Take Action
There are many ways physician members of medical staffs can become involved in the AMA's ongoing advocacy efforts:
Review and Comment on Accreditation Standards
The Organized Medical Staff Section (OMSS) monitors and where appropriate comments on proposed changes to Joint Commission hospital and other accreditation standards relevant to organized medical staffs. As part of this process, the OMSS often solicits comments from interested physicians with expertise in the accreditation topics in question.
- Subscribe to the OMSS Announcements listserv to be notified of and assist the AMA in forming its response to proposed changes to Joint Commission accreditation standards.
- Review pending Joint Commission Standards Field Reviews
Report Safety and Quality Concerns
Physicians and other hospital staff members concerned about patient care or facility non-compliance with Medicare Conditions of Participation and other accreditation standards can file anonymous complaints. Learn more about how to file a complaint.
Influence Legislation and Regulation
Physicians need an advocate in the nation's capital. As the leading voice for America's physicians in Washington, D.C., the AMA is aggressively involved in advocacy efforts that are related to the most vital issues in medicine today.
- Join the AMA Physicians' Grassroots Network to be notified when and how you can make a critical difference on important legislative issues.
- View current action alerts
- View AMA positions on pending legislation
- See how individual members of Congress voted on key legislation
Form a Legislative Advocacy Team
Medical staffs, with their well-developed communications mechanisms, are a logical organizational unit for advocating on behalf of patients and colleagues on the many vital issues facing our health care system. The OMSS has developed Guidelines for forming effective legislative advocacy teams, and encourages medical staff members' engagement in this process to affect positive change at both the local and national levels.
