By Anna Horner | News & Views 

Each year for AACVPR's Day on the Hill (DOTH), members and leadership take to the halls of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives for a singular purpose: to impress upon lawmakers the importance of policies that affect the cardiopulmonary rehabilitation (CR/PR) community. While congressional aides may be swayed by facts and data, advocates have also found the human-interest angle to be a powerful and compelling tool for conveying the real-world impact of the association’s legislative priorities. 

It’s a lesson that exercise physiologist Natalie Miller, ACSM EP-C, (pictured on left) learned during her first DOTH visit this past March. She was accompanied to Capitol Hill by Hillary Flatt, RN, MHA, CCRP, who directs the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab Center at Cookeville Regional Medical Center (CRMC), where Miller works. Like the rest of the AACVPR delegation, they arrived in Washington, D.C., energized and encouraged by recent legislative victories related to the extension of Medicare telehealth and in-home CR/PR flexibilities through 2027. Flatt and Miller’s appointments with two Tennessee members of Congress and numerous staffers demonstrate how personal accounts can transform proposed legislation from an abstract policy discussion into a conversation about real people, real communities, and real barriers to care. 

Making Policy Personal 

Whether meeting with a congressional member or with a staffer, Flatt says first-hand narratives are especially helpful in communicating the importance of accessible CR and PR programs. “When the staffer is from our area, I can give specific town examples, and they know that town doesn't have a hospital in it, that these patients drive an hour to get to us, and what that drive is like,” explains Flatt. “We met with one staffer, a younger gentleman who had gone through CR himself, so we were able to make a meaningful connection with him.” 

Miller adds, “Our patients are very rural; we're not in a metropolitan area where there are lots of facilities. The poverty level is fairly high, so there are many barriers to care, and that’s why the legislation is important. It resonates even more when the staffer is already familiar with the demographics.” 

The Experts in the Room 

CR and PR professionals should keep in mind that they are the authorities on the subject at DOTH meetings. Flatt notes, “I may not have all the answers, but I can tell you patient stories and explain how this bill will affect my neighbors.” 

Miller adds, “If you can get them to understand CR and PR and buy into the importance of these programs, then the legislation you’re pushing for makes sense.” 

Walking in a Patient’s Shoes 

The importance of personal experience in understanding the benefits of CR and PR to patients was on full display when Flatt (pictured on right) and her former program director learned that U.S. Rep. John Rose would be unable to attend a previous DOTH event and invited him to their facility for an in-person meeting instead. “Word got around the hospital that Rep. Rose was coming to cardiac rehab,” Flatt says, “and it morphed into a six-hour visit during which he got to experience being in the role of a mock patient.” 

The scenario involved the congressman “suffering” the symptoms of a heart attack and following the typical patient journey through the emergency room, the catheter lab, the cardiac stepdown unit, the cardiovascular operating room and, lastly, cardiac rehab. “He learned the process from beginning to end, and once he got to us, we explained how the legislation could help our patients and his constituents overcome those barriers to care,” Flatt says. “Seeing what the process looked like and what a burden CR can be for some of our patients due to distance, time, and financial reasons really changed his outlook.” 

CRMC’s new CR facility has been open for about a year, and Flatt says Rep. Rose has been invited to come back. “I encourage other CR and PR professionals to ask your Congress member to come to your facility,” she adds. “It may not be them who come — it may be an aide who works in your city — but have them visit your facility when patients are here. It makes a big difference.” 

Making Advocacy Personal 

As AACVPR teams and delegations of one begin to mobilize for DOTH 2027, mere months away, Flatt and Miller’s testimony is a reminder that one of the most effective ways to influence policy is to put a human face on the issues. Legislators and staffers may review countless bills and policy briefs, but patient stories help them understand the real-life challenges their constituents face and the tangible impact of CR and PR services. Whether on Capitol Hill or during a facility visit back home, meaningful advocacy happens when professionals share their expertise through the lens of the patients and communities they serve. Those personal connections not only strengthen relationships with decisionmakers but also help ensure that life-changing CR and PR programs remain accessible for the people who need them most.