Advocacy Successes
Physician Advocacy Successes
Good health policy is made with physicians in the discussion.
MSDC, working with its members, partners, and other organizations, has won major policy victories to help its members practice medicine. Below is a sampling of those victories. Do you want to be a vital part of the next policy victory helping improve the health of the District? Contact us today.
24th Council Period (2021-2022)
Opioid Policy
- MSDC was added to the opioid fund oversight panel by the Council in its legislation authorizing the oversight body
Scope of Practice
- MSDC supported legislation to ban the sale of flavored electronic smoking devices and restrict the sale of electronic smoking devices.
- Working with a coalition, MSDC added funding to the DC budget to support the hiring of more license specialists to help with the delay in processing medical licenses.
Women's Health
- B24-143, to regulate certified midwives, passed the Council with MSDC's support
23rd Council Period (2019-2020) [see update for entire Council period]
Health Equity
- Mayor Muriel Bowser signs into law the Electronic Medical Order for Scope of Treatment Registry Amendment Act of 2019. The eMOST Registry Amendment Act permits the creation of an electronic database of advanced directive wishes for District residents that can be tied into the health information exchange.
- Mayor Bowser signs into law the School Sunscreen Safety Temporary Amendment Act of 2019. The bill permits students to bring and apply sunscreen during the 2019-2020 school year.
- MSDC comments on the importance of funding United Medical Center (UMC) and health facilities in Wards 7 and 8 in the mayor's budget. Those comments are used almost verbatim in CM Trayon White's comments advocating for funding of United Medical Center.
Scope of Practice
- DC Health publishes draft regulations removing the 3 mandatory CME hours for HIV/AIDS awareness and replaces them with a requirement to fulfill 10% of mandatory CME hours with a topic from a public health priority list. DC Health then waived the requirement for 2020.
- The Strengthening Reproductive Health Protections Act of 2020 is signed into law with MSDC support. The bill prohibits government interference in reproductive decisions between a patient and doctor, and prohibits employers from penalizing physicians for practicing reproductive medicine outside of their work hours.
- The Mayor's Commission on Healthcare Systems Transformation releases its final recommendations. One recommendation is for the District to explore options to make providing health care more affordable, including financial relief for higher malpractice insurance rates.
- The Council removes "telephone" from the list of prohibited types of telemedicine to allow physicians and other providers to be reimbursed for telephone telemedicine appointments after MSDC and health community advocacy.
- MSDC worked with the Council to modify onerous language in the Health Care Reporting Amendment Act that potentially would have penalized physicians from seeking help for substance abuse or addiction issues.
Opioid/Drug Policy
- The Department of Health Care Finance (DHCF) waives prior authorization for key medication assisted treatments (MAT) treating substance use disorder patients in Medicaid.
- The Mayor signed into law The Access to Biosimilars Amendment Act of 2019, a top MSDC priority as it would help prescribers to prescribe more cost-effective drugs for patients.
Behavioral Health
- The Behavioral Health Parity Act of 2017, a major priority for MSDC and DCPA, officially becomes law. The legislation requires all health benefit plans offered by an insurance carrier to meet the federal requirements of the Wellstone/Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.
22nd Council Period (2017-2018)
Health Equity
- The District Council passes B22-1001, The Health Insurance Marketplace Improvement Amendment Act of 2018. The bill prohibits the sale of Short Term, Limited Duration health plans and Association Health Plans (AHPs) in the DC Health Benefits Exchange.
Scope of Practice
- DC joins 28 other states in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact with B22-177 becoming law. The IMLC is designed to ease physician licensure in multiple states.
Women's Health
- The Maternal Mortality Review Committee is established by law. The Committee is responsible for finding solutions to maternal health crisis in the District. District physicians are an important part of this vital committee.
- B22-106, The Defending Access to Women's Health Care Services Amendment Act, becomes law. The act requires insurers to cover health care services like breast cancer screening and STI screenings without cost-sharing.
