Dear ACH Members,

Over the past two weeks, you've researched the candidates running in your district and started building relationships. Now it's time to bring your health center's mission to life during National Health Center Week.

Welcome to Week 3 of How to Build a Health Center Champion Before They're Elected.

Tell Your Story: Community Health Centers in Action

Candidates are building their understanding of healthcare and the platforms they support long before they’re sworn into office. The conversations they have during the campaign often shape the positions they take once elected. Every meeting is an opportunity to influence how they think about primary care in your community.

A congressional candidate may meet thousands of people during a campaign, and while they may not remember every statistic they heard, they will remember the stories that connect real people to the policies that have a daily impact on the lives in their communities. They’ll remember the child whose severe asthma was treated and controlled thanks to resources available from the 340B program, and they’ll remember the commercial truck driver who regained his license after his previously untreated diabetes was managed thanks to the integrated care team at his community health center. 

You all have stories and examples of how community health centers improve lives, strengthen families, and help entire communities thrive. Facts and statistics matter, but stories are what people remember.  These experiences connect policy in Washington to the real-world impact of community health centers back home.

This Week's Resources

• Myth vs. Fact Series: Modify to fit your health center

   

• Sample Social Media Posts

   

• Media Outreach Tips

   

• Inside America’s Health Centers: Share the stories

This Week's Action

Share one patient or community success story. Whether it's in a meeting with a candidate, on social media, in your local newspaper, or during a health center tour, take this opportunity to tell the story of how your health center is changing lives in your community.

Next week, we'll focus on how to stay engaged throughout the campaign season and continue building relationships that last well beyond Election Day.

Thank you for helping tell the story of America's community health centers one patient, one family, and one community at a time.

Sincerely,

Molly Grady

Director of Policy & Government Affairs