It's a Fact

  • In addition to good health, what benefit is there to providing ongoing management for chronic illnesses, such as asthma? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) reports chronic illness management leads to fewer missed days of work and school as well as fewer trips to the hospital emergency department.
  • A study published recently in Health Affairs predicts that without significant policy changes, such as healthcare reform, the ranks of the uninsured will grow by 6.9 million in 2010, increasing the number of Americans without access to health insurance coverage to 52 million.
  • Are you eating your fruits and vegetables? Fewer Americans are, according to a recent study published in the American Journal of Medicine. From 2001 to 2006, U.S. residents consuming five fruits and vegetables a day declined from 45 to 26 percent.

Health for Life

The hospital community—under the umbrella of the American Hospital Association (AHA)—created Health for Life as a framework for change for the healthcare system. The five components of Health for Life were established with the input of multiple stakeholders including business groups, caregivers (nurses and physicians), consumer advocacy organizations, hospital leaders, insurance industry representatives and labor leaders. Their views and experiences helped to shape Health for Life, which the hospital community is now sharing with elected officials and other policymakers as they consider how best to reform.

  • Inviting Members of Your Congressional District to Visit Your Hospital—Invite members of your congressional delegation to tour your hospital. During the visit, highlight your organization’s medical achievements as well as programs your organization sponsors that support the key components of Health for Life (see Refining the Message below).
  • Participating in Media Interviews—Reach out to local media to discuss healthcare reform over the next several months. You may want to submit an editorial to your local newspaper or offer to participate in a roundtable discussion with your newspaper's editorial team.
  • Reaching Out to Your Constituents—Share information about Health for Life and healthcare reform with your key constituents, including boards of trustees and community groups, during regularly scheduled meetings or during a special meeting focusing on healthcare reform.

Tapping Your Team

Healthcare advocacy is at its best when it involves leaders across the healthcare delivery spectrum. Consider involving some or all of the following professionals in your contact with congressional leaders and community outreach activities.

Learn about hospitals' significant contributions to Arizona's economy & their communities Arizona.

  • Chief Executive Officer
  • Chief Financial Officer
  • Chief Medical Officer
  • Chief Nursing Officer
  • Patient Safety Officer
  • Physician
  • Public Affairs Executive
  • Public Relations Executive
  • Registered Nurse
  • Trustee

Refining the Message

Health for Life allows hospital leaders to highlight the essential components of a reformed healthcare system. To be effective, the hospital community believes healthcare reform must embrace Health for Life principles, which include the following:

  • A Focus on Wellness—As health status improves, the cost of health insurance and healthcare can be better controlled.
  • The Most Efficient, Affordable Care—Consumers will not be satisfied until the cost of insurance and the cost of healthcare are affordable.
  • The Highest Quality Care—Healthcare professionals, hospitals, patients and others must work together to make sure the right care is given at the right time in the right setting.
  • The Best Information—Good information is the gateway to good care.
  • Health Coverage for All, Paid for By All—Individuals, businesses, insurers and governments must all play a role in expanding coverage and paying for it. Health coverage for all is a shared responsibility.

Tools for AzHHa Members to Use

The following Health for Life materials are available to support your healthcare reform advocacy activities:

  • Members Only AHA Summer Advocacy Alert—The AHA has armed members with a toolkit, including message points and other information in order to discuss specific proposals in congress. Also included is a sample letter to use when inviting members of your congressional delegation to your facility or requesting a meeting. (Forgot your organization's user name and password? Contact AzHHA for the information.)
  • Health for Life Overview Document—Share copies of this with your constituents and distribute it during community and congressional meetings.
  • Fact Sheet—This document, which includes Arizona and national statistics, provides data that supports the Health for Life framework for change.
  • PowerPoint—Utilize this PowerPoint to articulate the Health for Life framework and discuss aspects of healthcare reform that are significant to hospitals and the people they serve. The note pages include message points to assist you with your remarks.
  • AHA Statement on President's Address on Healthcare Reform—AHA President and CEO Rich Umbdenstock's statement following President Obama's address to both houses of Congress on healthcare reform (September 9, 2009).

Other ResourceS & information

Broadcast Media Coverage of Healthcare Reform

AzHHA and its members are discussing healthcare reform with Arizona reporters. Come view the coverage below and watch for other healthcare reform coverage in AzHHA's daily publication, Health-E-News.

Healthcare Reform Virtual Town Hall, The Arizona Republic
August 20, 2009, KAET-TV, Horizonte, Phoenix
August 10, 2009, KPNX-TV, Phoenix