Advocacy
Raising the Voice of Community Health Centers and the Underserved.
PACHC’s advocacy at the state and federal level is one of our core functions for our members and the patients they serve. Healthcare advocacy strives to ensure the availability of primary medical care, behavioral health care, dental care, women’s health, vision, pediatrics and other healthcare services to everyone because everyone deserves health care.
Advocacy includes taking action, getting involved, participating and committing to opportunities to share what health centers do for their patients every day. Elected officials and policy makers depend on advocates to educate them on issues that are critical for their constituents but that they are unfamiliar with until YOU help them understand. Health centers and their patients need you to advocate for them.
Advocacy is critical to ensure the continued funding and public support for community health centers. Engaging your staff, board, and community members in advocacy efforts is imperative to strengthen the future of your community health center, and others around the country.
PACHC’s advocacy information is intended to help all health center staff, board and community supporters be better informed and ACT! If you are interested in becoming more engaged and helping PACHC’s advocacy process, please contact Eric Kiehl to learn more about our Legislative, Regulatory and Policy Committee and grassroots advocate opportunities.
PACHC, in partnership with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), supports and advances the Community of Community Health Centers on a national level and address the needs of the patients and communities served by health centers. NACHC hosted HCAdvocacy.org provides access to best practices to establish advocacy infrastructure, training, information, tools, guidance and general advocacy support.
2022 Federal Policy Papers
Additional Federal Policy Briefs
- Policy Brief: Funding and Policies Critical to Community Health Center Services: Four Legs of a Stool
- Policy Brief: Health Centers’ Workforce: The Backbone of Our Country’s Healthcare
- America’s Health Centers Fact Sheet
- Health Center Economic Impact Fact Sheet
- State Level Fact Sheets and Maps
- Health Centers and Medicaid Fact Sheet
Contact Your Member of Congress
Make your voice heard by taking PACHC advocacy efforts to your state and national representatives and keep informed about national advocacy efforts:
Get Involved!
Please take a moment to join NACHC’s grassroots advocacy team to engage on federal issues by signing up at hcadvocacy.org
PACHC supports and advances the Community of Community Health Centers on a statewide level and address the needs of the patients and communities served by health centers.
2022 State Policy Papers
Make Your Voice Count
Make your voice count and use this page as a toolbox:
Contact Your Member of the Pennsylvania Legislature
Make your voice heard by taking PACHC advocacy efforts to your state and national representatives and keep informed about national advocacy efforts:
Want to foster a culture of advocacy at your health center but not sure where to start? Are you interested in accessing tools and resources to help you spread the word about health centers and the amazing work they do in communities across the country? Check out the Health Center Advocacy Network’s Advocacy 101 Toolkit.
- Building Advocacy– Understand the steps to create and engage a passionate, dedicated advocacy team at your health center.
- Plan Ahead– Advocacy shouldn’t always be reactive. Set a calendar so you can be prepared for the year!
- Advocacy Legal Do’s and Don’ts – Learn what your health center can do to advocate and where the legal lines are drawn.
- Get Informed – Get up to speed with the latest information and statistics regarding Community Health Centers.
- Working With Elected Officials – Learn how to reach out and foster a relationship with your health center’s elected officials.
- Spread the Word about health centers! Use HC Advocacy fliers, signup sheets and social media tools to build support for health centers.
- Create videos of your own:
- Sample Advocacy Video Scripts:
- Post on Social Media:
- Create videos of your own:
- Write an Op-Ed or Letter to the Editor:
This toolkit and its accompanying resources are meant to serve as a guide for you to create a successful advocacy program for your health center. All successful advocacy programs are tailored to fit their organizational and community culture – take these resources and adapt them to fit your community’s unique needs!
The Mission of the PACHC Policy Committee is: To advance PACHC’s legislative and policy agenda with public officials at both the national and state level.
The Objectives of the PACHC Policy Committee is to:
- Monitor legislation and regulatory policy of importance to health centers at both the national and state levels and its impact on health centers
- Participate in and encourage grassroots advocacy activities by PACHC members, their staff, and patients
- Recommend legislation and policy priorities that would benefit health centers in Pennsylvania
- Guide PACHC in improving membership participation in PACHC and NACHC sponsored advocacy activities
- Provide guidance to PACHC on advocacy strategy and priorities.
