Slides from Campaign For America's Health Centers Nov. 15, 2012, webinar

1. Meeting With
Members of Congress
November 15, 2012, Webinar

2. Redistricting
New Members
Elections
Lame Duck
Fiscal Cliff
2013

3. This presentation includes…
1. How to: Request a meeting
2. How to: Have an effective meeting
3. How to: Follow up
4. Resources

4. Relative Effectiveness of Advocacy
Communications
1. A visit to your health center
2. A personal meeting back home
3. A personal meeting in Washington
4. Personal telephone calls
5. Personalized Letters (faxed)
6. Personalized emails
7. Template emails (ineffective unless in volume)

5. 3 Steps
1.Request a
meeting
2. Have an
effective
meeting
3. Follow up! Pictured: U.S. Representative Frank LoBiondo
visits CompleteCare health center in New Jersey
during National Health Center Week 2012

6. Step 1: Request a Meeting
Contact the appropriate Scheduler
There is typically a D.C. Scheduler and a District
Scheduler

7. Step 1: Request a Meeting
• Be specific
• Make the request well in advance
• Check the Congressional Calendar
• Keep following up
• Let health staff know
you requested a meeting
• Be flexible
Pictured: AltaMed meets with Representative
Sanchez during NHCW 2012

8. Once you have your meeting
scheduled, let us know!
http://www.saveourchcs.org/scheduled-meetings.cfm

9. Step 2: Have an Effective Meeting
• Do your research
• Planned format (ex: tour,
then sit down)
• Clinicians, Board,
Patients
• Talking Points
• Data Pictured: U.S. Representative
Gardner visits Salud in Colorado

10. After your meeting, let us
know how it went!
http://www.saveourchcs.org/meeting-feedback.cfm

11. Step 3: Follow Up!
• Email/fax a note thanking the Member and
briefly restating what you discussed in your
meeting
• Include follow-up info
• Make yourself a resource
• Invite to future events
Pictured: Hunter Health Clinic Board Member
Louisa Bruner talks with Congressman Mike
Pompeo during NHCW 2012

12. Staff are the gatekeepers!

13. http://www.saveourchcs.org/101-toolkit.cfm

14. Sip Mouden
CEO, Community
Health Centers of
Arkansas, Inc.

15. Meeting With Members
of Congress
A NACHC Webinar
Sip Mouden, CEO
Community Health Centers of Arkansas, Inc.
November 15, 2012

16. Fears…Concerns…Issues
 I don’t know him
 He beat the candidate of my choice
 He is from the “other “ party
 He doesn’t know me
 He doesn’t have a clue about CHCs
 All he wants to do is repeal OBAMACARE
 He thinks everybody should pay the same as
he does for health care
 He is arrogant

17. WHAT ARE YOU
GOING TO DO ABOUT IT ???

18. Do Your Homework
 Who do you know that knows him?
– Get that person to set up a meeting for you…or…
– Get that person to introduce you to him
 Find out what you can about him
family profession
special interests experience
 What are his major issues ?
 What is his position on health care ?
 Who does he respect within his party? Is that
person a CHC Champion??

19. Do Your Homework
 Call/meet with the Congressman/Senator’s local
office
 Talk with them about the CHCs & their value
 Ask questions about the C/S’s DC staff (including
the scheduler)
 Let the local staff know you will be contacting the DC
Scheduler for App’t
 Who are his key staff?
 Learn what, if any, his key staff may have
connections to CHCs
 Follow-up meeting with e-mail &“thank-you note”

20. Know Your Data
 Be prepared w/ your elevator speech re: CHCs
 Know what makes your CHCs unique
 Know Your Data
– # of CHCs in his District
– # of constituents in his District who access the CHCs as
their PCMH
– Health Care Outcomes
 Return on Investment
 Economic Engines
– Jobs
– Revenue brought into the underserved communities
– Economic Impact

21. EXTEND AN INVITATION

22. SEND FOLLOW-UP E-MAILS
&
THANK YOU NOTES

23. Arkansas Primary Care Association

24. Community Health Centers of
Arkansas, Inc. (CHCA)
Arkansas Primary Care Association
Mission
To develop and protect the resources that
ensure quality healthcare to all
Vision
Where every Arkansan has equal access to
affordable total healthcare

25. CHCA Board of Directors
 Susan Jones, MD Chair  Sandra Brown
East Arkansas Family Health Center Jefferson Comprehensive Care
 Steve Collier, MD Vice Chair  Clifton Collier
ARcare Lee County Cooperative Clinic
 Brigitte Mc Donald Treasurer  Al Sliger
Corning Area Health Care Mid-Delta Health Systems
 Kathy Grisham Secretary  Jerry White
Community Clinic at St Francis House River Valley Primary Care Services
 Tony Calandro  Melanie Sheppard
Healthy Connections, Inc CABUN Rural Health Services
 Carol Raines  Alan Nichols
Boston Mountain Rural Health Care Mainline Health Systems

26. CHCA Staff & Contract Consultants
Sip Mouden-Chief Executive Officer
Cindy Newell-Administrative Assistant
Dele Olaleye- Data/IT Specialist
Fred Lewis-Chief Financial Officer & Human Resources
Joan Diehl-Resource Development/Evaluation Director
Jonathan Foster- Outreach/ Clinical Programs Coordinator
Lisa Weaver- Chief Development Officer
Lynn Hawkins- Network/Community Development Manager
Patty Battles-Clinical Quality Manager
Richard Berthelot-Workforce Development Manager
Sandi Ganus-Executive Ass’t/Contract Development Manager
tba-Communications/Web Specialist
Debby Nye-Contract General Counsel
Joe Harris-Contract Lobbyist

27. Dr. Marcia
Irving-Ray, DDS
CEO, Neighborhood
Health Care, Inc.

28. Rich Watson
Board
President, Columbia
Valley Community
Health

29. http://www.saveourchcs.org/101-toolkit.cfm