A laboratory tour is the single best way to advocate for pathology and one of the most effective means to help you develop a relationship with your members of Congress.
These tours are useful to put a face on the profession and demonstrate pathology’s crucial role in the delivery of quality health care.
Many of the CAP’s strongest allies on Capitol Hill first became acquainted with their local pathologists and the issues affecting their practice during a lab tour.
The CAP Resources
- “How to Host a Lab Tour” Webinar (July 15, 2015)
- Laboratory Tour Toolkit (PDF, 501 KB)
- Watch our Laboratory Tour Video
Contact Lauren DePutter, director of political programs, ldeputt@cap.org to schedule a laboratory tour.
Tips for a Successful Laboratory Tour
- Send a written invitation. The invitation letter should be on your practice’s or hospital’s letterhead and faxed or emailed to the legislator’s scheduler. The CAP staff will assist you in working with the scheduler to set up the tour.
- Invite your facility’s top staff to participate in the tour, but avoid having too large a group. You should also inform your government affairs and/or public relations offices of the legislator’s visit.
- Map out a route. Plan ahead to select particular areas that illustrate the points you want to make. Demonstrate the process involved in various tests. Create a schedule that allows time for breaks, discussion, and delays.
- Stay on schedule. Be aware of the time the legislator has available.
- Follow up the visit with a thank you note. Reemphasize key points made during the visit, and send the legislator photos taken of him or her at the facility with employees. Provide the legislator with copies of any newspaper or in-house articles detailing the visits to the facility.
- Tell the CAP how the tour went. After your tour, the CAP’s legislative staff will use your feedback to follow up with the legislator’s Health legislative assistant in Washington. The CAP communications staff will also tweet photos, write articles for Advocacy Update, and work with local media on press coverage, if desired.