NACHC Washington Update

Sleepless in Seattle

As we've noted before, there wouldn't be a health center movement without advocacy. That's why every month we try to congratulate the stand out health center true believers. The first 2008 congratulations goes to our January National Community Health Advocate of the Month: Diana Olsen, Marketing and Community Relations Manager for Community Health Centers of King County (CHCKC) in Seattle, WA. Diana's energetic efforts on behalf of the health center bring new meaning to the phrase "sleepless in Seattle." Diana burned the midnight oil for many nights to make grassroots advocacy a top priority. She diligently worked hard to enlist 100 new health center advocates for state and federal initiatives. Diana also took the lead in organizing multiple health center events that drew key elected leaders, such as U.S. Sen. Patty Murray and Washington Governor Christine Gregoire. Now just days into 2008, Diana has already laid the groundwork to jumpstart voter registration initiatives for health centers. Must be that good Seattle coffee that keeps her going.

We're Hip To Kip

Three cheers for our December National Community Health Advocate of the Month, Kip Landry – board member at Family Health Center in Marshfield, Wisconsin. Kip joined the health center team in 2005 with a fierce commitment to moving the health center mission forward with grassroots momentum. Kip also uses media to spread the word about the accomplishments of health centers. A case in point is a short film he developed recently that highlights how health centers are addressing the dental needs of low-income residents in the state. Kip took on that project after a challenge from none other than Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle, who reportedly responded, "I’d like to see that’" when informed of health centers' plans to address the dental needs of Wisconsin patients.
Kip’s persistence and commitment to health center advocacy and energetic efforts to engage decision-makers puts Kip in a category all his own. Join us in congratulating our December National Community Health Advocate of the Month – Kip Landry.

Mr. Happy Makes It Happen

This guy puts a smile on everyone’s face! Announcing the November National Community Health Advocate of the Month, Howard “Mr. Happy” Sanders, II – School Based Program Coordinator at Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center in Jackson, Mississippi. Howard first became involved with health centers as a community volunteer. His dedication and expertise quickly vaulted him into a staff position, where he earned the nickname “Mr. Happy” from coworkers for his nfectious positive energy and creative efforts to engage the staff and community in advocating on behalf of health centers. Sanders jumped at the chance to lead the heatlh center advocacy steering committee, recruiting eight colleagues to join the effort and drive the Jackson-Hinds advocacy machine. Never one to sit still long, after organizing policy education workshops and advocacy trainings for his colleagues, Howard took his advocacy efforts into the community – recruiting dozens of new health center advocates and attracting the attention and involvement of key government and civic leaders! Howard makes us happy just thinking about tireles advocacy efforts-- that's why he's our National Community Health Advocate of the Month for November!

Martha's Way

Our Community Health Center Advocate of the month for October is Martha Zarate, Risk Manager for La Clinica de Familia in Las Cruces New Mexico. Martha took on the National Health Center Week petition with fierce dedication. “Let’s be Winners” was her motto and oft repeated mantra to the staff she recruited from all nine of La Clinica’s sites to participate in the national petition drive for health centers. But Martha’s hard work and commitment continued even after National Health Center Week was over. Zarate marshaled staff and patients to collect nearly 600 petition signatures and countless new health center advocates, the highest number of petition signers in New Mexico! The always humble Martha just shrugs her shoulders to the throngs of health center fans, saying, "Sometimes we just need a cheerleader—that’s me.” Three cheers for Martha!

Advocacy Grows in the Garden State

Tadum! It's official: our National Community Health Advocate for the Month of August is Leslie Morris, Community Relations Director at the New Jersey Primary Care Association. Leslie has set a new national standard with her efforts to mobilize New Jersey's 19 health centers, elected officials, and community partners in celebration of National Health Center Week (NHCW). This year Leslie broke her own record, coordinating more than 55 events around the state and helping to raise over $40,000 to support NHCW events all over New Jersey. For the last two years Leslie has worked tirelessly to ensure that NHCW is one of the premier primary care focuses for health centers, HMO's, Pharmaceutical firms, patients and legislators. Constantly focused and working hard to get the word out about the effectiveness of health centers and engaging community partners and constituents, Leslie is simply TOP NOTCH! Please join us in recognizing the August National Community Health Advocate of the Month, Leslie Morris

Advocacy Thrives in the Bronx

Our choice for National Community Health Advocate this month July is Javier Lopez in Bronx, NY. Javier is the Director of School Health and Legislative Liaison at Urban Health Plan, Inc. (UHP) and a force to be reckoned with when it comes to generating the highest response rates to advocacy alerts for Community Heath Centers. Javier never misses an opportunity to rally the grassroots troops at health center board, management, and all staff meetings. His particular passion is enlisting new voices to build and energize advocacy efforts; and to spread the word that every voice counts. Javier Lopez deserves star status for his ongoing advocacy efforts and dedication to the health center movement! A big round of applause and hearty congratulations to our July National Community Health Advocate of the Month; Javier Lopez!

