Hospitals Advocating Care Together

Background & Details

            In 2004, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees approved the creation of Hospitals Advocating Care Together (Hospitals-ACT), a new grassroots initiative aimed at mobilizing hospital employees to participate more actively in the association’s advocacy efforts. 

            This document provides MHA members with a clear and common understanding of Hospitals-ACT.  By knowing exactly what Hospitals-ACT is and what it will do, we can all better work together to establish, launch and manage the network. 

What is Hospitals Advocating Care Together (Hospitals-ACT)?

            Hospitals-ACT is a grassroots initiative dedicated to advancing the legislative and regulatory advocacy agendas of Michigan hospitals and health systems and their patients.

            Hospitals-ACT will bring together hospital employees, trustees and volunteers to deliver hospital advocacy messages to state and federal lawmakers, Gov. Granholm, and the media. Hospitals-ACT is a way to recruit, train and mobilize hospital employees to advocate on behalf of health care. These voices — the voices of lawmakers’ constituents — will truly complement and enforce the MHA’s overall advocacy efforts. 

Who is Hospitals-ACT?

            Hospitals-ACT includes hospital and health system employees, trustees and volunteers who can be mobilized to deliver advocacy messages to state and federal lawmakers, Gov. Granholm, and the media. Hospital/health system public information officers/communications directors, volunteer coordinators, marketing directors, community relations directors and government affairs officers all will be involved and active in Hospitals-ACT activities. Hospitals-ACT also includes the communications and advocacy staff members of the MHA, who will organize and manage Hospitals-ACT activities. 

Hospitals-ACT Project Directors

            Each hospital/health system should identify a single individual and give him or her ownership of Hospitals-ACT in their organization. The Hospitals-ACT Project Director will be responsible for mobilizing and activating Hospitals-ACT activities in the hospital and the local community. The Project Director and the MHA will have regular two-way communication. In effect, this individual becomes the launching pad for Hospitals-ACT activities within his or her system/hospital.

MHA Staff & Consultants

            Improving MHA’s grassroots advocacy is a top priority of the MHA Board of Trustees, the entire MHA staff, and our advocacy consultants. At the MHA, the primary staff contacts for Hospitals-ACT are David Finkbeiner and Lori Latham who will be largely responsible for planning and implementing Hospitals-ACT strategies and tactics. 

What Exactly Will Hospitals-ACT Do?

            Hospitals-ACT is a structured and organized way for MHA members to deliver the association’s advocacy messages to the Governor, state lawmakers, and the media. Without question, MHA members are the most credible and important sources of advocacy messages. Hospitals-ACT is an attempt to do a better job of mobilizing and activating MHA members as an advocacy force. 

Inside MHA Member Hospitals

            The Hospitals-ACT Project Director and other Hospitals-ACT members at MHA member hospitals/systems will: 

• Deliver MHA advocacy messages to the governor and legislature via letters, e-mails and phone calls; by attending special events in the community and in Lansing; and by mobilizing other hospital employees, volunteers and trustees to do the same.
• Deliver MHA advocacy messages to the media through news releases, letters to the editor, viewpoint columns, issue ads (when necessary and appropriate), the release of reports and studies, and through media roundtables, news conferences and other newsworthy special events and activities.

At the MHA

            MHA staff and consultants are responsible for launching Hospitals-ACT and managing its ongoing advocacy strategies.  The Hospitals-ACT Web site (www.hospitalsact.org ) further describes the program and details the MHA’s advocacy goals and objectives.  Furthermore, the site provides each local Hospitals-ACT Project Director and other members of the team with the direction, information and tools they need to deliver the advocacy messages to our target audience. 

How Will the MHA Mobilize Hospitals-ACT on a Regular Basis?

            Regular, frequent communication is the key! The MHA will update the Hospitals-ACT Web site frequently and will closely monitor advocacy efforts in Lansing.  As the MHA makes adjustments in strategies, tactics and messages, Hospitals-ACT members will be informed. 

            In closing, the success of the MHA’s advocacy efforts depends heavily on legislators, the governor and media hearing the voices of our members — you, your trustees, your employees, and your volunteers. Hospitals-ACT simply must become a priority in your hospital or system. 

            If you have any questions about Hospitals-ACT, please contact Lori Latham (llatham@mha.org) at the MHA.