Leilani Valdes, MD, MBA, FCAP is a first-term CAP Governor and Chair of the Council on Membership and Professional Development and active participant in PathNET. PathNET is CAP Advocacy's grassroots advocacy network and a resource for CAP members to connect with their elected officials at the federal and state level.

What was your first experience advocating for CAP like?

“Are you really going to Washington, DC? If so, I’m going with you,” said my husband after I announced that I had been asked to attend Advocacy School (the precursor to the CAP Policy Meeting and the CAP Pathology Leadership Summit). At the time, my member of Congress held a very influential position as the chair of the Ways and Means Committee, and the CAP was very interested in having a pathologist constituent go to the Hill to advocate for our issues. My very supportive husband would not normally have asked to come along, but I happened to be in my third trimester with our third child, and he was not okay with me making the journey alone. This act of support was no small sacrifice for our family. We had to secure childcare for our two young children, and he would need to take time off work. However, we both understood the importance of supporting my future career. I was incredibly grateful to have him walking to our various appointments on the Hill as I advocated for our issues for the first time. I remember him commenting on how impressed he was with the training I received in the Advocacy School sessions prior to Hill Day and how helpful the CAP Advocacy staff were on our visits. After years of attending these sessions and participating in Hill Day visits, I am inspired by the strong work done by our CAP Advocacy office and the outstanding professionals who work to address our issues.

What different ways have you advocated for the practice of pathology?

Throughout the years I have visited the Hill, visited the field offices of my representatives, and supported PathPAC events and fundraisers. It is the combination of all the advocacy efforts in Washington and at a grassroots level that helps us build relationships which ultimately shape our specialty and how we practice. In addition, as immediate past president of the Texas Society of Pathologists, I’ve followed in my mother’s footsteps and attended First Tuesdays at the Texas capital advocating for statewide pathology issues, most recently regarding network adequacy. Being from a small community allows me to know my representative and senator on a personal basis. These relationships ensured that we had face-to-face meetings with them to discuss our issues during the legislative sessions.

What is one of your most memorable advocacy experiences?

Just one? For more than a decade, I’ve had the privilege to work with the CAP to advocate for a broad range of legislative reforms including payment and practice measures. On one occasion, my representative asked me to brief him on our issues as we walked to a hearing where he needed to vote. We talked and walked to and from the hearing only pausing when he was inside the hearing room voting.

While numerous additional memorable experiences come to mind, communicating the value of this work has always been part of my passion. I loved having the opportunity to communicate about the power of advocating for our issues. If you see me at the PLS, I’d be happy to share more “in the halls of Congress” stories with you.

What advice would you give to CAP members who are interested in getting involved but are hesitant to do so?

I believe that every pathologist should attend the Pathologist Leadership Summit and attend Hill Day at least once. The experience is unlike any other and is eye-opening. After that, some pathologists like me will make it a priority to be as active as possible to support our advocacy efforts. Other pathologists, like my father, will leave the experience with a deeper understanding of the legislative advocacy process and the importance of supporting these efforts through PathPAC contributions and grassroots advocacy efforts.

Follow Dr. Valdes’ lead and join PathNET to receive important action alerts, updates on legislative issues impacting pathology, and to learn about other ways to get engaged in grassroots advocacy all year long. Opt-in for PathNET text alerts here. PathNET volunteers also have opportunities to receive recognition for the advocacy work they do.