CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates Political Endorsements
Taking advantage of the wider scope of political activities allowed to c4 organizations, CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates has spent the last year building a political endorsement program for the 2018 state Assembly, Senate and Gubernatorial races. For the first time ever, CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates is endorsing candidates, helping to forge deeper relationships with our state’s elected officials and furthering their commitment to community health centers.
Despite starting the year with an audacious list of legislative goals, Congress will likely recess for the November election without having achieved much. The House and Senate’s government funding bills have not passed and there is expected to be a Continuing Resolution (a bill that extends government funding at the fiscal year 2018 level) for at least some government funding until after the November election.
2018 Legislative &
Budget Priorities
This August, the California Legislature closed out a two year session making critical decisions on legislation that will have long term impacts on the health and wellbeing of all Californians. As Governor Brown ends his fourth term as Governor, all eyes are focused on his pen as we wait to see what his final policy signals will be. The Governor has until September 30th to sign or veto bills passed in the final weeks of the legislative session, including CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates sponsored legislation.
CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates Key Contacts
For the past two years, CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates has built a robust Key Contacts program to further advance our legislative agenda. A large part of the driving force behind the passage of Advocates legislation year-to-year are strong, and well leveraged, relationships between elected officials and their local health centers. Elected officials want to hear from their constituents and they trust their constituents as a valued source of information.
Community Health Center Tours
Chief Executive Officer of CaliforniaHealth+ Advocates, Carmela Castellano-Garcia, and Assistant Director of Legislative Afairs, Victor Christy have committed to connecting legislators with health centers in their districts to facilitate more health center tours. As a result, over the past year Advocates has had the opportunity to go on a number of health center tours alongside State Legislators and Members of Congress.
National Health Center Week 2018
From August 12th to the 18th, health center heroes, who help make affordable health care possible for California’s most vulnerable populations, were at the center of this year’s National Health Center Week (NHCW) theme, “Honoring Health Center Heroes.” Over 700 health centers nationwide held more than 1600 events, showcasing the #CHCSuperPower of providers, patients, volunteers, staff and all who make health centers operate to serve 27 million patients across the country!