Telling the Story of O&P
By Rebecca St. Andrie

AOPA talks a lot about the importance of getting to know your representatives in government. And we know from your feedback that telling the story of O&P to law-makers should be one of the field’s top priorities.

But we also know that approaching lawmakers can be intimidating. So we talked to Rick Fleetwood, general manager of Snell O&P Labs in Little Rock, Ark., who recently held a fundraiser for Sen. Mark Pryor,
D-Ark. Fleetwood’s experience shows that it’s not too hard to create relationships with lawmakers—and that doing so can have the valuable result of increasing Congress’ understanding of O&P as well.

Fleetwood has been involved in politics for a while. He is on the Democratic finance committee for his state, and originally supported Pryor’s father, who held the seat before him.

From this “inside” view, he encourages members that it’s not as hard as it looks. Even if you’ve got no prior political experience, you can host a fundraiser. “A lot of people say ‘I can’t do this; somebody else will have to do it.’ But we cannot go to [Congress] and ask for understanding if they don’t understand our field.”

Fleetwood has built that understanding through several fundraisers he’s held for Pryor, Sen. Lincoln, and Rep. Snyder—all those who are his national legislators from Arkansas.

To do these, Fleetwood contacts friends he knows who support that politician. These then become his host committee. Fleetwood and the host committee next work to sell tickets to the fundraiser, which can be any sort of social event. The donations from the tickets, and often from the host committee as well, become the money raised for the elected official.

Fleetwood will often have these fundraisers in his house. “It’s a much more relaxed environment,” he says. But he’s often had people out to his office as well. By showing them the actual work that goes on, he’s able talk more easily about how the industry helps constituents.

One story he tells is that of a Vietnam veteran, a bilateral above-knee amputee who still works on his farm. Thanks to O&P, he’s running a business, not drawing assistance. Fleetwood also tells the story of a triple amputee whom he helped to get on the cheerleading squad at her high school. “When you have the time to spend with them, you can cite cases—often that is the ‘Aha!’ moment for them,” says Fleetwood.

To give legislators a better sense of the value of O&P, Fleetwood also emphasizes his company’s involvement with the community. And he talks especially about his perception that O&P has a lower incidence of fraud than other medical fields.

The result is relationships with all three. “They get so many requests all the time,” Fleetwood points out. “When they know who you are, they can begin to trust you and relate to you.”

But he’s quick to point out that it’s not a give-to-get relationship. He feels, though, that even on issues where the vote did not reflect O&P’s concerns, his relationships “did change the way [the issue] was presented.”

Fleetwood is eager for others in O&P to do the same. “O&P businesses work extremely hard and do not get involved politically,” he says. “You can work as hard as you want to, but it doesn’t make a difference” if you don’t communicate that to Congress, he asserts. “We may be winning the battle at home, but we’ll lose the war in D.C.”

“I want people to do this across the country,” he says. “If we did it in California, if we did it in New York, if we did it in Louisiana, [O&P would start to see a different reaction in Congress].”

Interested? AOPA can help you turn that interest into action. Go to our Web site, www.AOPAnet.org, and click on “Government Relations.” Then click on “Contact Your Representative.” In this section, you’ll find specific guidance on how to conduct a facility visit, how to contact your senators or representatives and a clear explanation of many legislative terms. You can also find more information about the O&P PAC, the only political action committee that represents O&P’s interests on Capitol Hill.

Or attend the 2008 Policy Forum, being held this month in Washington, D.C. on March 9–11. AOPA staff and invited speakers will arm you with all the information and materials necessary to be a strong advocate.

To kick off this important event, AOPA has invited former Sen. Bob Dole to speak to the attendees about his role as co-chairman of the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors.

The cost for attending is $150 per registrant, which includes most meals, but not housing, during the event. To sign up for the meeting itself, please register at www.AOPAnet.org under “Attend O&P Events,” or call Erin Kennedy at (571) 431-0876, ext. 234.

Rebecca St. Andrie is managing editor of the O&P Almanac.