Annually, the St. Joseph Health System identifies legislative advocacy priorities.  Those priorities are selected based on anticipated federal and state legislative issues, as well as specific Advocacy criteria established and approved by the SJHS Board or Trustees based on themes of Social Teaching.

Core issues of Catholic healthcare ministry including religious freedom and end of life care are addressed by the SJHS advocacy infrastructure as needed throughout the legislative year.
 
Working closely with our ministries and with select national and state organizations, we establish clear annual priorities and generate local, grass roots action by providing alerts to employees and community members and then helping them contact legislators at critical points in the legislative process.
 
We hope you will take advantage of our interactive website to make your voices heard on critical regional and national issues including:

• Protect the Safety Net
• Childhood Obesity and Wellness
• Systematic Healthcare Reform
• Physician Issues

Protect the Safety Net
Major budget deficits are having severe impact on States, particularly California, and to a slightly lesser extent Texas.  State and County safety net programs are at major risk of being extensively cut or eliminated. Sustaining gains in access to care that have been achieved over the past 10 years is also at great risk due to these same budget dynamics. SJHS will focus advocacy efforts on precluding or minimizing these imminent cuts. The California Section 1115 hospital waiver which expires in August, as well as the hospital provider fee program which awaits CMS approval, are two areas in which significant efforts are being exerted to obtain additional Federal funding for hospitals. SJHS will continue our collaboration with others to achieve this funding, and then to protect their proceeds from present and future threats. Take action or learn more

Childhood Obesity and Wellness     
In support of SJHS efforts to create healthiest communities, we will track federal and state legislative efforts to reduce childhood obesity and seek ways to collaborate with state and federal legislators who author such legislation. Advocate with elected officials and community leaders to raise public awareness for childhood obesity. Enhance awareness of SJHS’s Healthy4Life program  through meeting with elected officials and potential partners, to insure that reducing childhood obesity is seen as an essential component to a healthy community.  Take action or learn more

Systemic Health Care Reform
Consistent with the SJHS vision of Health Reform, engage in and support public policy that will lead to systematic health reform. While movement of Healthcare Reform legislation in Congress is currently stalled, SJHS abides by Catholic tradition which views access to necessary healthcare as a fundamental right, and justice demands continued advocacy for health care coverage for the uninsured. SJHS will continue to aggressively advocate for reform.

NOTE: Shortly after the SJHS Board adapted the priorities, federal health reform was signed into law by the President. Going forward, we expect significant follow-up activity, development of regulations and implementation. SJHS Advocacy will engage in these activities as appropriate and will continue to advocate for key issues that impact our ministries and the communities we serve. 
Take action or learn more

Physician Issues
Promote and enhance opportunities for integration and collaboration between physicians and hospitals consistent with the movement toward Delivery System Reform. Focus should be on “care coordination” models among providers and patient centered medical home models. Advocate for a remedy to the problem of fair Medicare, physician reimbursement (so called “doc-fix”) to resolve the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGC) formula problems that have plagued the Part B Medicare structure over the last 5 years. Increase awareness of California’s and Texas’ outdated Corporate Practice of Medicine Laws, expanding physician shortage, and the negatively perceived State Peer Review System.  Take action or learn more