Topic: health policy development excerise
Description: [?]
Preferred language style: English (U.S.)
Students are asked to complete a health policy development exercise, which includes two options.
A. Write a letter to your Congressperson regarding a health policy issue of interest to you/your community/the midwifery profession. OR
B. Develop a brief testimony before a Congressional committee/community committee or hearing on a health policy issue of interest to you/your community
The ACNM website at http://www.acnm.org/ is extremely helpful. Click on Government Relations on the home page and you can find many resources to use for this assignment. Speaking Out for Midwifery can provide you with contact information for your legislators with the entry of your zip code, as well as status information about legislation. This is a required and graded learning activity worth 10% (10 points) of the course grade. It should be sent to the faculty for review and comment. You may send your letter or use your testimony after faculty has reviewed it. This learning activity is due March 10, 2010.
Option A
Draft a persuasive, informative letter to your Congressperson (Federal or State) urging support or non-support of a selected health policy issue that you are concerned about. Include whatever data, such as incidence and prevalence, you think is relevant. The letter should be no longer than 1-2 pages, typed neatly on your letterhead. On a separate page include a summary of the Congressperson’s position on the selected health policy issue (ie. How s(he) has voted in the past or have they introduced bills on the issue?) Refer to the powerpoint presentation in this unit as well as the following publications for guidance, which is available on the ACNM web site at http://www.acnm.org/display.cfm?id=542 . On a separate page include references. Use APA or Biomedical manuscript format. The appropriate formats can be found at the following web sites: (APA http://apastyle.org/ or Biomedical Manuscript Format http://www.icmje.org/index.html ). Also refer to the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Style Guide available at at http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/webfiles/images/journals/jmwh/styleguide.pdf .
American College of Nurse-Midwives. Schmoozing: How to be politically effective. Washington, D.C.: ACNM, 1998. (Classic Reference)
Option B
If you prefer, you may draft a brief (three-five minute) text for testimony before a Federal or State committee or a community hearing in support or non-support of an issue related to women’s health or midwifery. The text should be no longer that 1-3 pages. On a separate page include references. Use APA or Biomedical manuscript format. The appropriate formats can be found at the following web sites: (APA http://apastyle.org/or Biomedical Manuscript Format http://www.icmje.org/index.html ). Also refer to the Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health Style Guide available at http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/webfiles/images/journals/jmwh/styleguide.pdf ).
Refer to the following publication for guidance and some examples of public testimony given by various ACNM members.
American College of Nurse Midwives. Taking action: a state advocacy handbook. Washington, DC: American College of Nurse Midwives, 2003.
To the writer,
you can pick either option A or B.