AOA President leads advocacy efforts on Capitol Hill

On Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2025, AOA President Robert G.G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN, joined leaders from the Group of Six, a coalition of national physician organizations, in a series of high-level meetings with congressional offices on Capitol Hill. Together, they delivered a unified message about the urgent challenges facing physicians and the patients they serve.

Top priorities highlighted during the meetings included:

Strengthening vaccine infrastructure – Safeguarding evidence-based decision-making through continued support for the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and maintaining public trust in vaccines by supporting the Family Vaccine Protection Act.
Protecting telehealth access – Extending Medicare telehealth flexibilities beyond their current expiration of Sept. 30, 2025, and advancing key legislation such as the CONNECT for Health Act (H.R. 4206/S. 1261) and the Telemental Health Care Access Act (H.R. 3884/S. 2011). Telehealth has proven to be a lifeline for patients, improving access, compliance, and health outcomes.
Growing the physician workforce – Support for multi-year reauthorization of the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education (THCGME) Program, the National Health Service Corps and Community Health Centers, all of which must be reauthorized before Sept. 30, 2025. These programs are vital to addressing projected physician shortages and ensuring access to care in underserved and rural communities.

With the Sept. 30, 2025, government funding deadline looming, Dr. Piccinini highlighted the urgency of these issues with Congress, stressing that the policies at stake are critical to protecting patients, reinforcing physician-led care and ensuring the osteopathic profession can continue delivering high-quality care across the country.

How you can help

Lawmakers must hear directly from AOA members to understand the unique value of osteopathic medicine. That’s why Dr. Piccinini urged all members to use the Advocacy Action Center to contact Congress in support of these priorities. Your engagement strengthens our collective voice and drives policies that protect patients, elevate physician-led care and support your practice.

Pictured, from left to right: AOA President Robert G. G. Piccinini, DO, D.FACN; American Psychiatric Association President Theresa Miskimen Rivera, MD; American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists President Steven J. Fleischman, MD, MBA, FACOG; American Academy of Pediatrics Immediate Past-President Benjamin Hoffman, MD, FAAP; American Academy of Family Physicians President Sarah Nosel, MD, FAAFP; and American College of Physicians President Jason Goldman, MD, MACP.