Advocacy

Improving the health of our communities through public policy

At WellSpan Health, advocacy is a vital component of our vision to reimagine healthcare and inspire health.

Our government relations department supports the organization’s mission of working as one to improve health through:

exceptional care for all
lifelong wellness
healthy communities

Elected officials

Connect with your state and federal elected officials.

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Our Priorities

Public policy principles

Our public policy principles guide our efforts to advocate for public policies that improve the health of the patients and communities we serve.

We believe that affordable and equitable health coverage is essential for both an individual’s health and well-being, as well as the health and well-being of entire communities. Future health care reforms must focus on lowering out-of-pocket costs and delivering the access to care and health outcomes our patients deserve.

We believe that everyone deserves exceptional care regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, economic status or ability to pay. We must advance policies to develop healthier populations and work with community partners to confront the social determinants of health that adversely impact our communities.

We believe that investing in the health care workforce of the future will make a critical difference in the lives of our patients and communities. We’ll pursue policies that strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion in the health care workforce. We support patient-centered, team-based care that allows health care professionals to practice to their fullest abilities. We’ll prioritize health care worker safety and well-being.

We must remove the stigmas that serve as barriers to behavioral health and addiction treatments, and public policies must consider them at parity with medical and surgical treatment. We support expanding access to mental health and addiction treatments and services, including those focused on early intervention, as part of evidence-based and community-based solutions.

We believe in providing patient care where, when and how patients want it, while also giving them easy access to information regarding the cost and quality of care. Policies should support efforts to provide care to patients outside the traditional hospital setting, including via telehealth and at patients' homes.

We believe that basing health care payments on value and results, rather than the volume of care, provides better outcomes for patients. Policies will drive high-quality care when they:

reward improvements in quality, safety and health
are consumer focused
provide regulatory flexibility to support care delivery innovation

News and updates

Policy updates from HAP

The latest health care news from Harrisburg.

Policy updates from AHA

The latest health care news from Washington.

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Advocacy

Improving the health of our communities through public policy

Policy updates from HAP

Policy updates from AHA