Health Action 2021 Agenda
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Families USA brings together community leaders from across the nation each year to improve the lives of America’s families. Join us for the 26th annual (and first-ever virtual) Health Action Conference: Power. Impact. Now. on January 26-28.
Register Today!
Tuesday, January 26, 2021. POWER.
See Opening Session at 2:30
Break
Engage & Recharge
- How We Win Big – Chat with State Health Advocates Who Did It!
- Take Action for Health Justice
- Yoga for Stress Relief
- Meet Up and Network!
Break
Workshops/Session 1
(Concurrently Held and Recorded)
Justice Journalism – Reporting to Build Power and Fuel Movements
Description: As COVID-19, social unrest, and battles over the Affordable Care Act’s fate raged on, reporters were in the field covering these important issues. Find out what impact they had on health care and what’s ahead for the 2021 reporting landscape.
Speakers:
- Jonathan Cohn, HuffPost
- Hazel Trice Edney, Trice Edney News Wire
Moderator:
- Lisa Holland, Families USA
Unifying Health Care Messages: Bridging the Political Divide
Description: A winning health care campaign requires more than just good policy ideas—we have to be able to build support across stakeholders of all types. Based on innovate new messaging research, this session provides hands on experience to help you talk about any health issue in ways that are broadly appealing.
Speakers:
- Patty Wentz, Wentz Jackson Consulting
Moderator:
- Melissa Burroughs, Families USA
Restoring Lost Ground and Achieving Major Gains on Health Coverage and Enrollment
Description: In 2021, state-level opportunities abound for making insurance more affordable in the individual market, enrolling people into coverage, and protecting consumers from harm. Join this conversation with trailblazing peers and leading national experts as we explore strategies for making a meaningful difference.
Speakers:
- Colin Baillio, New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance
- Harold Ting, Ph.D., FACHE, Consumer Representative
- Karen Pollitz, MPP, Kaiser Family Foundation
- Laura Colbert, MPH, CHES, Georgians for a Healthy Future
- Stephanie Klapper, MSW, Maryland Citizens’ Health Initiative
Moderators:
- Cheryl-Fish Parcham, MSW, Families USA
- Stan Dorn, JD, Families USA
Break
General Session: A View From The Hill: Fired Up To Tackle the 2021 Political Landscape
Description: Whether we’re defending the gains made toward more comprehensive health coverage or leveraging new opportunities to realize a system that treats health as a fundamental civil right, 2021 will be our moment to take stock of the landscape and plan for powerful, collective action. We’ll hear from Members of the 117th Congress about how they see the year unfolding and how advocates can best work together to make meaningful and lasting progress.
Speakers:
- U.S. Representative Katie Porter (D-CA-45)
- U.S. Representative Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14)
Remarks from:
- The Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
- U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Moderator:
- Frederick Isasi, JD, MPH, Families USA
MC:
- Lisa Hunter, MPP, Families USA
Wednesday, January 27, 2021. IMPACT.
Opening Session: What the 2020 Elections Mean for the Health Movement
Description: Our nation’s health is at a crossroads. At a time when the consequences of an unjust health system are more blatant than ever before, so too are the political obstacles to achieving meaningful relief for America’s families. Following remarks from Josh Kraushaar of the National Journal about the implications of the 2020 election results, this session will feature insights from leaders across the health justice movement on how we can come together in new and powerful ways to build a transformative health care movement for 2021 and beyond.
Speakers:
- Marielena Hincapié, National Immigration Law Center
- Alexis McGill Johnson, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
- Josh Kraushaar, National Journal
- Elizabeth Mitchell, Pacific Business Group on Health
Remarks from:
- U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ)
Moderator:
- Frederick Isasi, JD, MPH, Families USA
MC:
- Jen Taylor, MPH, Families USA
Break
Engage & Recharge
- How We Win Big – Chat with State Health Advocates Who Did It!
- Take Action for Health Justice
- Little Advocates Story Time
- Meditation to Beat Burnout
- Meet Up and Network!
Break
Workshops/Session 2
(Concurrently Held and Recorded)
Strategies to Amplify Consumer Voices in Your Health Advocacy
Description: For decades, consumer voices have been at the center of all fights for health and health justice, and 2021 will be no different. In this workshop, learn how to build relationships with your grassroots audiences, identify leading voices, and elevate your advocacy efforts by inserting personal narratives.
Speakers:
- Angela Eilers, Little Lobbyists
- Hortencia Armendariz, SEIU-UHW
- Paul Gibbs, Storyteller and Grassroots Activist
Moderator:
- Adina Marx, Families USA
- Hannah Markus, Families USA
What 2020 Taught Us about Organizing for Health Reform
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has placed health at the forefront of America’s consciousness and demonstrated the intersectionality of our work as health advocates with other social justice movements. Hear from organizers responsible for critical campaign wins in 2020 about what works (and what to avoid) as we look to build winning campaigns on health care issues throughout 2021.
