2009 Local Public Policy Priorities   Hospital Council works together with the California Hospital Association to carry out the essential components of state and federal representation and advocacy.   n      Achieving the public policy goals set out in this plan will require successful execution of essential operational components of representation and advocacy. These components include: professional advocacy; grassroots advocacy; public policy development, issue management and legal analysis and representation; public advocacy program; media relations and public affairs; political action; the capacity to support and oppose ballot propositions; annual membership events in Sacramento and Washington, D.C.; district-level legislative programs; effective coordination and management by the associations of committees, centers and governing boards; as well as the complex challenges of building and maintaining consensus and managing differences.   n      Successful execution of these operational components requires close cooperation and coordination among CHA and Hospital Council.  Acting collectively with the Executive Management Group (EMG), the chief executive officers of the four associations meet frequently to assure successful performance of the operational components of state and federal advocacy. The EMG members collectively and individually are accountable for the success of the operational components for which the associations are mutually responsible.   Successful representation and advocacy depend on:   n      Professional Advocacy: Hospital Council provides hospital representation at the regional, county and city level.  CHA provides, through association staff and by contract, for all professional lobbying at the state and federal government levels.   n      Grassroots Political Advocacy: Grassroots advocacy is critical to success. Hospital Council and CHA share the responsibility of committing to continued efforts to develop and maintain an influential and responsive grassroots advocacy network. CHA prioritizes contacts with state and federal officials for whom advocacy is most needed. In coordination with CHA, Hospital Council cultivates advocacy contacts, maintains ready access to advocacy contacts for high-priority legislators and activates those contacts as needed. CHA issues alerts after communicating the substance of each alert to the Regional Associations in advance of distributing the alerts and issues status and outcome reports. When needed, Hospital Council follows up on alerts, encourages responses, and provides CHA with feedback from alert respondents and others.   CHA provides Internet-based support for grassroots advocacy that includes access to advocacy alerts and supporting materials, policy papers, law and regulatory advisories, advocacy updates and other information on state and federal issues. Hospital Council provides appropriate links to CHA’s web site for alerts, legislative and regulatory information, and CHPAC.   n      Public Policy, Issue Management and Legal Analysis/Representation: Within the policy-making structures described in this plan, CHA is responsible for adopting association policy and executing issue management on issues at the state and federal levels. The Hospital Council is responsible for managing local issues. CHA and Hospital Council coordinate closely on issue management, and the Hospital Council is an integral participant in the state and federal policy development process, providing expertise on selected issues, input and feedback, as well as managing issues at the regional and local levels. As needed, CHA provides legal analysis, support and representation on state and federal public policy issues and legislative and regulatory actions; analyzes proposed legislation, regulations and ballot propositions and the effects of newly enacted laws and regulations; and advises members about newly enacted laws and regulations.   n      Public Advocacy Program: Public advocacy has become an essential component of the association’s representation and advocacy. CHA manages the statewide public advocacy program, consulting and assisting with the execution at the local levels. The Hospital Council conducts local public advocacy programs, coordinating their efforts with CHA.   Continue active collaboration with CHA in a statewide public advocacy campaign that accurately portrays to the public the policy issues affecting hospitals, including challenges facing emergency departments, the impact of the uninsured, workforce shortages, under-funded government healthcare programs and seismic compliance costs. Develop work plans for each section and regional vice president to expand community and governmental outreach conducted with hospital CEOs, staff and volunteers; public information officers and government relations staff, and third party spokespersons (The Public Advocacy “Network”). By Hospital Council section and in concert with hospital leadership, make personal contact with incoming legislators to communicate hospital challenges and community value using global messages developed by CHA and local hospital impact information. Successfully obtain earned media coverage and third party advocacy on behalf of hospitals. Coordinate with Political Advocacy and Leading for Health activities. n      Media Relations/Public Affairs: CHA manages media relations and public affairs services for statewide and federal issues. Hospital Council coordinates closely on media relations and public affairs with CHA.  Additionally, CHA provides strategic communications counsel. The Hospital Council manages local media relationships, issues and communications including press releases, media statements, talking points and background materials.   n      Political Action: Hospital Council and CHA work together to promote interest in political action, energize fundraising efforts and increase recognition of the importance of participating in political action. In consultation with CHA and the CHPAC board, Hospital Council develops an association-specific annual CHPAC fundraising goal and executes a fundraising campaign to achieve its annual goal.   n      Ballot Propositions: The capability to sponsor and oppose ballot propositions is critical to protecting the interests of California hospitals. During the period of this plan, CHA may develop, within the framework of a coalition of interested organizations, a proposal to expand health coverage to the maximum feasible number of Californians. CHA also will sponsor, support and/or oppose other propositions as needed to advance or defend the interests of association members as authorized by the CHA Board of Trustees. Hospital Council promotes and supports CHA’s positions, fundraising efforts and activities on ballot propositions and notifies CHA of local ballot measures that have statewide significance. CHA administers the California Hospitals Committee on Issues (CHCI) and other entities that may be needed to manage funds to enact or defeat ballot propositions.   n      Health Policy Legislative Day: Health Policy Legislative Day is held annually in Sacramento. CHA and the Regional Associations plan and implement the event.   n      California Congressional Action Program: The California Congressional Action Program is held each year in conjunction with the American Hospital Association. CHA plans and coordinates the event with the Regional Associations.   n      Legislative Liaison Programs: CHA assists the Regional Associations in determining key legislative and congressional leadership, policy and fiscal committee members with whom it is most important to develop and maintain relationships.  CHA briefs Regional Association regional vice presidents prior to meetings with state legislators, congressional representatives and their staffs. At least annually, CHA provides each Regional Association a list of “key legislators” identified as the highest priority for annual hospital visits. Hospital Council organizes and conducts, in coordination with CHA, meetings between selected state legislators/congressional representatives and association members from the legislators’ districts.  Meetings with key leadership, policy and fiscal committee members are top priority.   n      Committees and Boards: CHA and the Regional Associations jointly are accountable for staffing and supporting statewide joint committees and related regional committees, if any; developing nominations for statewide joint committee chairs and members; and coordinating, to the extent feasible, the scheduling of Regional Association committee meetings and section/area meetings, joint statewide committee meetings, and CHA and Regional Association board meetings.   n      Building and Maintaining Consensus and Managing Differences: Building and maintaining consensus to the greatest extent possible on strategic issues among association members and effectively managing differences, as well as leveraging alliances and managing differences with other associations and key participants in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., are more complex and critical than ever. Operational structures and activities to accomplish these goals include: the CHA and Hospital Council governing boards; active engagement in policy management by the CEO; regular and frequent coordination by EMG; weekly conference calls, including constituency groups and health care systems represented in Sacramento, and weekly conference calls, including CHA issue managers, lobbyists and Regional Association vice presidents.

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