I receive a lot of email as I am sure you do. One email that I received struck a chord with me, and I would like to share it with you. I received the message via the ACC Governors' listserv from my colleague Thomas A. Haffey, DO, FACC, who is the Colorado ACC Governor. Here it is:

"One of my early observations as a governor is that communication with legislators is a process not an event. Repeated contacts, not one sole visit seem to garner the most impact. It seems to be that it is not a single meeting but the sixth or seventh or tenth meeting when the light-bulb goes on and they finally realize who you are and who you represent. This is an alien concept to most of our colleagues who are geared to an almost immediate solution to whatever complex cardiac problem that is presented to us. We need to plant the seeds to Congress that we are there to help them, not be disappointed in a perceived lack of activity, and try and develop a personal relationship with the medical experts in their offices."

With that message in mind, I invite you and urge you to join me in Washington, DC, for the ACC's Legislative Conference

to be held September 12-14, at the Fairmont Hotel. We will spend a day learning about the legislative issues facing us, and then we will bring our message to Capitol Hill. If you have never done this sort of thing, I can tell you that it is quite an experience. Take the time to make a difference.