Influencing Health Policy Tools for Faculty

1. Influencing Health Policy Tools for Faculty January 26, 2011 Office for Women’s Careers Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology Brigham and Women’s Hospital Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program

2. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Objectives Understand the process and politics of health policy in the U.S. (2) Gain skills to inform and influence health policy at all levels (3) Review tools available to influence health policy

3. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

4. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

5. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Political Environment of Health Care • Competition from other issues • Health care “burnout” • Disease-specific funding priorities • Dissention among stakeholders • Shifts in party in power • Polarization of political parties • Economic recession

6. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Cultural Landscape of Health • Health as a moral issue • American preference for personal responsibility and freedom • Gaps between experts and public opinion on causes of and solutions to health problems • Dominance of disease-specific advocacy

7. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

8. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Stages of the Policy Process • Problem definition / initiation • Specification of alternatives (i.e. policy proposals) • Issue expansion • Entrance onto formal agenda (legislation, speech, executive order, task force) • Adoption / Action • Implementation • Amendment / Revision

9. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Opportunities to intervene WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY!!!

10. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Advancing an issue on a political agenda • Insider Advice – become the expert • • Party Platform – force policymakers to take a position • Strength in Numbers – develop a coalition • • Negotiation – be prepared to compromise • • Outside Pressure – from voters, rivals, colleagues and supporters

11. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

12. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Assets and Liabilities • Number of individual affected? • Limited or extensive volunteer base? • Extent of financial resources? • Legislative or executive priority? • Urgency - new research or other imperative? • Emotional or value-based impact? • Public awareness and support? • Well-known or celebrity supporters? • Competition among supporters?

13. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

14. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Determine Specific Goals • Examples from lung cancer advocacy: • Increase public awareness • De-stigmatize / disassociate from smoking • Increase funding • →for what? Research? Screening? Treatment? • Promote an accepted screening protocol • Reduce racial, ethnic and gender disparities • Improve compassionate care • Foster hope

15. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

16. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framing an Issue • Positive language is more effective than negative • - Drunk driving: “The designated driver is the life of the party” • Tobacco cessation: “It’s time we made smoking history” • Lung cancer: “Out of the Shadows” “Shine a Light” • Implicate core values • HIV: Ryan White Act • Teen pregnancy: “Babies having babies” • Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act • Consider your specific goals

17. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Framework to Develop a Political Strategy Evaluate the political and cultural environment Where are you in the policy process? Consider your assets and liabilities Set your goals Frame the issue (6) Select your tools

18. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Tools to influence the policy process • Free and paid media • Changing public opinion • Campaigns and elections • Lobbying • Coalitions and interest groups • Policy research • Use of the courts • Grass roots advocacy

19. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program

20. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program

21. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program http://capwiz.com/lungcanceralliance/dbq/media/

22. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program http://capwiz.com/lungcanceralliance/dbq/media/

23. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program http://capwiz.com/lungcanceralliance/dbq/media/

24. Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy Program Contact: Tracey Hyams, JD, MPHDirector, Women’s Health Policy and Advocacy ProgramConnors Center for Women’s Health and Gender BiologyBrigham and Women’s HospitalBoston, MA thyams@partners.org www.brighamandwomens.org/womenspolicy 24

25. Office for Women’s Careers Thank you!