Education and Resources

Understanding how to work with federal, state and local leaders can feel like a daunting experience so we’ve compiled the following educational resources to prepare you for any advocacy interaction, from your local mayor’s office to Capitol Hill.

Contacting Elected Officials

An email or letter from a constituent is a very powerful advocacy tool.

In general, an effective email should be limited to fewer than 500 words and a letter to one or two pages at most. Start and end your correspondence by stating why you are writing and what it is you would like the elected official to do.

The tone of your email or letter should be professional and courteous, even when you disagree with a position, or are expressing disappointment about an action taken.

Emails and letters do make a difference! Federal, state and local legislators read and frequently respond to letters they receive. They gauge their responses to issues from the positions of their constituents.

The following are important to keep in mind when writing:

Remember the basics. Personal, concise, and correct.
Write simply and succinctly. Identify the bill number and the name of the bill early in your correspondence. Avoid industry or political jargon.
Be informed, respectful, and pleasant. Don’t be confrontational or make demands. Offer solutions, if possible, and do not assume that the legislator understands the subject matter. Use the information provided to you to support your position on a particular issue.
Request a response and make your request specific. Ask the lawmakers to state their position and don’t be surprised if they give you the run-around. If they do, write again or call and ask for an appointment. Ask to be kept informed about where the elected official stands on the issue and make sure you provide them with you full contact information.
Remember that written correspondence to public officials is public record. Don’t say anything that you wouldn’t want published online or read in a public meeting.

PHONE CALLS TO ELECTED OFFICIALS

Calling legislators is very effective, particularly in the days just before they are scheduled to take action or vote on the issue.

To prepare for the conversation, jot down a few notes containing the key points you want to make, and refer to the notes during your call. Unless you know the elected official, you will almost always speak with a staff person.

Phone calls can make a difference, especially when legislative activities are moving fast!

Remember these important tips when making a call:

Call the correct office. When in session, call the member’s Capitol office. During recess periods, try the home district office.
Prepare in advance and speak from notes. Jotting down your key points and questions beforehand will help make sure you get the information you need. Remember the appropriate bill number (when possible), its general purpose and rationale for your support or opposition.
Avoid arguments. Be friendly and respectful and you’ll get a lot more attention to your issue.
Follow up with a letter. Send a letter to recap your conversation, views and say thanks. Mention the staff person’s name and thank the staffer for their help.
Provide your full name and contact information. Staff members and office personnel will often check your contact information with their constituent database.

MEETING WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS

Politicians need friends and advisors. They will listen to and consider the information they get from their friends even when they do not (or cannot) agree with them. Politics is the art of compromise. Your officials cannot always hold your position. If they cannot support you on one issue, they will often want to support you on others, or at least work to keep an open dialog.

Work with your key officials to be a credible and valuable advisor. Because if they know, like and respect you, they will take your call when you need to reach them. Getting to know the government officials who represent you at the federal, state and local levels is an important first step. Face-to-face meetings are a very effective way to convey a message about a specific legislative issue.

Make the request for the introductory meeting by letter or phone call. Explain where you work, what the GGG is and that you are the chairman. If the legislator is not available, then try to meet with his/her staff. Spend a couple minutes researching the elected official so you know what to expect.

Keep in mind it will take time to arrange a meeting given a legislator’s busy schedule. Expect the meeting to be scheduled for 15 minutes.

Always bring and leave your Hospital’s Community Benefit Report and a fact sheet about your hospital. The fact sheet should contain the following information:

Your name and title
The name of the hospital
The amount of indigent care your hospital does
How many employees the hospital has
How much total the hospital pays in taxes
Any new construction that is happening or will happen
Anything that sets your hospital apart from other hospitals

Do not be offended if a staff member substitutes for the elected official. Staff support of an issue can be the difference in whether or not the elected official supports the issue.

Assume the legislator is familiar with only a few healthcare issues. You are the expert in the field. Be prepared to answer questions. If you do not know the answer, tell the elected official that you will get back to them with the answer.

Always end the meeting with an invitation to come to the hospital and meet other GGG members.

After the meeting follow up with the elected official promptly. Send a thank you letter reiterating the important points from the meeting and any information you promised. Put your business card in it.

HOW TO CONDUCT A TOWN HALL MEETING

One of the most effective ways to gain the attention of elected officials and their staff, outside of visiting their office, is to attend a town hall or community meeting.

Legislators arrange these meetings to hear from their constituents. To accommodate travel schedules, they generally occur when they are not in session.

Town hall meetings are a great introductory event for those new to grassroots activities. These meetings are usually advertised online or in a local newspaper. Sometimes these meetings have a scheduled topic, but the meetings can also be open forums where voters have direct contact with their elected official.Before you attend a town hall meeting, it may be helpful to do some background research. Find out which committees your legislator serves on and what bills he or she recently introduced.Even if you do not have the opportunity to ask a question at the town hall, be sure to make your presence known to the legislator and his or her staff. Take the time to introduce yourself as a constituent and/or the GGG Chairman. It will pay off in future meetings as you can mention attending previous local events.

HOW TO SCHEDULE AND MANAGE A HOSPITAL TOUR

A hospital tour can help you accomplish many things. We are a visual society. Having a lawmaker or candidate tour the hospital, and see what you and your co-workers do every day, is compelling and educational.

Schedule the tour at a time and place where multiple employees will have the ability to meet him/her. Include senior staff at the hospital and the Director of Public Affairs on the planning, as well as your state’s Government Relations staff.

When setting up the tour make sure to leave yourself enough time to tour the hospital and enjoy informal discussion. You will want to map out the tour ahead of time. Choose areas that illustrate any points you want to make. Keep track of time, but do not rush it. Introduce the legislator or candidate to co-workers as you pass them.It is important to show the guest the GGG and hospital can help him or her meet voters and constituents.

Information to know and speak about during the tour includes:

The number of people employed at the hospital
The facility’s annual payroll
Dollars paid in property taxes for the facility
The amount of indigent care the hospital does
Dollars spent locally to purchase supplies, materials, and services
Planned expansions or facility improvement
Benefits provided to employees at the hospital
Anything that sets the hospital apart from other hospitals

2022 Florida Legislative Healthcare Policies Scorecard

Florida’s Largest Teaching Hospital System

HCA Chairman Manual