New Government Grand Rounds series highlights how perspective matters in advocacy

Matthew Sideman, MD, and Megan Marcinko, MPS, unveil new advocacy column aimed at drilling into the actions of Congress, and how they impact vascular surgery. The first in the series looks at advocacy as a tool to “protect.”

Welcome to “Government Grand Rounds,” where we will examine and discuss how the actions of Congress and regulatory agencies affect vascular surgeons and the patients they serve, and importantly, how sustained advocacy engagement is important for all SVS members.

“Advocacy” continues to rank high among SVS member priorities, and yet many remain unsure how to support SVS advocacy-related programs, what activities are available and how to measure success along the way.

Foundational in this series is the notion that perspective matters. Like all aspects of life, the importance of any given activity, goal or initiative is measured via the eye of the beholder. Advocacy is no different, with everyone engaging, or not engaging, based on their interests, level of understanding and sense of urgency related to the issue at hand.

To enhance our perspectives on advocacy, this series will highlight some of the most important tools that advocacy provides us. This month we will examine advocacy as a tool to protect. How does “protect” relate to advocacy? As you