DIALOGUE4HEALTH

• A presentation by special guest Daren Garshelis (Alliance for Justice) on what does (and what doesn't) constitute lobbying including guidance on effectively educating elected officials;
  
• A discussion of the latest national developments from Capitol Hill and Washington DC pertaining to the Super Committee and deficit reduction efforts; and
  
• Updates on collaborative efforts among partner organizations in support of the Prevention and Public Health Fund given recently proposed cuts.

PRESENTERS

Daren Garshelis, JD
Counsel
Alliance for Justice
Oakland, CA

Daren Garshelis is Counsel in the Alliance for Justice West Coast office. He works on AFJ’s Nonprofit Advocacy Project, assisting nonprofit organizations in expanding their capacity to influence public policy. He leads workshops and offers individualized consultations in English and Spanish regarding legal rules surrounding nonprofit advocacy activities to nonprofit organizations supporting numerous progressive causes. (www.afj.org)

Emily J. Holubowich, MPP
Senior Vice President
Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, LLC
Washington, DC

As a senior member of the CRD government relations and strategic consulting team, Emily helps her clients promote and protect their interests in the nation's capital. In this capacity she serves as Executive Director of the Coalition for Health Funding, representing more than 70 national organizations that support a strong and sustained investment in public health programs. (www.dc-crd.com)




Sue Polis
Program Director
Trust for America’s Health
Washington, DC

Sue Pechilio Polis is responsible for the development and management of TFAH’s advocacy outreach program in support of the organization’s public policy efforts. Prior to joining TFAH, Ms. Polis worked at AARP on health and financial security-related advocacy, outreach, campaign planning and implementation efforts most recently on the Initiative on the Future of Nursing: Campaign for Action in coordination with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Prior to joining AARP, Ms. Polis was the first National Director of Grassroots Advocacy for the American Heart Association. (healthyamericans.org)

Lucy Melcher, MPP
Government Relations Manager
American Public Health Association
Washington, DC

Lucy Melcher is the Government Relations Manager at the American Public Health Association (APHA) where she works to advance the organization’s public health priorities at the federal level. She also works on APHA’s grassroots advocacy program, developing resources and tools for public health advocates across the country. Prior to joining APHA, Lucy worked on health care and education issues for Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR). She has also worked in the communications department at NARAL Pro-Choice America and on various political campaigns, including as a participant in the EMILY’s List Campaign Corps program. Lucy holds a Masters of Public Policy from Duke University and a Bachelors of Arts in political science from American University. (www.apha.org)


MODERATORS

Matthew Marsom
Director of Public Policy
Public Health Institute
Oakland, CA

Matthew Marsom is the Director of Public Health Policy and Advocacy for the Public Health Institute (PHI). The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. Mr. Marsom is responsible for designing and implementing PHI strategy for monitoring and influencing public policy, legislation and regulations affecting PHI projects and public health policy relevant to PHI interests. (www.phi.org)

Sana Chehimi
Program Manager
Prevention Institute
Oakland, CA

Sana Chehimi oversees projects related to healthy eating and active living, health reform implementation and communications. Her work focuses on developing tools and strategies to promote healthier, more equitable environments. Sana co-edited Prevention Is Primary: Strategies for Community Wellbeing, one of the first academic texts on primary prevention; the Second Edition was published in August 2010. (www.preventioninstitute.org)

PRESENTATIONS

The following documents are PDF versions of the speakers’ presentations and are intended to be used for reference only.

Educating Elected Officials: Effective Strategies for Prevention and Public Health	Garshelis/Alliance for Justice	Holubowich/Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Associates, LLC
Polis/Trust for America’s Health	Melcher/American Public Health Association

RESOURCES

The following documents provide important background information that can enhance the Web Forum experience.

• Q&A Session for Educating Elected Officials: Effective Strategies for Prevention and Public Health
  October 2011
• What is Lobbying? Alliance for Justice
• Making the Case for Community Prevention Through Media Advocacy Prevention Institute
• Protecting the Prevention and Public Health Fund Trust for America’s Health’s
• Annual Meeting Hill Visits American Public Health Association

If you have additional questions about nonprofit advocacy, please feel free to contact Alliance for Justice.

If your 501(c)(3) organization would like to make the one-time 501(h) election, your organization needs to complete and submit IRS Form 5768.

• Protecting Prevention in the Affordable Care Act: Sharing the Evidence, Putting Leadership and Resources into Action
  Wednesday, July 27, 2011
• Putting the "Transformation" in Community Transformation Grants: Building Momentum for Equity and Prevention
  Monday, June 6, 2011
  
• A Time for Action: Taking a Stand for Prevention and Protecting the Affordable Care Act
  Thursday, March 10, 2011
  
• Health Reform IS Working: A Discussion on Next Steps for Community Prevention
  Monday, December 20, 2010
• Investing in Community Prevention: A Dialogue with Federal Leadership on the Community Transformation Grants and the National Prevention Strategy
  Thursday, November 4, 2010
• Draft Framework The National Prevention and Health Promotion Strategy (National Prevention Strategy), September 15, 2010
• Taking Action for Community Prevention: Protecting the Prevention and Public Health Fund
  Wednesday, September 8, 2010
• Implementing the Affordable Care Act: Principles of Prevention
  Friday, June 25, 2010
  
• Not in Sickness; in Health: How Health Reform could Start a Real Revolution by Larry Cohen
  The Huffington Post, June 18, 2010
• THE FINAL PUSH: Taking Action to Support Community Prevention and Equity in Health Reform
  Thursday, December 10, 2009

WEBSITES

For more resources on community prevention in health reform, and to take action on this issue, go to:

Annual Meeting Hill Visits :: American Public Health Association
APHA Midyear Meeting
Transportation Issues from the Public Health Perspective :: American Public Health Association
Food Environment Atlas
PolicyLink
Health Reform Rapid Response Network :: Prevention Institute
Promise Neighborhoods Institute
United States Department of Agriculture
Choice Neighborhoods :: US Department of Housing and Urban Development
D4H Community
PI Health Reform
TFAH Health Reform
HealthCare.gov
Public Health ACTion (PHACT) Campaign :: American Public Health Association

For regular updates on the status of community prevention in health reform, sign up for Trust for America's Health's, Wellness and Prevention Health Reform Digest. Contact Richard Hamburg at rhamburg@TFAH.org to sign up.

SUPPORT

The organizations listed below have come together to sponsor this important effort:

PolicyLink	Trust for America's Health
Prevention Institute	Public Health Institute