Power in Numbers

By Rick Pollack

Hospital leaders have a duty and an obligation to be in touch with legislators

Lobbyist. Political cartoonists and late-night comedians have crafted a stereotype of roly-poly, cigar-chomping schemers who wave wads of cash during three-martini lunches. Recent investigations into the unfortunate ethical conduct of a few bad actors have done little to puncture that stereotype. In fact, they have created an environment in which advocating for any cause might be looked upon with suspicion … even derision.

But, be certain, the concerns that people have about lobbying should not—and do not—extend to associations like ours that have been around for more than 100 years, and that represent organizations like yours that provide essential public services and are a bedrock part of the communities they serve.

In fact, just a few weeks ago as part of the AHA’s Annual Membership Meeting, some 2,000 hospital leaders visited Capitol Hill to advocate for their hospitals and communities. No big cigars or wads of cash were part of this process. Instead, these hospital leaders did what has helped us establish a solid reputation on Capitol Hill for openness and honesty, and for being a valuable source of information on what really is going on in the hospitals that take care of legislators’ constituents. They educated their legislators about what we need to do, as a field, on things like price transparency and billing and collections issues, and what Congress needs to do on things like the budget, limited-service hospitals, medical liability reform and the like.

While most people think of lobbyists only as paid professionals, look at the folks who were walking the halls of the Senate and House office buildings: hospital CEOs, trustees, staff members, auxilians. All speaking with one voice for the patients and communities we serve, and all protected by the same First Amendment as the professionals: Congress shall make no law … abridging the freedom of speech … or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

So, despite the headlines, the late-night jokes and the reputation that lobbying has with the public, on an individual basis—as both health care professionals and as citizens—hospital leaders have a duty and an obligation to be in touch with legislators. Good lobbying is often the only way our elected leaders can get information about how the important decisions they are about to make, on issues they often know little about, will affect your team and the people that they serve.

Our nation needs its hospitals. And our nation’s leaders need to know why. Who is more qualified to tell them than you?

Rick Pollack is executive vice president of the American Hospital Association.

Contact Guest Author at rpollack@aha.org

This article 1st appeared in the June 2006 issue of HHN Magazine.

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