Communication

Communication improvements were a significant factor in MHA’s improved legislative program. Suggestions given during the legislative survey were put to action, which led to new communication offerings.

During the session, morning briefings were sent to hospital advocates, key executives and CEOs to outline the legislative schedule for the day.  Evening progress reports were also sent.

A conference call was scheduled every Friday to provide a recap of weekly events and a chance for members to ask questions. Membership alerts, bulletins and talking points were also sent to support communication efforts on key legislative and policy issues. 

Daily legislative updates were also available through MHA's Legislative Liaison, our legislative news site, during the session. Updates were also posted in MHA News Now and MHA's Executive Briefing e-newsletters. Members were able to track online the current status of bills MHA was following, as the site was updated regularly during the session.

The last component of the advocacy communication plan was grassroots advocacy. MHA had over 4,000 hospital employees signed up to receive electronic alerts on important action issues. Many hospitals used the alerts to engage their staff and community networks beyond the reach of the MHA grassroots network.

Hospital employees were also able to use the Grassroots Action Center to find their legislators and research their involvement in health care issues. MHA's ability to generate immediate and statewide response on important legislative issues is a tremendous asset to our advocacy program.