ADVOCATES FOR HEALTH CARE ACCESS

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ADVOCATES FOR HEALTH CARE ACCESS

VISION and MISSION

Vision Statement:
Our vision is to seek quality, cost effective health care that is fully accessible to the communities of Michigan.

Mission Statement:
Our mission is to educate and mobilize residents, community-based organizations, faith communities, service providers, employers and legislators to advocate for and impact health care policies to improve access to and quality of health care for the communities of Michigan.

We Advocate for:

1) Health care coverage for all Michigan uninusured and underinsured residents.
2) Appropriate funding to and expanded eligiblity of Medicaid and the MI Child insurance programs to increase access.
3) Increased funding to and expansion of community health and prevention programs.
4) Prescription assistance programs for all who need them.
5) Use of Michigan Tobacco Settlement dollars to increase access to a continuum of health care.

AHCA- Action in Review to 2001

TOWN HALL MEETINGS ?– 2000-2001
The Advocates for Health Care Access (AHCA) came into being in March of 2000 when several organizations came together to address the health care crisis in Detroit with a Town Hall meeting. The meeting was attended by well over 100 concerned citizens and 4 local legislators from both the House and Senate. This was the first of several Town Hall meetings held by the Advocates for the purpose of raising the awareness in our communities about the health care crisis as well as providing a forum for our voices to heard collectively by our legislators.

HEALTH CRISIS AWARENESS WEEKEND -- OCTOBER 2000
AHCA members developed and participated in a weekend campaign with the solicited support of over 125 faith-based communities to raise awareness of the crisis state of healthcare in Detroit and Michigan. Faith communities were given a ?“Tool Kit?” that contained a fact sheet, talking points, and a call-to-action sheet directing congregations to call the governor, write letters, and sign postcards. Sample letters, flyers and postcards were included in the ?“Tool Kit?”. ?“Tool Kits?” were delivered to pastors at an AHCA prayer breakfast; others were mailed to faith communities all over Detroit and surrounding counties. The campaign generated over 4,000 postcards from Detroit and five counties!

MICHIGAN HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS LEADERSHIP DAY ON HEALTH CARE ?– FEBRUARY 2000.
Under the leadership of Rep. Kwame Kilpatrick and Rep. Rick Johnson, 10 Michigan legislators, most of whom were members of the House Appropriations Committee, met in Detroit to be educated on the state of health care in Detroit and Michgian. The morning session was devoted to the health care systems to give the legislators an overview of the challenges facing healthcare providers. The legislators were bused throughout the community to see firsthand a school-based health center, an NHEC (Neighborhood Health Education Center) and a Detroit emergency room at St. John Detroit Riverview.

The Advocates were invited to join the legislators for lunch at which time they presented the 4,000-plus postcards generated by the Health Crisis Awareness Weekend. Our efforts in concert with the efforts of statewide health care organizations resulted in the House passing a 5% increase to Medicaid. The Senate supported the House recommendation.

PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN ?– 2000
ACHA co-sponsored a rally at Henry Ford Hospital with keynote speaker, Rev. Jessie Jackson, to discuss national and local health care issues and rally Rev. Jackson?’s the ?“Get Out and Vote?” campaign. Ed Larkins, Greater Detroit Area Health Council (GDAHC), represented ACHA on the program and gave a great overview of our issues. We also distributed ?“Health Crisis Awareness Weekend?” postcards.

MAYORAL CAMPAIGNS ?– DETROIT 2001
ACHA developed a Position Statement to educate the mayoral candidates on the community concerns and recommendations. ACHA presented the Position Statement to candiate Kwame Kilpatrick and candidate Gil Hill.