21st Council Period (2015-2016)
Opioid Policy
- Right before the Council adjourned for the session, it passed B21-32, the Specialty Drug Copayment Limitation Act. The bill limits cost shifting by payers for prescription drugs.
Behavioral Health
- B21-0007 passes the Council. The Behavioral Health Coordination of Care Amendment Act of 2016 permitted the disclosing of mental health information between a mental health facility and the health professional caring for the patient.
Women's Health
- MSDC was proud to have worked on B21-20. The law requires payers to cover up to 12 months of prescription contraception, advancing women's health and equality.
Elizabeth Ghandakly Aims High, and Hits Her Mark
Meet GW medical student and MSDC volunteer Liz Ghandakly
During high school in Ohio, Elizabeth Ghandakly gravitated towards public policy and participated in her school debate team and mock trials. This set her on trajectory for a career in law, which she pursued during her studies and earned both her undergraduate degree and juris doctorate from Ohio State University and the school’s Moritz College of Law, respectively.
“During my years in law, I represented large corporations on contract negotiations. I enjoyed the experiences I had while practicing, but during those years, I was drawn to medicine,” she admits.
Becoming a successful, practicing lawyer would be a huge accomplishment for many people, but for Ghandakly, she felt a little out of place. With both feet firmly planted in law, she kept one toe in the medical world, “I volunteered at Children’s Hospital and read medical journals and articles.”
In 2009, Ghandakly took a leap of faith and decided to change careers and become a physician. Accustomed to their daughter’s spirit and trusting that she considered the risks associated with this monumental decision before informing them, Ghandakly’s parents were supportive. “They were a little uncertain but trusted that I knew what I was doing. I was also fortunate to work in a field that would support my return to school for medicine,” said Ghandakly.
She informed her employers, who were equally excited and supportive about her decision.
Ghandakly worked in law and returned to the classroom for evening classes at the University of Maryland until 2018 when she began medical school. She then worked part time for a year and a half until leaving law. “The University of Maryland offers evening classes for people looking to switch careers. These courses enabled me to satisfy all the prerequisites I needed to earn a medical degree,” she said. She credits her sharp scheduling skills for helping her stay on track during these busy years. The most challenging part of her return to school was getting back into the grove of homework.
The course load was a test of her commitment to the switch. “I knew I was in the right place when I could focus on lab work after a full day of law work. I maintained my interest in medicine as I moved through the coursework,” said Ghandakly.
Today, Ghandakly is a fourth-year medical student at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences eagerly awaiting The Match on March 18. After submitting applications to residency programs, on this day, she will learn which program she was accepted to. It is essentially the NFL Draft of medicine. Ghandakly hopes to remain in the district for her residency.
Regardless of her specialty, Ghandakly wants to remain in policy, specifically healthcare policy. “My law degree has prepared me to impact health policy and being in D.C. puts me in proximity to all the lawmakers who can implement change.”
Ghandakly joined the Medical Society of D.C. at the end of her first year of medical school in 2019. Her involvement with MSDC has helped her to connect with others in her community and new career field. “I joined to be a part of advocacy efforts and general policy change,” she said. Since joining she provided written and oral testimony on behalf of MSDC to the D.C. Council Committee on Health Hearing in support of the Minor Consent for Vaccination Bill (B23-0171), June 2019.
Working fulltime in law and pursing a medical degree in the evenings has its overwhelming moments, but Ghandakly finds time to relax with friends and outdoor activities. “I enjoy camping, tennis, and started running again during COVID.” Ghandakly ran her first marathon, the New York City Marathon, in 2018. Her hiking escapades have taken her to Old Rag Mountain, Bearfence Mountain, Humpback Rocks, and Billy Goat Trail just to name a few.
Ghandakly even took a leap of faith of a different kind when she leapt from an airplane with friends skydiving.
While Ghandakly enjoys adventuring, risk-taking perhaps more than other people, and is training for the fall Marine Corps Marathon, sometimes she just wants a quiet, simple evening, playing board games with her friends and spending time with her dogs.
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