Insights^

With things opening up soon, staff and members of Congress whom we talk to anticipate virtual meetings will continue.  This is because virtual meetings allow more efficient use of time for the members and staff, as well as the potential for greater participation from constituents and advocates who can’t travel to DC.  While not great for relationship building, virtual advocacy can be productive and definitely worth the time and effort.

Here are some tips —-

• Platform choice goes to the member of Congress or staff.  Unlike most other professional settings, Hill still prefers telephone so don’t be surprised.  While more and more offices on Capitol Hill have adopted videoconferencing as their go-to platform for meetings, some individual staffers prefer phone calls.  Whatever the case, let the congressional staffer decide the best way to conduct a virtual meeting.
• Send materials ahead of time.  3-4 page powerpoints are great.  You can email other advocacy papers too as attachments, but don’t except the people you’re meeting with to read it all ahead of time.
• Use visual aids.  Don’t simply email a congressional staffer the handouts you’d otherwise share during an in-person meeting.  If you’re using a videoconferencing platform to conduct a meeting, there are more opportunities to convey your message, whether it be through images, a PowerPoint presentation, or videos.
• Location, location, location.   With a virtual meeting, you have the chance to bring a legislator or a staffer into your world.  Consider broadcasting your virtual meeting from a safe location that helps to tell your story or convey your message.  For example, if you’re a health care provider, consider participating in a virtual meeting from your workplace, whether it be a hospital or another medical setting.
• Plan ahead and select a “meeting captain.”  Plan ahead what to say – it will make the virtual visit go smoother.  Create a few simple talking points, 3-4 messages you can make sure get across in your conversation.  If your virtual meeting contains multiple advocates, give each individual specific messages or issues to discuss so that everyone’s voice is heard.  If your meeting contains more than three advocates, consider designating someone as a “meeting captain” to introduce all participants and steer the overall conversation.
• Check your tech!  Familiarize yourself with Zoom and whichever other platforms you may be using to ensure that your message isn’t held back by any technical difficulties.  Make sure all links work appropriately and your devices handle whichever virtual meeting platforms you may be using.   If you supplied the dial-in number, check to see if you sent the correct passcode.

Even when the pandemic subsides, virtual meetings are likely to continue to play a role in advocacy.  Advocates who would otherwise be unable to travel to a legislator’s office due to geography or scheduling conflicts can make a difference by connecting virtually.  In time, virtual meetings may complement in-person meetings and serve to strengthen an overall advocacy message.

The COVID-19 pandemic represents an “unmitigated attack” on providers and first responders, which has left workers “fatigued emotionally and physically” according to public health experts at a March 9 hearing of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on the COVID-19 response.

The nation’s public health system had been “hollowed out over the past 10 years” said Ashish Jha (Brown University) due to years of underinvestment and chronic personnel shortages.

As a result, the challenges facing front-line health care workers according to Mary Ann Fuchs (Duke University) include a lack of access to personal protective equipment, confusion over changing policies, and exhaustion from surge staffing.  Fuchs also described the growing toll on health care workers’ emotional well-being due to fears of exposing family members to the virus and the trauma of constantly treating critically ill patients.  Washington State Secretary of Health Umair Shah similarly observed “compassion fatigue” among behavioral health providers as they face their own mental health pressures, and he noted outdated information technology systems such as faxes have complicated workers’ response efforts.  The result of these pressures, explained Fuchs, is the exacerbation of high rates of depression, burnout, addiction, and suicide among providers that existed before COVID-19.  As a consequence, Fuchs said the pandemic threatens to increase already-high turnover rates among health care workers.

To tackle stressors on the health workforce, the panelists recommended:

• greater access to behavioral health resources that provide assessment and short-term counseling for providers
• more support of workplace violence initiatives
• new ways for paying primary care physicians
• focus on diversity and equity to ensure workers represent the communities they serve
• expansion of the public health workforce to include specialists and paraprofessionals

The panel underscored that rebuilding the nation’s public health system is essential to prepare for the next pandemic.  As described by Jha, economic development, climate change, and globalization are thrusting the world into a new “age of pandemics,” which underscores the need to continue to invest in the public health workforce even after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends.

Harry Truman famously said that if you want a friend in Washington, then you should get a dog.  That said, if you want to know what’s going on in Washington, then here’s your blog.

Welcome to the blog series by Chamber Hill Strategies called “That Said.”  Our blog focuses on what we do best –

• telling you the latest about health care policymaking in DC
• giving you insights into what’s happening and why it matters, and
• sharing with you our proven methods to make you more effective advocates.

We opened our firm 10 years ago, right after the Affordable Care Act was signed into law.  Since then, we’ve had 3 Presidents, 5 confirmed HHS Secretaries, 6 congressional sessions, and divided and unified party power along the way.  All throughout, Chamber Hill Strategies has kept our clients up-to-speed and ahead-of-the-curve.

A lot has changed in 10 years, but the need for information, insight, and practical and actionable advice hasn’t.

So welcome to “That Said” by Chamber Hill Strategies.  We may not be able to find you a dog, but we are pretty sure you’ll find a blog worth reading.