| The latest news from and for state health care advocates |
January 2012
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Acknowledgements
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This guide is dedicated to consumers who have the courage to share their stories and to the advocacy organizations that help develop these individuals into health care justice leaders. We would like to particularly acknowledge and thank all of the advocates who took the time to share the lessons they’ve learned from building and strengthening their own story banks. Without them, this guide would not have been possible. If you want to learn more about the work of any of the organizations highlighted in this guide or want to share your own story banking strategies, please contact us at stateinfo@familiesusa.org.
California Health Access
Anthony Wright, Executive Director
Anthony Wright has served as executive director for Health Access since 2002. Before joining Health Access, he worked for Citizen Action of New Jersey, the Center for Media Education, The Nation, and in Vice President Gore’s office in the White House. Anthony graduated from Amherst College with degrees in English and sociology.
Campaign for Better Health Care
Kathleen Duffy, Communications and Events Organizer
Kathleen Duffy has served as the communications and events organizer for the Illinois Campaign for Better Health Care since September 2007. She creates messaging tools and manages press outreach. Kathleen previously worked extensively with arts organizations and artists as a business manager, administrator, and grant writer in Chicago and her hometown of New York. She graduated from the University of Buffalo with a degree in English.
Citizen Action of New Jersey
Stefanie Rubin, Small Business Organizer
Stefanie Rubin is the former North Jersey regional and small business organizer for Citizen Action of New Jersey. Stefanie was responsible for identifying and recruiting small business owners across the state to join the New Jersey Main Street Alliance, a coalition of more than 850 New Jersey small businesses. Stefanie received her bachelor of arts degree in social work in 2009.
Crystal Snedden, Health Care Campaign Coordinator
As the health care campaign coordinator, Crystal Snedden coordinates a broad statewide alliance composed of health care, labor, senior, student, women’s, social justice, civil rights, and faithbased organizations. She graduated from the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey with a bachelor of arts degree in political science in 2006.
Citizen Action of Wisconsin
Brian Rothgery, Wisconsin Voices Budget Project Communications Coordinator
Brian Rothgery joined Citizen Action of Wisconsin in June of 2008 as the coordinator of the Health Care for America Now campaign. Recently, Brian has taken a new position working with Citizen Action of Wisconsin’s partner organization, Wisconsin Voices, where he is now the budget project communications coordinator. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in arts in history in 1999 and later received his master’s degree in communications from the University of Wisconsin in 2008.
Florida CHAIN
Laura Goodhue, Executive Director
Laura Goodhue is the executive director of Florida CHAIN. She provides policy assistance and communications tools to the policy makers and allied partners in addition to helping consumers navigate Florida’s health system. Before joining Florida CHAIN, Laura worked on issues such as farm worker rights, immigration, and fair wages in New York, Washington, D.C., and Florida. Laura also sits on the Florida Health Insurance Advisory board and is on the Florida Covering Kids
and Families board.
Herndon Alliance
Sherry Prowda, Communications Director
Sherry Prowda is the communications director for Herndon Alliance, a coalition of more than 200 state and national organizations working on health care policy. Prior to working at the Herndon Alliance, she was the founding executive director of two nationally recognized nonprofit literary arts organizations, including Literary Arts in Portland and the Oregon and Seattle Arts & Lectures in Washington. She was also a consultant for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, and Global Partnerships.
Maryland Health Care for All Coalition
Brooke Hisle, Coalition Coordination Director
Brooke Hisle joined the Maryland Health Care for All! Coalition in June 2009. As their coalition coordination director, she educates and conducts outreach to stakeholder groups in Maryland. Brooke supports the coalition by monitoring federal and state health care activity, providing consumers with much-needed assistance and conducting media outreach. Brooke received her master’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland in Baltimore.
Suzanne Schlattman, Community Outreach and Development Director
Suzanne Schlattman first joined Health Care for All as a student fellow in 2006 and has since become the director of community outreach and development. Her duties include working with volunteers, managing and coordinating public education campaigns, and maintaining a strong internship program. Suzanne received her a master of social work from the University of Maryland as well a master of public health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2009.
