90 likes | 218 Views
Taking Action to Support Community Prevention and Equity in Health Reform: Advocacy Actions. Larry Cohen Leslie Mikkelsen. www.preventioninstitute.org. Overarching Strategy. Reach out to your congressional representatives Generate constant presence in the media Spread the word.
E N D
Taking Action to Support Community Prevention and Equity in Health Reform: Advocacy Actions Larry CohenLeslie Mikkelsen www.preventioninstitute.org
Overarching Strategy • Reach out to your congressional representatives • Generate constant presence in the media • Spread the word
Key Outcomes • Reach 1/2 of all congressional representatives and 2/3 of critical congressional representatives • Serve as sources of information for leaders • Media barrage: traditional and new media • Engage all sectors in advocating for prevention
Americans Support Prevention • 65% of Democrats and 62% of Republicans agree that a lot more emphasis should be placed on prevention. (July 2009, Lake Research Partners and Public Opinion Strategies)
Return on Investment with Prevention Savings at 5 years $16 Billion Annual Savings In 5 Years $5.60 Return on Investment $1 Investment SOURCE: Prevention for A Healthy America: Investments in Disease Prevention Yield Significant Savings, Stronger Communities, Trust for America’s Health, July 2008
Media Talking Points • Preventive medicine is clearly important, but the most effective prevention happens outside a doctor’s office. It saves lives and it saves money. • Healthy people live in healthy communities. • Our leaders have a duty to be sure prevention is part of health reform. • Community prevention works and must be included in health reform.
Letter to the Editor “This may be America’s chance to create a health system that truly protects and promotes our health.”
Letter to the Editor “Community prevention…works by preventing disease before it occurs, keeping people out of the doctor’s office in the first place.”
Build a Movement Photo Courtesy of http://www.historycooperative.org/journals/jah/91.4/images/hall_fig01b.jpg