Advocacy
TACHC strives to unify our members to speak with one voice to preserve and strengthen Texas' health care safety net. To accomplish this goal, TACHC works closely with federal and state policy makers, government agency staff, and other stakeholders to ensure that community health centers operate in the best possible policy and funding environment to expand access to primary care. TACHC staff members also represent community health centers and the people they serve on a variety of federal and state health related coalitions and workgroups.
TACHC promotes public policy that expands access to health care services and improves health care outcomes for vulnerable populations and underserved communities throughout the state. TACHC, however, is only as effective as the health center board members, staff, and patients we represent. YOU are the constituents to whom elected officials really listen.
Current Campaign
When the Campaign For America’s Health Centers launched in July 2011, a national call for petitions and patient letters was sent out to all 1,200 health centers. As the National Letter & Petition Drive began, hundreds of health centers started collecting signatures from patients, staff and community supporters. Last year this effort culminated with Delivery Week, November 7-11, 2011, when over 100,000 petition signatures and support letters were delivered to Members of Congress!
So what has happened since Delivery Week 2011? Health centers have continued to collect petition signatures and advocate letters, and are working toward their goal of collecting 1,000,000 signatures to be presented to Congress during the 2012 Policy & Issues Forum in D.C. Find petition templates, sample letters and more resources here.
Need a little inspiration to get started? Watch this video.
Become an Advocate
One person working to raise public awareness and build support for health centers can have a major impact. Many people working together can achieve exponentially greater gains.
So, how can you get involved? It's easy. Join the TACHC advocacy network and send messages to the Texas Legislature. Stay up to date on advocacy priorities at the TACHC Grassroots Advocacy Center and by reading our monthly Texas Updates. Create events to celebrate National Health Center Week. Write letters to the editor. Collect signatures of patients on a petition supporting significant legislation.
As the old saying goes, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the grease. Policy and opinion makers depend on advocates to help them understand and recognize issues that deserve their support. Without grassroots advocacy, health centers risk losing public support for their needs
Guidelines
Check out NACHC's Guidelines for Health Center Lobbying to learn more about what you can and can't do when it comes to interacting with state and federal elected officials.
Advocacy Tools
Click on the links below to position yourself for successful advocacy.
- Get Your Voice Heard: A high-level look at the broad approach that health centers should embrace in building strong community relationships and political support.
- Getting Organized: How to develop a local advocacy team, and prepare an advocacy plan, with links to sample documents from people who have done it.
- Communicating with Elected Officials: Detailed tactics for putting your message clearly, consistently and concisely in front of your local, state and federal lawmakers.
- Media Tips: News coverage is critical for building public awareness of who you are and what you do. Here are specific tools to get the word out.
- Editorial Board Tips: Some people turn to newspaper editorials to help decide whether they should support something, or not. Here's how to engage your local editorial board and help bring them to your side.
