Pediatrics club learns about advocacy, working with lawmakers

Dr. Lori Langdon, clinical chair of Pediatrics at the Campbell med school, recently hosted students interested in Pediatrics, as well as those interested in learning about advocacy and the workings of the N.C. General Assembly.

Langdon is also adviser of the Pediatrics club at the Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine. She held the event, sponsored by the N.C. Pediatric Society, for first- and second-year medical students who are members of the club and interested in learning about state government and lobbying efforts to advance or deter proposals and legislation.

N.C. Pediatric Society Executive Director Elizabeth Hudgins and Workforce Director Sarah Cabrera attended the discussion, as well as guest of honor Chris Hollis, lobbyist for the N.C. Peds Society and founder and principal, C.S. Hollis and Associates. Officers from Campbell's Pediatrics club attended the event.

Langdon said the discussion was lively, informative and inspiring, with Hollis saying pediatricians can serve as a trusted source of information for lawmakers.

It's about relationships, he told the students, and it's important to get to know local politicians before approaching with a request, and also reminding them that healthcare professionals are available as sources for relevant information.

She said Hollis, as do all good lobbyists, knows the lawmakers and has a good idea of how they may vote on one issue or another.

"And he is representing N.C. Peds, which represents children's health," Langdon said.

About 20 students attended the event and, said Langdon, asked some "very direct questions."

"We talk a lot about advocacy in medicine, but it was really awesome to actually see how pediatricians can directly influence policy and advocate for children at the legislative level," said Sophia Allen, president of the Pediatrics club at the med school.

"Experiences like this help prepare us to become pediatricians whose compassion and commitment to their communities extend beyond direct patient care," Allen says. "I didn't know much about the N.C. General Assembly or pediatric lobbying efforts before this event, and I am so grateful for North Carolina Pediatric Society and Dr. Langdon, because I now feel more informed and inspired to engage in advocacy."

Langdon said she values having good relationships with lawmakers, regardless of party, and responding to appropriate media inquiries.

"The big message they heard was that all politicians, all legislators, need a trusted source," she said. "You need to brand yourself and market yourself as a trusted source. I think it was really good for the students to see that this isn't a theoretical concept; this is happening in real time. And it matters how you represent yourself. … You can't apologize for being an expert."

Matthew Shea of the Pediatrics club says the experience was beneficial because many medical students aren't sure how to go about advocating for patients, or they feel unable to do so.

"This gave us a chance to learn exactly how to support our future patients and their families," Shea said. "It was a unique opportunity as a first-year student to be able to speak directly to a lobbyist and gain insight into how we can meaningfully contribute to advocacy efforts."

The event provided another example of the collaboration between the Pediatrics club at Campbell and the N.C. Pediatric Society, Langdon says. Membership in the society is free for students.

The N.C. Pediatric Society is the North Carolina Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The mission of the Peds Society, which offers online resources specifically for students, is improving the health of all North Carolina children and supporting the pediatric professionals who care for them, representing more than 2,000 pediatric health care providers in North Carolina, its website says.

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