A note from the IMGS chair
October 2026
From IMGS Chair Deepu Sudhakaran, MD, MBA
Turning the season: Advocacy starts with us
What if some of the most meaningful advocacy happens not in a legislature, but right in our exam rooms?
October brings a change of season and perhaps an opportunity to change how we think about advocacy.
We often associate advocacy with changing laws, writing policy or responding to a crisis, but physicians advocate every day. When we help a patient afford a medication, navigate an insurance denial, find a specialist, understand a treatment or overcome a barrier to care—that is advocacy.
We can take it further through closed-loop advocacy: listen, act, learn and improve. Did our solution actually work? Could the patient access and afford it? What can their experience teach us to do better next time?
IMGs bring a unique perspective to this work. Our experiences across different countries, cultures, communities and healthcare systems can offer practical solutions to the complexities of American healthcare.
Share your stories
So this October, let’s hear from you. Share your patient advocacy stories—big or small—with us at [email protected]. What problem did you solve and what can others learn from it?
I would love to highlight some of your stories in a future IMGS Members and News Highlights. Let’s learn from each other and turn everyday advocacy into meaningful change.
Contact us
If you have concerns or issues, or to become more involved with the section, please reach out at [email protected].
