UCSD Combined Residents go to Washington!

Drs. Melissa Deer and Vanessa Lauzon recently traveled to Washington DC for the APA's fall meeting. While in DC, Dr. Deer and Dr. Lauzon also met with legislators and staffers on Capitol Hill to advocate for several issues important to our patients, including mental health care for returning veterans, and ending the two-year waiting period for disabled individuals to gain Medicare eligibility. In addition to meeting with legislative analysts for Sens. Boxer and Feinstein, they got to meet personally with our local congresswoman, Rep. Susan Davis (CA-53), to discuss how these national issues directly pertain to the patients we serve on a daily basis.

Vanessa and Melissa were both funded to attend the APA meeting through their respective APA fellowships. Each sits on an APA Council at the national level: Melissa on the Council for Medical Education, and Vanessa on the Council for Advocacy & Government Relations.