By: Jane Baird, Senior Director, Government Relations and External Affairs
As we closed out our busy week in the nation’s capital, I was awed by the power of advocacy. As government relations professionals, we often say, “Kids can’t vote, so we have to speak up for them.” Advocacy is central to Connecticut Children’s mission, but the real magic happens when we create opportunities for our patients and their families to tell their own stories. At our Capitol Hill meetings on Thursday, Carter and his twin brother, Calvin, brought joy to everyone they met with their infectious smiles.
Family Voices Bring Policy to Life
Family Advocacy Day shows elected officials that patients who need children’s hospitals are not defined by their health care needs. They are kids who love to play, meet new friends and, in Carter’s case, to learn everything possible about Abraham Lincoln. The family’s first stop on their sightseeing tour on Friday was the Lincoln Memorial. When I told Carter to say hi to Abe for me, he said, “Well, Jane, he’s not alive, so I don’t think I can do that.” The kid makes a good point.
When Carter and Calvin’s parents, Ashley and Matt, told our members of Congress what it meant for their family to get the services they needed from the Medicaid Katie Beckett waiver, it showed our delegation what their votes mean for real people. Supporting the programs that families like Carter’s rely upon allows kids to be kids. At each of our six meetings on Capitol Hill, we emphasized the need for Congress to protect Medicaid for kids. More than half of Connecticut Children’s patient families, including Carter’s, rely on the program. Medicaid is truly a lifeline. We also asked lawmakers to prioritize equitable funding for the Children’s Hospitals Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) payment program. CHGME supports the ability for academic medical centers like ours to train the next generation of pediatricians, thereby ensuring that all kids can access the services they need, regardless of the kind of health insurance they have.
The Lasting Impact of Advocacy
But truly, 7-year-old twins Carter and Calvin were the stars of the show. For them, the highlight was when they each received a Congressional medal from Congressman Courtney’s staff (featuring a submarine on one side and a UConn Husky dog on the other—very cool!). We saw lots of other families participating in Family Advocacy Day as we walked from meeting to meeting, but we also saw so many other people waiting to advocate for the issues that matter to them. While it may be easy to think that “of course members of Congress want to support programs that are good for kids”, what’s tricky is to convince elected officials to make kids a priority. When advocates like Carter and his family share their stories, they make an impression that sticks with members of Congress. And that impression makes it easier for our elected representatives to understand how their votes impact real people and it leads them to make decisions that will support the health and well-being of kids, families and communities across the country.
We were truly grateful to spend time this week with Carter and his fantastic family! They embody the true power of advocacy and it reminded us why it is a central focus of Connecticut Children’s mission.