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Important Contacts

Dr. Sanku S. Rao
President
O: 580-234-0285

Dr. Vinod K. Shah
President Elect
O: 301-373-7416

Dr. Ajeet Singhvi
Vice President
O: 951-929-0124

Dr. Prasad Srinivasan
Secretary
O: 860-246-7273

Dr. Narendra Kumar
Treasurer
989-793-1040

Dr. Hemantkumar Patel
Immediate Past President
O: 973-373-7700

Dr. Rajendra Gupta
Chair, BOT
O: 954-583-7267

Executive Office
600 Enterprise Dr., Ste.108
Oak Brook, IL 60523
Tel: 630-990-2277
Fax: 630-990-2281
Email: info@aapiusa.net

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Tips for Communicating with a Member of Congress

LETTERS:
A letter is the most popular choice of communication with a congressional office. If you decide to write a letter, the following suggestions will help improve the effectiveness of your communication.
1. Your purpose for writing should be stated in the first paragraph of the letter. If your letter pertains to a specific piece of legislation, identify it by the bill number, e.g. House Bill: H.R. ________, Senate Bill: S. _________.
2. Be courteous and to the point. Include key information, using examples from your practice or personal experience to make your point.
3. Address only one issue in each letter, if possible keep it to one page.
4. The most effective letters are on professional stationery and are personalized. In most instances, it is okay to mention the organization (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin representing 42,000 physicians) and the chapter (AAPI___ or IAMA ___ representing X # or physicians). This will help us build our visibility in Congress. Talk about your personal experience and mention that you are also a member of such and such organization.
5. Address your letter to the Member that represents the area in which you live or where you work. In either case, use the appropriate return address. Congressional offices look at the return address first before processing each letter. If you don't know the name of your Senator or Representative, check your phone book or call our Legislative Office at (202) 331-0343.

ADDRESSING CORRESPONDENCE
To a Senator The Honorable (Full Name) United States Senate Washington, DC 20510 Dear Senator (Last Name),		To a Representative The Honorable (Full Name) United States House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative (Last Name),
NOTE: When writing to the Chair of a Committee or the Speaker of the House, it is proper to address them as: Dear Mr. Chairman or Madam Chairwoman; or Dear Mr. Speaker.

PHONE CALLS:
Phone calls are also important. The telephone number for the US Congress is (202) 224-3121. Ask for your Senator/Representative by name, or give your zip code. You will be transferred to the right office. Each office keeps a tally of opinions voiced by phone and reports it to the Member at the end of the week. It is okay if you leave the message with an intern or other staff person. It is ideal if you can speak directly with the Health staffer but that is not necessary.

Here are a few suggestions:
1. State that you would like to express an opinion on xyz.
2. State your opinion as correctly as possible.
3. Offer to follow up with any information the Member or staff person might need.
4. Leave your contact information if they should want to follow up with you personally.