Save the date for DO Day 2021
Next year's meeting will take place virtually on March 7-8, 2021.
Updated November 5, 2020
The AOA is pleased to announce that a revamped DO Day will take place on March 7-8, 2021! As you may have heard, the 2021 DO Day will be a virtual event, allowing students, postdoctoral trainees, practicing physicians, and affiliate leaders to engage with lawmakers and take advantage of several other exciting updates.
The structure for DO Day and Congressional meetings is being modeled on successful fly-in recently held with osteopathic affiliate leaders and SOMA, as well as feedback received from fly-in participants. DO Day 2021 will also include a full day advocacy and health policy conference that will be held on Sunday, March 7. Session planning is currently in progress, but topics covered will include specific federal and state legislative priorities, regulatory and payment policy, state grassroots advocacy, along with social media and message training, and, of course, lobby day preparation and training. The policy conference will include a learning track for student leaders, but will also focus on helping all leaders understand how to disseminate and apply the information they receive to their peers and in their advocacy efforts at home.
Congressional meetings will be scheduled for participants throughout the day on Monday, March 8. Despite the virtual format, meetings will be organized and structured similar to how they would be for an in-person lobby day. DO Day participants will be organized into small groups for Congressional meetings based on their home address and will be scheduled for 3-6 meetings with their U.S. Senate offices and members of the House of Representatives.
One important difference this year is that registration will be capped for each state. Based on feedback received from participants in recent SOMA and physician leadership fly-ins, there is a strong consensus that Congressional meetings are more productive when meeting group size is limited. Registration limits for each state will be based on the size of the state’s Congressional delegation and state osteopathic association.
Registration for the 2021 DO Day is expected to launch after Thanksgiving, and more details will be available at that time. Please e-mail sneal@osteopathic.org if you have any questions before then.