Capitol Hill Visit Awakens the Power of Advocacy
by Dr. Lisa Rawle, BDS
Washington DC Capital Building

On March 16, 2025, 15 faculty members and residents from the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry and the Lurie’s Children’s Hospital pediatric dental residency programs traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry Lobby Days, joining peers from pediatric dental departments across the country. I was honored to attend for the third time this year, the first in the role of a faculty member.

The conference began with informative sessions led by legislative attorneys and congressional liaisons, who provided an overview of the current political climate and offered guidance on how to effectively communicate our legislative priorities. Following these sessions, we divided into smaller teams to coordinate our strategy, assign roles, and practice delivering our advocacy messages in preparation for our congressional meetings.

It’s a truly unique and empowering experience – standing face-to-face with policymakers.
The second and third days were spent on Capitol Hill, where we met with members of Congress, senators, legislative directors, and health aides inside some of the nation’s most iconic and historic buildings.

It’s a truly unique and empowering experience – standing face-to-face with policymakers and advocating directly for our patients and the care they deserve. Nothing quite compares to the energy and purpose you feel while representing our profession at the heart of the nation’s legislative process.

Our first policy priority was continual support for Health Resources and Services Administration funding to train pediatric dentists. This funding has helped grow the number of pediatric dentists nationwide, making strides toward meeting demand – but significant gaps remain, with many children still lacking access to essential dental care. This year we also advocated for support for the Dental Faculty Loan Repayment Assistance Act.
Many children still lack access to essential dental care.
Attracting and retaining high-quality faculty is essential – not only to train the next generation of pediatric dentists, but to ensure continued access to expert care for future patients. Our third request focused on promoting positive oral health messaging – specifically, supporting fluoride use and reinforcing healthy eating campaigns to help combat caries, reduce obesity, and lower related healthcare costs. These priorities align closely with the American Dental Association’s advocacy efforts, reinforcing a unified message to lawmakers.

Our meetings on Capitol Hill were a success – we were met with enthusiasm, thoughtful conversations, and meaningful commitments of support.
We were met with enthusiasm, thoughtful conversations, and meaningful commitments of support.
As healthcare providers, it’s easy to feel siloed, as though our impact ends with the patients we see in our chairs, but advocacy days remind us that our voices can reach far beyond the clinic, influencing policies that shape the health of countless children nationwide.

It’s a rare and rewarding experience, and if you ever have the chance to participate, I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s advocacy on a whole new level – and an experience unlike any other.