"Give me a lever and a place to stand, and I can move the Earth."The Archimedes Movement is a space for civic engagement outside of traditional legislative and governance structures so that we can work on solutions to the common problems we face. We've started with the crisis in the U.S. health care system, because the economic pressures that it places on individuals, government and businesses is not sustainable. We must change the focus of the debate to include the true causes of the health care crisis, the need to have a shared vision, and then discuss the tradeoffs of how we will get there. Only grassroots demand will result in fundamental change.
– attributed to the Greek mathematician Archimedes
Reframing the Health Care Debate
The Archimedes Movement bridges health policy discussions and grassroots activism. Trying to understand the complexities of the US health care system while searching for a way to make a difference can feel daunting.
While the primary debate about health reform at the state and national level is about finding money to pay for insurance, in order to create sustainable, fundamental change – transformational change – we must ask the right question in order to achieve our objective. The real question is “what do we need in order to improve the health of Oregonians, of Americans?” Then, traditional health care and medical services become part of a much broader discussion that includes public health, education, prevention, and chronic disease management.
Our goal is to optimize health. It's important to provide the best care when people are sick; but to solve the health care crisis we must also invest in strategies to keep people well.
What we do
The Archimedes Movement is building grassroots momentum for change. We bring diverse people together for community lectures, leadership training and dialogue about strategies to reform the health system. We look for and foster local leaders who can in turn talk to others about the need for fundamental, economically sustainable change. But it's not all about talk. As our membership grows we increase the impact we’ll have when we mobilize members to take action on local, state and national reform initiatives. And we identify like-minded organizational partners to work with us along the way.
Since 2006, we've led over 100 community meetings, forums and workshops, expanding the skills of local community leaders to talk about complex issue in ways that resonate with everyday people. More than 35,000 unique visitors have visited the website since January 2008, and our email subscriber list includes followers from almost every state.
What sets us apart
We recognize the opportunity that occurs when we bring diverse groups together around a common goal, knowing that everyone is impacted by our inability to solve the health care crisis. By reframing the debate, we move beyond the narrow politics of short-term self-interest. We engage local activists and state and national leaders in health policy discussions from a point of knowledge and advocacy.
We recognize that reform will only be successful if the best thinkers are involved and if the public understands the tradeoffs that are at stake. In order for us to break free of the forces that keep America stuck to the status quo, we must have the kind of broad non-partisan support that the Archimedes Movement can grow. We are building a movement, not a campaign.
Making a difference
There are many campaigns today advocating for simple answers to the complex problems of the US health care system. Our economy and future generations of Americans are depending on us to break the barriers that lock us to the status quo. We must increase the number of Americans who understand the problem within today’s system and how our unwillingness to address it impacts our ability to tackle other pressing issues. We’re looking for others who are willing to engage in creating the solution.
Each day more Americans are at risk of losing their access to health care. This challenge requires an American solution that invests in our health and guarantees all families affordable, quality health care. The Archimedes Movement is creating the momentum for this fundamental change.
Find out how you can get involved.
Read more about John Kitzhaber in his bio.
WeCanDoBetter.org is a project of the Archimedes Movement, which operates within The Foundation for Medical Excellence, a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization.
