Brandi Underwood, Manager of Development, Research, and Advocacy, represented the Facial Pain Association at the 17th Annual Headache on the Hill by the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy (AHDA) on March 18-19. For nearly two decades, AHDA has been the leading voice in federal headache advocacy, with Headache on the Hill serving as the pinnacle of their annual efforts. The event brings together healthcare professionals, advocates, patients, caregivers, and researchers.
Joining 275 advocates from all 50 states in Washington, DC, we advocated for common-sense legislative priorities to make life better for Americans living with headache conditions, including neuropathic facial pain. Specifically, we advocated for:
- Support for the Safe Step Act – providing access to care and empowering our doctors to prescribe treatments based on our individual needs as opposed to insurance protocols.
- Support for the NIH Clinical Trial Diversity Act – promoting inclusivity and diversity in clinical trials by recognizing that diseases affect people differently based on a variety of factors.
- Robust funding for the Neurology Centers of Excellence within the Veterans Health Administration – providing veterans access to interdisciplinary services, including neurologists, health psychologists, clinical pharmacists, whole health/complementary and integrative health specialists, nurses, and rehabilitative medicine experts.
This was the FPA’s second year attending and first time participating at the US Capitol with the return of the first fully in-person Headache on the Hill since before the pandemic. Brandi shared her thoughts as she reflected on the experience, “As a member of the facial pain community, my passion for advocacy is not just about my own experiences — it’s about uplifting the voices of all individuals facing life-altering headache conditions, including neuropathic facial pain. Your support empowered us to speak the words ‘trigeminal neuralgia’ and ‘neuropathic facial pain’ throughout the halls of Congress and in meetings with the offices of four US Representatives and two US Senators. The greatest takeaway from this event is that we have more that connects us than we think, and patient organizations and advocates can accomplish more through working together.”
Advocacy lies at the core of our mission. By partnering with organizations committed to advocating for legislative changes, funding allocations, and policy reforms, we can amplify our collective voice and have a greater impact. As part of our commitment to building on the success of our individual efforts to expand advocacy to a national level, we are pleased to announce that the FPA has joined the AHDA as a member organization where we have the honor of serving on their board.
You can learn more about our partnership with the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy in the FPA Quarterly journal’s Spring issue.
