In this Issue:
- Executive Director’s Update
- Oregon House Joint Resolution 100
- The Oregon Health Policy Board
- Will you share your health care story?
- Join the Archimedes Movement Community Leadership Council
- SOLV Beach Clean-Up (…and Photo Contest)
Executive Director’s Update:
Liz Baxter
The Political Landscape
As we near the end of February, many are wondering what is wrong with health reform at the federal level. Even as our President makes an effort to bring bipartisanship to health reform, people from all walks of life and every political party are frustrated with the inability of Congress to have a debate on the merits of elements in the reform bills passed by either the House or the Senate. It has brought back memories of the early days of the Archimedes Movement and why this notion of grassroots engagement – agreement on a set of principles and holding to those when things get tough – felt so important. One colleague stopped me a few weeks ago and whispered in my ear, “It looks like we’re back to a discussion of principles.” Congress didn’t agree on a set of principles to drive reform; therefore, they don’t have a way of knowing what fits and what doesn’t except to use a political yardstick. And one thing is clear – using that yardstick, everyday Americans just don’t measure up.
Liz Baxter visits Willamette View Manor
Here’s how a set of principles could work: if you come to the agreement that at the end of the process you want a system that is affordable – to individuals and to businesses, that is accountable to the public for the trillions of dollars spent, that should provide incentives to improve health, that simplifies administrative bureaucracy, that is equitable and allows everyone a way to get the care they need, when they need it, without fear of losing their home, job or life, then each time someone asks a congressman to change an element of the bill, he or she could ask how it measures up against those principles. If the change doesn’t measure up, you work on it until you have a framework that does. There is power in agreement on principles.
It also allows for some creativity upon implementation. I know there are many who want a single system that is nationwide, but part of what we know is that health and health car is local, that it will look different in La Grande than it does in Portland; that it will look different in Kentucky than it does in Florida. If we agree on the framework that would drive the design, it leaves room for innovation and creativity. But we must have agreement on what the system would achieve – what its goals are – and that brings us to the Triple Aim. In 2008 the newly formed Archimedes Movement Community Leadership Council agreed to endorse the Triple Aim, based on work at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement: improved health of a defined population; reduced per capita cost; and a better patient experience. Imagine how a set of principles – a framework – and agreement on the objectives – like the triple aim – could have changed the debate in Congress. But we don’t ever talk about what we want to achieve, instead focusing on only on the steps along the way to a place we haven’t agreed we’re going. I’m ready for a change in how Congress operates and whose voices they listen to.
We have some challenging problems ahead here in Oregon, too. We are not a rich state and when the economy is struggling things are hard all over. Even after a hard fought ballot measure campaign, which has left some strained relationships in its wake, we are not ready to tackle the underlying issues of how we raise revenue and how we pay for public services. This issue did not go away after the ballot measures passed. Yet, when the governor asked that the legislature to examine the rainy day fund and kicker reform, the legislature wouldn’t, perhaps feeling it wasn’t the right time. Oregonians know that times are hard, and if our leaders are willing to be honest with us, we are ready to roll up our sleeves and help come up with creative solutions. We’ve heard this at every community meeting over the past 4 years.
We started with listening to you, allowing you to shape the words and structure of the principles and framework. We’re talking about doing that again in 2010. More news to come on that next month. More than ever, your voice is needed.
Oregon House Joint Resolution 100
Last year we did a video interview with Representative Mitch Greenlick about his introduction of a bill that would have the voters decide on a constitutional amendment that would change the Oregon Constitution to include a right to health care. It was the third session that Rep. Greenlick had introduced the measure, and it did not pass. He introduced it again during this short, one month session in February. It needed 31 votes to pass the House and it got 30 votes.
During an economic downturn, as Oregon is still experiencing, the Legislators may have felt that Oregon cannot become responsible for the care of Oregonians, even those who cannot provide for care themselves. Yet, passage of the bill, HJR 100, would have really had no effect other than referring it to the voters, which would have fostered a robust dialogue about this issue over the next 9 months, which is also the time during which the Oregon Health Policy Board is putting together its recommendations for legislation in 2011 Legislative Session.
Oregon is not immune to pressure from vested stakeholders and partisan politics, but we have passed health reform legislation that is intended to lead us to quality affordable health care for all Oregonians by 2015. If we want this Board and the newly created Oregon Health Authority to achieve its goal, they need to hear from you, and hear from you periodically over the next four years. Without the public’s voice, it will be difficult for the political process to be accountable to you, as they should be.
The Oregon Health Policy Board
Joe Zaerr
Archimedes Movement Community Leadership Council
As part of our 2010 Strategic Plan we’ll be monitoring and evaluating the progress of the newly created Oregon Health Policy Board, which has oversight responsibility for the newly formed Oregon Health Authority, and is charged with implementing Oregon House Bill 2009.
How You Can Help
Volunteers are needed to interact with the OHPB and its work. If you are interested in things such as providing testimony and written comments; monitoring their progress; partnering with other groups such as the Health Allies Group and the Oregon Health Reform Collaborative, adding our voice to others who have goals similar to ours; and communicating this work out to the Archimedes membership, please consider volunteering.
We are building a task force of members interested in monitoring, interacting with and reporting on the OHPB process and decisions. Interested? Learn more and sign up at our website.
Members of the 2009 Community Leadership Council
Will you share your health care story?
A Senior Capstone class at Portland State University, focused on public relations for non-profits, has chosen to work with the Archimedes Movement as their Spring semester project. We’re extremely excited to have 13 bright-eyed PSU students giving us their creativity and enthusiasm for the semester. The class has been working to help us expand and enhance our outreach efforts online through social networking (Twitter & Facebook) and online media (YouTube).
Matt Webber with PSU Seniors
The class will be shooting a video project in the next couple of weeks in the Portland metro area and if you fit the above criteria and would like to help them (and us) out – please email matt@wecandobetter.org to find out more about the project and connect with the class.
SOLV Beach Clean-Up (…and Photo Contest)
As if you needed any more of a reason to head out to the gorgeous Oregon coast and pick up trash with 4,000+ volunteers on a Saturday. We’re going to give you one more incentive -> a BRAND NEW CAR (no, not really). What I meant to say was: Your photo in our newsletter! Okay, so not as cool as new car but what more do you need to spend a lovely day on the coast working to make Oregon even more beautiful?
Over the past couple of years we’ve had some great photos sent to us from members out in their local community doing good work and now here’s your chance to do the same. Join us and others on March 20th to take part in SOLV’s 2010 Spring Beach Cleanup. Last year more than 4,000 Oregonians joined together and gathered an estimated 61,821 pounds of debris from Oregon’s beaches. This year, add yourself to the effort and take part in some good ol’ fashion stewardship. Take a photo of yourself or your group in either your WCDB t-shirts or with your WCDB window sign – email it to us (info@wecandobetter.org) and we’ll put the best one (remember you’re all winners in our book) and place it in the following month’s newsletter as our main photo.
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