Speakers:
- Bobbette Bond, MPH, Culinary Health Fund
- Hillary Holley, Fair Fight Action
Moderator:
- Citseko Staples Miller, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc.
Advancing Medicaid Policy in an Era of State Budget Crises
Description: In practically every state, tight budgets are shaping the Medicaid policy landscape and we need to adapt our advocacy accordingly. Learn how to defend against these threats and how we might even be able to play offense during the 2021 state legislative sessions. This session will offer expert insights on the specific Medicaid threats caused by state budget shortfalls, followed by facilitated conversations to flesh out tactics.
Speakers:
- Thomas Betlach, MPA, Speire Healthcare Strategies
- Patrick W. Finnerty, MPA, DentaQuest Partnership for Oral Health Advancement
- Molly McCleery, JD, Nebraska Appleseed
- Courtney Bullard, Utah Health Policy Project
- Carly Putnam, Oklahoma Policy Institute
Moderator:
- Melissa Burroughs, Families USA
Break
Networking Breakouts
Connect with peers and colleagues in dedicated breakout rooms.
- Networking Breakout: COVID-19 Pandemic Priorities
- Networking Breakout: Driving Value in the Health Care System During Economic Crises
- Networking Breakout: Pushing for Equity in the Health Care System
- Sub-Breakouts: a) Role of Structural Racism in Health Inequities; b) Medicaid Financing for Equity-Focused Interventions
- Networking Breakout: Advancing Coverage Priorities
Thursday, January 28, 2021. NOW.
Opening Session: Healing the Wounds Revealed by COVID-19: A Roadmap for 2021
Description: The COVID-19 pandemic revealed deep fault lines in American society, laying bare how structural racism fuels health and economic inequities. As policymakers at all levels of government work to address the crisis, they will have opportunities to either exacerbate these disparities or confront them head-on. In recognition of the current moment, with immense loss of life to date, states contemplating harmful budget cuts in response to the fiscal crisis, and policymakers making critical decisions about vaccine distribution, how will the policy decisions we make as a society over the next 12 months influence the trajectory of our nation’s health and economic stability? What is the unique role of health advocates in this moment?
Speakers:
- Mayra E. Alvarez, MHA, The Children’s Partnership
- Bill Bynum, HOPE
- Dr. Kavita Patel, MD, MPH, Brookings Institution
Remarks from:
- U.S. Representative Cori Bush (D-MO-01)
- Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY)
- Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, MD, MHS, Chair, White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force
Moderator:
- Amber Hewitt, Ph.D., Families USA
MC:
- Kimberly Alleyne, MHA, Families USA
Break
Engage & Recharge
- How We Win Big – Chat with State Health Advocates Who Did It!
- Take Action for Health Justice
- Mindfulness Exercise for Racial Justice
- Meet Up and Network!
Break
Workshops/Session 3
(Concurrently Held and Recorded)
Foundation Perspectives about Health Philanthropy in 2021
Description: Join a discussion with senior leaders from national and state foundations about developing trends in health philanthropy, and how foundations are responding to such issues as health equity, COVID-19, and health care quality and value in 2021 and beyond.
Speakers:
- Erica Socker, Ph.D., Arnold Ventures
- Ryan Barker, MSW, MPPA, Missouri Foundation for Health
- June Glover, MPA, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Moderator:
- Ann McMillan, MSW, Grantmakers in Health
Inside View – What’s In Store for Federal Health Policy in 2021? (CLOSED TO THE PRESS)
Description: Attendees will hear from experienced panelists, including current and former senior staff from Capitol Hill and the federal government who have firsthand experience navigating a new Congress and administration.
Speakers:
- Nick Bath, U.S. Senate HELP Committee
- Amy Hall, House Committee on Ways and Means
- Additional Speaker(s) TBD
Moderator:
- Jane Sheehan, Families USA
Becoming Better Partners in the Fight for Racial Justice
Description: The disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Black, Indigenous, Latinx and people of color combined with the murder of George Floyd reenergized a national movement to end systemic racism and achieve racial justice across the nation. Join this workshop to learn about how different communities are organizing to reduce health inequities and end systemic racism for all.
Speakers:
- Cary Sanders, MPP, California Pan-Ethnic Health Network
- Cynthia Garcia, United We Dream
- Aza Nedhari, Mamatoto Village
- Denise Octavia Smith, MBA, CHW, PN, National Association of Community Health Workers
Moderator:
- Amber Hewitt, Ph.D., Families USA
Break
Networking Breakouts (by geographical and political cohorts)
Connect with peers and colleagues in dedicated breakout rooms.
- Red States
- Blue States
- Purple States
- Federal
Closing Plenary and Call to Action
Speakers:
- Elena Hung. JD, Little Lobbyists
- Denise Octavia Smith, MBA, CHW, PN, National Association of Community Health Workers
- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
Closing Remarks:
- Frederick Isasi, JD, MPH, Families USA