The Grassroots Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP) is a six-month education and skills-building program that begins during the NACHC Policy & Issues Forum (P&I) in the Spring and continues through the subsequent fall. It is designed to provide intensive training and hands-on experience in all aspects of Health Center Advocacy.
The administrators, clinicians, board members, and other health center and primary care association staff below have worked tirelessly over the past six months digging into advocacy best practices, networking and brainstorming advocacy ideas with their peers, and working tirelessly to promote and institutionalize advocacy at their organizations and within their communities. We thank and applaud them for their energy and enthusiasm for supporting the Health Center Movement! Congratulations to the ALP Class of 2016!
Alex Cragun
State Legislative Coordinator at the Association for Utah Community Health
Salt Lake City, UT
“I’ve been involved in issue advocacy for nearly a decade and the ALP program provided insight into the Health Center program that I didn’t have. I was able to bounce ideas and strategies off of people from different PCAs and health centers. It was well worth the time and effort!”
Cassidy Heit
Public Policy & Communications Associate
Oklahoma Primary Care Association | Oklahoma City, OK
“Advocacy amplifies the voices of the underserved that community health centers serve every day. I was extremely grateful to participate with so many other concerned advocates and changemakers!”
Heather Blatchley
Clinic Operations Director
Clinica Campesina Family Health | Lafayette, CO
“The Advocacy Leadership Program was a wonderful resource for learning the history of our health centers and the importance of continuing advocacy work. Community Health Centers provide much needed care to an underserved population and this magnifies the need for all of us to be involved in advocacy work. ALP served as a foundation for learning for me and I’m so thankful to have this in my toolbox!”
Kelley Pate
340B Compliance Coordinator
Community Action Committee of Pike County | Piketon, OH
#NotWaitingToBeRelevant
Laura Larson
Director of Advocacy and Fund Development Programs
Metro Community Provider Network | Englewood, CO
“Advocacy is a movement – it’s about sharing stories and engaging people in meaningful causes and programs. Sharing the story of the work Community Health Centers do in the community allows us the ability to provide a voice to our patients, the ones who so often feel like they are unheard. The story you tell can have a ripple effect on others and create changes in ways you’d never expect!”
Marjorie Noleen
VP of Communication
Peak Vista Community Health Centers | Colorado Springs, CO
“NACHC’s Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP) provided valuable information on planning, executing and reporting results; key aspects to a having successful legislative impact on our communities. Additionally the follow-up ALP meetings, best-practices from peer health centers and PCAs, and the final report provided multiple opportunities to keep advocacy in focus, particularly when faced with competing priorities associated with delivering care to people in need. Thank you!”
Martha Farlow
Policy and Legislative Coordinator
Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers | Boston, MA
“Health centers have been so successful in large part because of the incredible advocacy work of our patients, boards, and staff. It’s critical for our emerging leaders in this movement to learn how to harness and organize that strength, and how to use it for the benefit of our CHCs and communities as we face new challenges.”
Mary-Michal Rawling
Director of Governmental Affairs
Golden Valley Health Centers | Merced, CA
“Advocacy is critical to the work that community health centers do every day. I love fighting for our patients and the services we provide to them!”
Michelle Keller
VP – Patient Services
Swope Health Services | Kansas City, MO
“Participating in NACHC’s Advocacy Leadership Program was a game-changer for me. I no longer have a fear of working on legislative issues or reaching out to my elected officials. The ALP gave me the confidence I needed to begin advocating on behalf of my health center and the thousands of patients we serve. Being able to give voice to their concerns and our mission is truly a privilege, and I’m thankful I now have the skills to do that more effectively.”
Richard Napolitano
Senior Vice President
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center | Lawrence, MA
“Strong, consistent Grassroots Advocacy is vital for the future of Community Health Centers. There isn’t a better way to spread the good word of creating and expanding Access to quality healthcare than through each of our health center networks – staff, clinicians, patients, and the community can all play a role. The Advocacy Leadership Program offered by NACHC is a first-rate program that served as the perfect primer and motivation for me and my team to ramp up our advocacy efforts at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center.”
Tina Sopiwnik
Advocacy Director
NorthLakes Community Clinic | Iron River, WI
“I had a great experience with the ALP. It was fantastic to collaborate with other health centers and get the opportunity to dig a little deeper into advocacy issues and activities around the country. From the policy and issues forum on Capitol Hill to the patients I see on a daily basis, I feel gratitude for the work we all do at community health centers and will continue to advocate with honor and respect to change outcomes for our patients facing health disparities. Thank you for your support! It’s been a great year!”
Andrew Ward
Media & Public Policy Manager
Odyssey House Louisiana | New Orleans, LA
Doug Jaeger
Chief Executive Officer
Open Door Health Center | Mankato, MN
Janice Morrill
Outreach and Enrollment Coordinator
Maine Migrant Health Program | Augusta, ME
Kelsey Clough
Education & Communication Coordinator
West Virginia Primary Care Association | Charleston, WV
Rachel Hartford
Community Relations Director
Heartland Community Health Center | Lawrence, KS
Thomas Drake
Executive Director
Christ Community Health Services | Augusta, GA