North Carolina Justice Center
Adam Searing, Director of the North Carolina Health Access Coalition
Adam Searing joined the Justice Center as director of the North Carolina Health Access Coalition in 1997. The project advocates both for more comprehensive and effective public health care programs and on behalf of average consumers in the private market. Adam received his graduate degrees in law and public health from the University of North Carolina in 1994.
Pennsylvania Health Access Network
Athena Ford, Health Care Organizer
Athena Ford is the statewide health care organizer for the Pennsylvania Health Access Network and Philadelphia Unemployment Project. She engages the grassroots base across the state and helps craft winning legislative strategies. Athena graduated with a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Kenyon College.
Antoinette Kraus, Project Director
Antoinette Kraus is the project director for the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. Antoinette also serves as the head organizer for the Philadelphia Unemployment Project, which is the lead partner of the Pennsylvania Health Access Network. She helps develop campaigns to advocate for economic and social justice issues facing low-income communities in Philadelphia. Antoinette received a bachelor of arts degree in political science and public policy from Allegheny College.
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South Carolina Appleseed
Sue Berkowitz, Executive Director
Sue Berkowitz is an attorney and director of the South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center a non-profit organization that fights for social, economic, and legal justice for low-income people. Sue works with a number of state agencies on policy issues including mortgage lending laws, Medicaid, and unemployment insurance. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of South Carolina and a law degree from Western New England School of Law.
TakeAction Minnesota
Sarah Greenfield, Health Care Organizer
Sarah Greenfield is an organizer on TakeAction’s Quality, Affordable Health Care for All campaign. Prior to joining Take Action, Sarah spent three years as a community organizer with a union of public school employees, SEIU Local 284. She also spent several years as a massage therapist working at the Center for Victims of Torture. She received her undergraduate degree from Hampshire College.
Tennessee Health Care Campaign
Rachel Kelley, Story Bank Intern
Rachel Kelley worked at the Tennessee Health Care Campaign in the spring of 2011. She travelled across the state to interview clients and capture their stories. Rachel is an undergraduate at Stanford University and plans to go to medical school after graduation.
Beth Uselton, Executive Director
Beth Uselton is the executive director for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign (THCC), a nonpartisan, nonprofit, statewide consumer advocacy organization working toward affordable access to high-quality health care for all Tennesseans. Prior to her new role, she served as the organizing director for THCC, presenting information on current health care policy, coordinating volunteers to work on local issues in health care, and training individuals and groups to participate in the legislative process. Beth received her bachelor of science degree in cultural anthropology from Appalachian State University.
Utah Health Policy Project
Judi Hilman, Executive Director
Judi Hilman is executive director and co-founder of the Utah Health Policy Project. Her work covers a broad range of policy issues that have an impact on the uninsured, low-income medically underserved, people with disabilities, and ethnic minorities. She received her master’s degree in history from Cornell University and bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Kimberly Myers, Community Engagement Director
Kimberly Myers is the community engagement director of the Utah Health Policy Project (UHPP). She is passionate about health care justice and spends her time strengthening and making new partnerships with stakeholders. Prior to joining UHPP in 2010, Kim worked as a social worker in a community-based setting, mobilizing people to take action for positive change. Kim received a bachelor of science degree from Weber State University and a master of social work from Portland State University.
Virginia Organizing
Julie Blust, Communications Director
Julie Blust joined Virginia Organizing in 2009. Julie’s responsibilities include media outreach and external communications for the organization. Prior to joining Virginia Organizing, Julie worked as press secretary for Americans United for Change. She received a bachelor’s degree in political science and American studies from Temple University.
UHCAN Ohio
Kathleen Gmeiner, Director of Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage
Kathleen Gmeiner has worked in the field of health care advocacy, planning, and policy analysis for more than 20 years. Kathleen presently is employed by UHCAN Ohio where she directs Ohio Consumers for Health Coverage, a coalition of consumer organizations building the voice of consumers in Ohio. She has a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the University of Michigan School of Public Health and a juris doctor from the University of Cincinnati.
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