NOTE: On June 19-20, the Children's Hospital Association will be holding our ninth annual Family Advocacy Day in Washington, DC. Leading up to the event, we'll be adding posts by the amazing moms and dads of some of our attending children. Today's post comes from Chrissie Blackburn.
We are so excited that University Hospital’s Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital is providing my family with the opportunity to go to the Children’s Hospital Association’s Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day in Washington D.C.! It is imperative that we, as experienced parents of children who receive Medicaid, share our perceptive of how this coverage has improved the quality of life for our medically fragile children. In addition, I think it is a great opportunity for all the families involved to share their experience and strength of the journey they are on with their very special child.
As an active Patient and Family Engagement Advocate, and member of the National CMS Partnership for Patients campaign’s Patient and Family Engagement Network, I have come to learn about the many efforts and best practices emerging to save health care dollars, to reduce hospital acquired conditions, and readmission rates. Even in the realm of insurance I believe it to be important to look at the entire family and how having a loved one who is sick can change things dramatically. Medicaid is not a “poor person’s” insurance. It is a government-funded program to ensure health care accessibility for those that need it most; this includes my own daughter, and all the children and families who will be representing the importance of Medicaid coverage.
I am excited to meet so many people in Washington D.C. and above all I am thrilled to introduce the most wonderful person in my life to all of those we are about to meet. Lily is my experience, she is my strength, she is my hope; she is the reason why I am doing everything today to improve health care for patients and families.
Deep gratitude to Chrissie Blackburn and all parents who are educating themselves and the rest of us about the nation's labyrinthine and frustrating health care system. If our own children don't motivate us to unravel the mess and build a better system, what will? I'll be watching for news from the DC gathering.
Posted by: Bonnie N | 06/04/2013 at 10:37 AM
:) Nicely put. It's so wonderful to know that there are parents like you out there, Christie! Keep up the wonderful work. Lily is so lucky to have you!
Posted by: Amber | 06/04/2013 at 10:34 AM