About The agenda
The 2024-2025 Health Policy Agenda reflects the Council’s priority focus on Clinical Practice, Education, and Research policy issues. It is the 2024-2025 Health Policy Agenda for SGIM and defines the issues on which the SGIM Health Policy Committee, its staff and consultants will work for the next year.
Whenever possible, SGIM will work collaboratively with organizations with similar interests, whether they are physician groups or patient focused. Special attention will be paid to communicating SGIM’s positions to its membership and to policymakers.
Note: In the policy topics listed below, “Active Advocacy” refers to those highest priority issues in which SGIM members, staff and consultants will be heavily involved. “Coalition Advocacy,” refers to those issues on which primarily SGIM’s consultants will work collaboratively with other stakeholder organizations in Washington and beyond to advance SGIM’s positions. “Monitoring” refers to those issues on which SGIM’s consultants will track and advise but will not actively promote a position. SGIM members, of course, are free to advocate on any of these or other issues as they see fit.
Our mission
At SGIM, our advocacy efforts are dedicated to advancing policies that:
- Support high-quality primary care services that enhance patient outcomes and health equity.
- Bolster education and training in general internal medicine through adequate funding for health professions training.
- Support physicians and their groundbreaking health services and primary care research.
Our Commitment
We stand united in our mission, ensuring that our advocacy aligns with the collective values of our members.
Recognizing the importance of judicious resource allocation, our advocacy zeroes in on:
- Matters pivotal to the future of General Internal Medicine.
- Areas where SGIM can provide a distinct and valuable viewpoint.
Annual Advocacy Agenda
SGIM operates with a clear and purposeful annual advocacy agenda, ensuring our efforts are directed, impactful, and aligned with our mission.
Every Member an advocate: Championing Comprehensive Primary Care
Advocate Nationally
Join the SGIM Health Policy Committee and speak out for practices and policies that further the mission of primary care and general internal medicine.
Advocate Locally
Use your expertise to shape public policy on the local level. Learn about the Congressional process and how to become an effective advocate
Educate Congress
Visit our advocacy fact sheet to learn how to educate Congress on the importance of primary care.
Understand SGIM Endorsements and Federal Legislation Comments
Review our work as a Society and in partnership as we advocate for new legislation and regulatory policies.
ANTI-RACISM ADVOCACY
The Health Policy Committee (HPC) is committed to advancing anti-racist policies and will evaluate policies that fall within its scope through this lens. Additionally, the HPC will monitor opportunities to advocate and comment on policies outside the scope of our regular work and engage as the Executive Committee and Council deem to be appropriate.
Clinical practice
SGIM will continue its advocacy efforts to support the delivery of high-quality primary and cognitive care services that improve patient outcomes and health equity by working in conjunction with Congress, federal agencies and other organizations with similar goals to support the activities listed below.
EDUCATION
In fulfilling their commitment to promoting public health and improving healthcare, SGIM members lead the education of medical students, residents, and fellows as well as faculty at academic centers, teaching hospitals, and in the community. They are leaders in developing and evaluating innovations in medical education to prepare tomorrow's clinicians to deliver the highest quality evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and cost-effective clinical care. To support these efforts, SGIM will continue to focus on:
RESEARCH
SGIM members are national and international leaders in a wide range of research, including the many subfields that fall within the broad category of health services research and primary care research. The need for robust and sustained funding for research remains the Society’s priority interest. The specifics are as follows:
