeting (1 hour)

• Everyone who participates should be briefed on the legislative issues you will discuss and the importance of staying on message.
• The tour route and participants should be determined before the legislator arrives.
• Talking points for the sit-down meeting should be determined and practiced, if possible.
• Copies of ACEP issue and position papers should be ready for presentation/distribution.

Welcome and Introduction (10 minutes/ED entrance)

• VIPs and staff welcome legislator.
• Photographs taken (internal).

Tour of Emergency Department (40 minutes)

• Take your time – do not rush.
• This is a good time to provide information such as the ED statistics in your hospital, research, ACEP history/mission, etc.
• Allow the legislator to be curious and ask questions.

Sit-down meeting (20 – 30 minutes in a quite location such as a meeting or conference room)

• HR 3875, The Access to Emergency Medical Services Act
• The National Report Card on the State of Emergency Medicine
• Overcrowding and Boarding
• Medicare physician payment issues
• Medical Liability Reform
• Allow legislator to ask questions and respond to each request

Thank you and conclusion or new media opportunity (10 minutes/ED entrance or conference room)

• Brief thank you, handshake and present business card and materials that legislator can take with him/her.
• Final media interaction if applicable.

Post-meeting (1 week later)

• Send a thank-you letter to the legislator along with any internal photographs that were taken.
• Complete the Event Report Form and mail (2121 K Street NW, Suite 325, Washington DC 20037) or fax (202-728-0617) to the ACEP Washington office.
• Mail any photographs of the visit to the ACEP office (2121 K Street NW, Suite 325, Washington DC 20037) and news media articles that appeared as a result of the visit.