Led by Drs. Daniella Zipkin and Caroline Sloan, residents in the Advocacy in Clinical Leadership Track (ACLT) traveled to Raleigh on May 24 for an advocacy day at the N.C. General Assembly to discuss the need for behavioral health initiatives in the state budget.
"This year’s ACLT group had to strategize what to advocate for in the wake of Medicaid expansion passing," explains Zipkin. "With expansion comes about $1.6 billion in money for the state to allocate as it sees fit. We were advocating to use the majority of that money to include infrastructure improvements to mental health care in the final budget."
The trainees met with N.C. health care leadership, including Senators Mike Woodard, Kevin Corbin, and Jim Burgin and Representatives Kristin Baker, Wayne Sasser, and Tim Reeder. The team also spoke with senior policy advisors Nathan Babcock (Sen. Phil Berger) and Blair Burr (Rep. Donny Lambeth).
"The residents felt energized and empowered to use their voices to support issues important in patient care," says Zipkin.
The ACLT is an elective track for second- and third-year internal medicine residents with an interest in health policy. Residents develop and present their own advocacy platform each year, alternating between the North Carolina General Assembly and US Congress.
Duke GIM Associate Professor, Dr. Daniella Zipkin, is the faculty director for the Duke internal medicine residency's Advocacy in Clinical Leadership (ACLT).