The Wisconsin Hospital Association’s Advocacy Day event will draw in another 900 hospital advocates from across the state to Madison, April 16 at the Monona Terrace. As in years past, the event is designed to educate and motivate health care employees, trustees and volunteers on important health care-related issues and to encourage grassroots advocacy opportunities. Speakers give timely insight to state and federal health care issues, and participating in legislative visits allows attendees to speak up on behalf of their hospitals.

“The challenges our community hospitals’ face are familiar issues to you,” says Mary Kay Grasmick, VP of communication for WHA. “This event is an opportunity to see firsthand what a difference your voice can make with our state legislators. The more people who attend and meet with their legislators, the bigger the impact we’ll have in Madison.”

If you’re still on the fence, here are four reasons you should attend:

1. Get engaged in health care legislation. You have a voice. We can take our industry experience, day-to-day experiences with patients, health care providers and administrators, and get involved in the legislative process. It’s part of our job, and critical in these changing times, to relay our experiences and insight to our legislators who create policies on our behalf. There is also a fantastic lineup of legislative representatives including Senator Alberta Darling, Milwaukee area, Senator Julie Lassa, North Central Wisconsin, Rep. John Nygren, Marinette area, Rep. Cory Mason, Racine. Darling and Nygren co-chair the powerful budget-writing committee and Mason also serves.  
2. Be inspired by political game-changers. The morning keynote is nationally-known pollster, Larry Sabato, professor of politics and director of the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics and creator of Website and weekly e-newsletter, “Sabato’s Crystal Ball.” 
3. Listen to Governor Scott Walker.
4. Attend for free. Registration is required but it is a free event for you and your co-workers to attend. WHA encourages hospital CEOs, CFOs, managers, nurse executives, hospital volunteers, hospital trustees, WHA HEAT grassroots members, Partners of WHA members, WHA corporate members, and any other hospital staff interested in helping to shape the future of health care in Wisconsin communities. For more information or to register now, CLICK HERE.

If you can’t make it, be sure to follow Mike Milligan’s tweets at Twitter.com/LegatoTweet, for live updates, news and other happenings.

In partnership with the WHA, this blog features headlines and hot button issues concerning Wisconsin hospitals, clinics and organizations. Here, you’ll read and watch videos about new legislation, hospital measurement and performance initiatives and the tools and resources you need to understand and manage today’s current, complex and controversial health care issues. If you have other news, resources or links to share, please comment below or email Trish Skram, blogger and research content specialist for WHPRMS, at trishskram@gmail.com.