Last Friday, Dan Hawkins and the NACHC federal policy team provided a comprehensive update on where health reform stands in Congress and at the White House – and, most importantly, where health centers fit in. Participants in the free Tele-Town Hall were able to ask questions and provide instant, expert feedback. To hear this important call in its entirety, visit the NACHC website. More on reform:
• Harkin to Take Over HELP (Health Centers on the Hill)
• Meet the Moderates (Health Centers on the Hill)
 

“We in the health center family applaud our President for his remarkable address to the Congress, and his stirring call to action on one of the most pressing domestic policy issues of our time – the need to fundamentally reform our health care system so that it works for everyone, and not just for some.” – NACHC President and CEO Tom Van Coverden
• Eyewitness to History at the President’s Address (Health Center News and Happenings)
 

“The data show that the ranks of the uninsured grew to 46.3 million in 2008. Real median household income fell 3.6 percent – the first drop since 2004 – and the poverty rate rose nearly a full point. NACHC said the figures point to the urgent need for health reform and reflect a continuing need for the services health centers provide.” – NACHC media release

Participate in the 4th Annual A.T. Still University-NACHC Campus Recruitment Fair for the Arizona School of Dentistry and Oral Health and School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, October 7, 2009. The event is free and limited to community health employers, and more than 175 dental students/alums and medical school Class of 2013 (108 students) are invited. Click here for the registration packet; register by September 30. If you have questions, please contact Beth Poppre at 480/219-6028.

“Pacific Business News ran an op-ed by Beth Giesting — CEO of the Hawaii Primary Care Association — under the headline “Health-care reform needs business support.” Some of the piece is available from the PBN website.” – Beau Boughamer, Health Center News and Happenings
• Sen. Kennedy: Massachusetts Health Center CEO on the Kennedy Legacy
• CO, VA news
 

Friday’s NACHC Tele-Town Hall and the issues it raised are topics for discussion; share your thoughts at www.facebook.com/nachc

@jpatnosh: Community HealthCorps blog posting: Remembering September 11 and Looking Ahead http://is.gd/39Ewv #americorps #fqhc

“[L]arge-heartedness… [is] part of the American character – our ability to stand in other people's shoes; a recognition that we are all in this together, and when fortune turns against one of us, others are there to lend a helping hand; a belief that in this country, hard work and responsibility should be rewarded by some measure of security and fair play; and an acknowledgment that sometimes government has to step in to help deliver on that promise.” – President Obama during his Address to a Joint Session of Congress