Donna Sue We Still Love You

We have talked about super grassroots advocate Donna Vent before. Here's an update: She's still super! That's her smiling in the photo because she was recently surprised with a certificate and silver lapel pin for being the National Community Health Advocate for NACHC. Ms. Vent is an LPN at Southeast Missouri Health Networks (SEMO). She thought she was attending a staff meeting at SEMO but suddently people are standing up and giving her thunderous applause-- and an award for being a dynamic dynamo and enlisting grassroots advocates on behalf of health centers.

“Donna Vent dedicated a great deal of time and energy on making advocacy a priority for SEMO. She is a kindhearted, caring individual and I can think of know one more deserving of this award," said Danny O’Neill, Missouri Primary Care Association Governmental Relations Manager and NACHC Regional Field Organizer.

Donna the Dynamo-- who've we talked about before on this blog-- signed up over 250 staff, patients and board members to the Missouri Primary Care Association Advocacy Network! To date, she has increased that number to over 330!

Manufacturing Grassroots Muscle in Michigan

Michigan is best known for manufacturing cars, but one determined man is churning out an engine of a different kind: newly minted health center advocates. Mr. David Brown, Board President of Family Medical Center of Michigan in the community of Carleton, is our June National Community Health Advocate of the Month. David’s history with health centers stretches back twenty years and ranges from Health Center Board Member of the Year (in ’97, ’99, and ’03!!) to President of the Michigan Primary Care Association. In recent months Dave has been burning the midnight oil to achieve a personal goal to boost the number of Michigan advocates to well over a thousand."
Dave's high octane efforts are making a big impression in the health center family - He's traveled the state to visit health center boards and spread his message of advocacy. Along the way, he's also enlisting new advocates for health centers and raising awareness about the vital importance of grassroots advocacy. Why is this important? Here's Dave's perspective: "Health centers may not have deep pockets, but what we do have is political clout"
Thanks to David's work across the state, the majority of Michigan health centers now have advocacy as a standing agenda item and are building a mean grassroots machine!

New York Health Center Leader Honored

We're so darned proud of Barbra E. Minch, President & CEO of the William F. Ryan Community Health Network in New York City. Minch received the Marshall England Memorial Public Health Award from the Commission on the Public's Health System (CPHS) at their 16th Annual Gala in New York City. New York Assembly member Dick Gottfried, (Chairman of the NYS Assembly Health Committee) presented the award. Congrats Barb!

What do Leprechauns Have to do with Advocacy?

Congratulations to NACHC’s April National Community Health Advocate of the Month, Susan Piccirilli, Vice President of Marketing and Planning for Primary Health Network (PHN) in Sharon, PA. Always hard at work, since January Susan has visited almost every PHN site asking staff to sign up on the advocacy list. This effort has more than doubled the number of advocates from PHN, now numbering over 100 advocates. But Susan’s work in advocacy stretches far beyond signing up advocates. Last year during National Health Center Week, PHN hosted a visit from U.S. Rep. Phil English. Susan, playing on the name, worked to create an “English” Garden to honor Congressman English and his continued support of health centers. What Susan did not realize was that English's heritage was--oops!-- Irish. Susan, always resourceful, knew how to set matters straight. She bought a Leprechaun (not a real one, those cost an arm and a leg) and took its picture in the "English Garden" and presented the photo-- and the Leprechaun-- to Congressman English during a recent visit to the Hill. So if you see a funny-looking midget wearing a green suit and pointy shoes greeting visitors at Rep. English's Capitol Hill office, that's the official story.
Count on Susan to constantly work the phones and burn the e-mails to light a fire under legislators from PA and OH. That's the kind of elbow grease that keeps the political momentum going on issues important to health centers. Susan’s dedication to advocacy and the health center movement is not just helping the folks in western Pennsylvania and Ohio, but health centers across the country. Susan’s dedication and energetic leadership is an inspiration to health center advocates everywhere. Join NACHC in congratulating Susan Piccirilli, our April National Community Health Advocate of the Month.