Advocacy That Works: How Dr. Scott Pasichow Is Reshaping Healthcare Policy

Ever wonder why healthcare policy feels like a maze? Or how one doctor can spark systemic change? In this episode of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Andrea Austin talks with Dr. Scott Pasichow, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a passionate advocate for equity and reform.

Scott’s advocacy journey began with a personal realization: the inequities in family leave policies for residents. His push for fairer policies led to incremental changes at the ACGME and ABEM, ensuring better support for new parents. From testifying on EMS bills to representing ACEP in the AMA House of Delegates, Scott’s work spans mental health, burnout, and student loan burdens.

You’ll hear how he:

• Turned a personal experience into a fight for equitable family leave policies
• Builds mission-driven teams by listening for dissent and fostering collaboration
• Uses storytelling to make policy issues resonate with lawmakers and the public
• Finds hope in the growing energy of physicians pushing for progress

If you’re frustrated by healthcare’s challenges or curious about advocacy, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration.

About the Guest

“The arc of history bends toward justice—but it takes people to pull on it.” – Dr. Scott Pasichow

Dr. Scott Pasichow is an emergency physician, assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and a relentless advocate for healthcare reform. A former board member of the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association (EMRA) and current representative for ACEP in the AMA House of Delegates, Scott has testified on EMS and emergency medicine bills in multiple states. His work focuses on family leave equity, physician wellness, and protecting access to care. He lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his wife, two kids, two pit-mix dogs, and a growing New York Rangers collection.

📍 Connect with Scott  

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/spmd16.bsky.social
📚 Resources + Mentions

• 🔗 American Medical Association (AMA) (https://www.ama-assn.org/)
• 🔗 American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) (https://www.acep.org/)
• 🔗 Tribal Leadership by Dave Logan, John King, and Halee Fischer-Wright (https://www.amazon.com/Tribal-Leadership-Leveraging-Thriving-Organization/dp/0061251321)
• 🔗 ACGME Family Leave Policy (https://www.acgme.org/newsroom/blog/2022/acgme-answers-resident-leave-policies/) 🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways

• Advocacy starts with listening: Building effective teams means understanding dissent and aligning on shared goals.
• Storytelling drives change: Data informs, but personal stories make policy issues relatable and actionable.
• Incremental wins matter: From family leave to Medicaid access, small steps build toward lasting impact.🩺 About the Host

Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out.

With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart.
💫 About the Show

Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible.

Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done.

Each episode explores real stories of change—from redefining leadership and communication, to reimagining systems built on burnout and hierarchy. This is a space for truth-telling, for asking better questions, and for reconnecting with the reason we all got into medicine in the first place: to make it better.

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress—with heart.

 

 

🎓 Upcoming Events & Opportunities

🔥 ⁠⁠Recalibrate: Group Coaching for Physicians⁠⁠

Starting in 2026, I’ll be co-leading Recalibrate with psychologist and coach Sharee Johnson. This 6-month group coaching program supports physicians in rediscovering mindfulness, meaning, and wholehearted practice. I’m an alum myself—this program transformed my career. Learn more and enroll here, and please share with colleagues who may benefit.

•⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Women in Medicine Summit | Chicago, Sept 18–20, 2025⁠⁠ (https://www.womeninmedicinesummit.org/)

FemInEM is leading a full day on Women’s Health. The Gala will be a can’t-miss celebration of leadership and community.

•⁠ ⁠⁠⁠AAWEP St. Lucia Retreat | March 5–8, 2026⁠⁠ (https://www.acep.org/aawep/)

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