January 15, 2010
Dear California colleagues,
Congratulations to CaPA Medical Student Fellow JB Fenix, Chris Scannell, Lea Rosemurgy and all the other students who worked so hard to pull off a fabulously successful Lobby Day 2010. The event attracted nearly 1,000 activists to the steps of the state Capitol as well as a front page story on the Daily Kos.
Lobby Day 2010 reminded us how valuable the initial efforts of PNHP members Richard Quint, John Shearer and others were in creating the Medical Student Fellowship and how instrumental the generous contributions of the California membership of PNHP are in funding the position each year.
The event also has inspired members of the executive committee of our state chapter to create a similar 1-2 day conference for the entire California membership of PNHP featuring noted speakers, speaker and legislative advocacy training, and breakout sessions for regional and state chapter development, state single payer strategy discussion and more.
The LA Chapter of PNHP has three announcements to share with the state membership:
1) The PNHP Los Angeles Chapter website is up. Thanks to webmaster Olivia Hendrickson for all her hard work. This will be a valuable tool for our grassroots development. Visit the new website at http://www.pnhpla.org/.
Key features of the website include:
A) Minutes of PNHP national, California and LA regional meetings
B) Highlights of PNHP LA members in the news
C) PowerPoints and other resources created by our membership
D) Speaker’s bureau list with YouTube clips
E) Spanish language literature and bilingual speakers
F) Calendar of regular meetings, teach-ins and advocacy actions
G) Monthly action alerts
H) Gallery of our activists.
I) Description of our mission: grassroots development to achieve single payer through education, advocacy and growth.
Feel free to send us your ideas, the website will continue to improve with your help. If you’d like to be listed as a speaker, please send us a headshot (.jpg file) and a brief biography.
2) There will be a district leader network orientation by our state legislative director, Dr. Bill Skeen, on Saturday, January 23 at 9 a.m. at Geoff White’s home in West L.A. If you would like to attend or learn more, contact Geoffry.white@gmail.com.
3) Our next chapter meeting is February 13 at 10 a.m. at 2258 22nd St., Santa Monica. We will have a Speakers training at 11 a.m. taught by Drs. Susie Baldwin, Jo Olson, Steve Tarzynski and Paul Song. Please RSVP to pnhp.la@gmail.com.
Single payer is coming.
Matt Hendrickson, MD MPH
Vice Chair, PNHP Los Angeles
www.pnhpla.org
310-383-4343