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July 21, 2026

When Aileen A. Antonio, MD, FAAN, attended her latest AAN Annual Meeting, it felt like coming home.  

“I was surrounded by people who guided me, believed in me, created space for me to grow, and—most meaningfully—invited me to give back,” she said. “I hope, in some small way, I have been able to return that gift many times over.”

Antonio is a neuro-ophthalmologist at Trinity Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where she also serves as associate program director of the hospital’s neurology residency program. But like many in the medical field, she has struggled with a common issue: burnout.

Constant prior authorizations, hours spent on hold, and insurance denials for urgently needed tests and treatments had left her feeling exhausted and hopeless. At one point, she was even considering walking away from the field she once loved—until she got an email offering what she called a “lifeline.”

The AAN was seeking applications for Neurology on the Hill, an annual fly-in to Washington, DC. It brings neurologists and neuroscience professionals from across the US together to meet with members of Congress and their staff on urgent legislative issues facing neurology. Antonio thought it might be just what she needed: a chance to combat the issues that had been wearing her down.

“Neurology on the Hill showed me that I had a voice—and that it was echoed by hundreds of others,” Antonio said. “Over the past seven years in advocacy, I have witnessed how collective voices can change policy, restore dignity, and improve patient care. That experience didn’t just re-energize me; it gave me back my faith and hope.”

She went on to participate in the Emerging Leaders Program and the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, two selective AAN programs that offer complimentary leadership skills training to members, and the Health Care Equity Program, which guides members in creating a roadmap to address health care disparities.

Through what she learned from the AAN’s programs, she created a “Humanism and Resilience” curriculum for her institution’s residents and fellows, weaving advocacy, leadership, equity, humanities, creativity, and wellness into practical, reflective training. Its purpose was simple: to teach trainees that they don’t need to burn out to belong in medicine.

“Through my AAN journey, doors opened within my own institution—opportunities I never imagined during my most burned-out days,” Antonio said. “Every step forward—to serve, to lead, and to rediscover joy in medicine—can be traced back to that first Neurology on the Hill email and the support I received through AAN programs, especially the Emerging Leaders Program.”

Get involved in AAN advocacy

While Neurology on the Hill, the event that began Antonio’s advocacy journey, doesn’t take place until early 2027, its summer counterpart is just around the corner. That’s Neurology off the Hill, in which AAN members take advantage of Congress’s August recess to meet with their legislators in their home districts. to receive participation details from the AAN’s advocacy staff.

Other everyday ways to get involved include:

• Joining the Political Outreach for Neurological Support (PONS) network, which delivers timely advocacy information and exclusive quarterly webinars.
• Responding to Action Alerts, which go to US members’ inboxes and the online . This tool helps members quickly contact their representatives about bills affecting priority issues like access to care, prior authorization, neuroscience research, and more. 
• Reading Capitol Hill Report, a biweekly newsletter that covers recent advocacy highlights and opportunities. It goes straight to US members’ email inboxes and is published online.