Complete Story
06/17/2025
Ohio PA Advocacy Day
Join the Ohio PA community at the iconic Ohio Statehouse for an impactful day!
OAPA is excited to bring back our PA Advocacy Day during which PAs, educators, and students will convene to celebrate, support, and advance the profession with Ohio lawmakers. We are welcoming all in the Ohio PA community, whether you have been practicing for decades or are just starting your didactic year of PA school.
Schedule for Wednesday, October 22, 2025
12:00-1:00 p.m. --- Check-in, receive materials, and network with fellow participants (venue TBA)
12:00 p.m. --- Bus pickup at Renaissance Westerville*
12:30 p.m. --- Bus drop off at check-in
1:00-2:00 p.m. --- Educational program to prepare for legislator meetings
2:15-4:30 p.m. --- Concurrent small group legislator meetings
4:30 p.m. --- Group photo at the Ohio Statehouse
4:45 p.m. --- New arrival check-in
5:00-7:00 p.m. --- Legislative Reception in the Statehouse Museum Gallery
7:15 p.m. --- Bus pickup at Statehouse
7:45 p.m. --- Bus drop off at Renaissance Westerville
*Attendees may choose to park at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris and ride a bus to downtown Columbus for the event. This will be most convenient for individuals who are staying at the hotel on Wednesday night to attend the 2025 OAPA Annual Conference, Thursday October 23 to Friday, October 24. Learn more about the conference here!
Which participation path works best for you?
Path 1 - Join us for check in starting at 12:00pm for the full day of activities, including an in-person training session, one or more meetings with Ohio legislators or staff, the group photo, and the evening reception with legislators, concluding at 7:00 p.m. Path 1 participants will be eligible for CME.**
Path 2 - Join us starting at 4:30 p.m. for the late afternoon activities, including the group photo and the evening reception with legislators, concluding at 7:00 p.m.
**This program is not yet approved for CME credit. Event organizers plan to apply for 2 AAPA Category 1 CME credits from the AAPA Review Panel. The total number of approved credits is yet to be determined.
Registration Information
- Registration is open to all Ohio PAs, PA educators, and PA students, including OAPA members and nonmembers.
- There is no fee to participate, but ADVANCE REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.
- September 17 is the registration deadline.
- For PA programs sending multiple students, please note that each participant is required to complete their own registration form (i.e., there is no "group registration" form)
- Participants must immediately notify oapa@ohiopa.com if they need to cancel their registration.
A special request from the organizers:
Please take your time and be thoughtful as you complete the registration form. The better quality information we have from our participants, the more likely the event will be a success for all involved!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an advocacy day?
An advocacy day connects the public, specifically from a group with shared interest (like a profession), with lawmakers to build relationships and educate about issues of importance.
Why is OAPA holding an advocacy day?
It has been several years since OAPA convened the PA community at the Ohio Statehouse. We have a new approach to government affairs and many legislative priorities that we seek to advance for the PA profession in Ohio. This is best done through collective strength and engagement by the community broadly to help lawmakers understand how they can help improve patient care for Ohioans by supporting Ohio PAs and students.
Will my participation make a difference?
Absolutely! By participating, you will gain a better understanding of the legislative process and how Ohio's laws and regulations impact your professional practice (if you weren't already keenly aware!) And, your participation will strengthen the voice and representation for Ohio PAs as we seek to advance PA practice and eliminate legislative barriers that hold us back from providing quality, accessible, and cost-effective patient care.
Do I need to schedule my own legislator meetings for the day or contact my legislators to let them know I am coming?
No, we will handle that for you! You can expect to participate in one or more meetings, typically 15-45 minutes long, depending on the availability of the legislator and/or their staff.
Please note that legislator meetings may have capacity limits, and priority access will be given to OAPA members. However, we will endeavor to distribute attendees across districts as needed so that all who are interested to participate in legislator meetings may have the opportunity.
What will PAs be advocating for in the legislator meetings?
PAs will be asked to share data and information as provided by OAPA closer to the date of the event, but also, personal perspective and experiences that may help legislators to better understand the PA profession and illustrate the importance of our legislative priorities.
Do I need to register? Can I just show up and join in?
Registration is REQUIRED, and we cannot accommodate walk-ins. There are a few reasons for this. For those participating in legislator meetings, we need to know who is attending and where they are from to schedule the appropriate legislator meetings. We also need to know who to expect at the legislator reception for additional "matchmaking," and to have correct counts for food and beverage orders to reduce wasteful spending.
What is the registration deadline?
To give us sufficient time to schedule legislator meetings and calibrate counts for refreshments, transportation, etc., the registration deadline is SEPTEMBER 17.
Is there a registration fee?
Given this is OAPA's first advocacy event in several years, we want to ensure that the Ohio PA community comes out in strong force, so we have elected to make this a FREE event. However, there is certainly expense associated with advocacy day. The registration form includes an optional field for contributing to OAPA to help support this event financially.
Will there be transportation provided?
Participants are welcome to drive, carpool, rideshare, bring a bus full of attendees, walk, bike, or otherwise transport themselves to the event. Parking is available for a fee at the Ohio Statehouse and in many nearby public garages.
For those who would a complimentary ride to the Ohio Statehouse, participants may park and gather at the Renaissance Columbus Westerville-Polaris by 12:00 p.m. on the event date. The bus will depart at 12:00 p.m. to take participants downtown in advance of the 1:00 p.m. training session. The bus will pick participants up at 7:00 p.m. when the legislative reception concludes and return them to the hotel. Individuals needing to come or go on a different timeline will be responsible for their own transportation at their own expense.
Will there be training provided?
Yes, OAPA will have pre-event training in both on-demand and live virtual formats and in-person training on the event date. Training is crucial for preparing participants for the advocacy day experience. The 1:00 p.m. training session on October 22 is REQUIRED for those participating in small group legislator meetings.
My question is not answered here. Who can I contact?
Please reach out to us at oapa@ohiopa.com with your question and we will be happy to assist!
