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Breakout Sessions
Policy/Advocacy Breakout Group
Report
The Policy/Advocacy group felt that the policy issues
that we should be focusing on would most likely emanate
from the Prevention and Disease Management Groups. As
a result, their focus was placed on formulating the process
by which NEPO would make its policy decisions.
First, a definition of policy advocacy was shared. Two components
were included in the definition:
- Shaping or reshaping views and opinions about the
environment [education].
- Re-directing or creating new resources.
The group also articulated the NEPO's commitment to prevention
as one of its priorities in eliminating racial/ethnic
disparities. The group also articulated that addressing
health disparities through policy/advocacy is a key aspect
of the Network's mission.
The group identified a series of questions that need to
be answered regarding the Network's policy process -
- Who will set policy in the Network?
- How are we going to determine which issues to take
on?
- When and how do we take steps, advocate?
Members of the group expressed the realization that this
can't happen without a process, a policy infrastructure.
This infrastructure will need to -
- Mobilize ethnic physicians.
- Research and identify issues.
- Create a Public Policy Committee to look at issues.
- Take positions and strategize.
- Develop a directory of Ethnic Physician experts as
resources and to testify at both the local and state
levels.
- Identify existing advocates and understand their policies
and positions on issues.
- Identify potential collaborators.
- Include local groups.
- Identify policymakers and influencers. Network with
all policymakers, influencers, and heavy-hitters to
get us known.
- Create a marketing campaign to promote the Network
to policy makers and other key partners.
- Establish an ethnic physician networking system to
share ideas among ethnic physicians.
- Create an information and policy clearinghouse.
- Conduct Research - Gather and disseminate racial/ethnic
disparities information.
Members of the group also raised the question about how
the policy/advocacy efforts will be sustained. It was recommended
that the Network formalize its Public Policy Committee as
an initial step to provide the focal point for policy/advocacy
efforts. Breakout group members also raised the question
as to whose policies will the Network use; how will their
policy development relate to the policy efforts of the California
Medical Association.
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