SGO is pleased to announce that, as of June 1, 2022, the Society’s government relations activities are now being supported by Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, LLC (CRD).
As we embark on this new partnership, SGO wishes to thank Jill Rathbun of Galileo Consulting Group, Inc., for nearly two decades of service to the Society. Jill is well known to many SGO members and has been instrumental in the advancement of SGO’s advocacy and government relations efforts.
Some of Jill’s most notable accomplishments while working with SGO include:
- Establishing the Congressional Ambassadors Program and HPSE committees to engage SGO members in advocating for and addressing key issues facing gynecologic oncology practices
- Partnering with the surgical community to mitigate annual cuts to Medicare physician payments
- Increasing funding for the Ovarian Cancer Research Program at the U.S. Department of Defense to an unprecedented congressional appropriation of $45 million in FY 2022
- Adding endometrial cancer to the list of eligible cancers for study under the DoD Peer-Reviewed Cancer Research Program
- Creating two CPT codes to address SGO payment issues for laparoscopic procedures, CPT code 38573 and CPT code 58575
About CRD Associates
Founded in 1980, CRD Associates is a Washington-based firm that offers a deep bench of experience in federal health policy, regulatory affairs, and appropriations, with a strong focus on women’s health issues. Their longstanding relationships with lawmakers and congressional staff on both sides of the aisle and in federal agencies have allowed them to achieve impressive results in areas that are directly relevant to SGO’s priorities.
The CRD team will provide a full range of services to SGO, beginning with Strategic Planning to guide proactive engagement on congressional and regulatory activities and focus government relations activities for the year ahead.
CRD will also support SGO with advocacy in the following areas:
- Appropriations to support increases in gynecologic cancer research funding.
- Authorizing Legislation, such as ARPA-H, Cures 2.0, and legislation to address Medicare physician payment cuts.
- Coding and Reimbursement Issues, assisting SGO with code change applications and surveys that come before the AMA/RVS Update Committee (RUC) and CPT® Editorial Panel.
- Regulatory Affairs, through strong relationships with key agency officials at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), and others in the Administration.
- Weekly Policy Updates, keeping SGO and committee leadership abreast of pertinent policy developments on Capitol Hill.
CRD’s core team of consultants to SGO includes Erika Miller, JD, Senior Vice President and Counsel, Kay Moyer, MS, CPC, Director of Regulatory Affairs, and Michaela Hollis, MPH, Senior Policy Associate.
In just a few short weeks, CRD has already demonstrated their deep commitment to SGO’s priorities and their skillfulness in positioning SGO at the forefront of congressional and agency activity. Members can expect to receive regular updates from the CRD team in SGO Issues, including opportunities to participate in grassroots activities such as SGO’s annual Fly-in Day.
Meet the CRD Team
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| For questions about SGO’s government relations activities, please contact Jessica Oldham, SGO’s Director of Governance and Clinical Practice. |