Today, for the first time, the National Health Council is reaching out directly to people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers through this website and through our Campaign to Put Patients First. We are creating a grassroots movement to work for effective and affordable health care.

The National Health Council has been around for almost 90 years, but we’re not exactly a household name. We’ve worked pretty much exclusively within the Washington, DC policy arena, avoiding a high public profile.

Well, that’s about to change. We are moving in a whole new strategic direction. Our newly redefined mission is to provide a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities — people like you.

The National Health Council was founded in 1920 “to aid in the promotion of health throughout the nation.” For many years, we pursued that mission by functioning as an umbrella group for voluntary health agencies. Also known as patient advocacy groups, our members include top-of-mind organizations like the American Heart Association and American Cancer Society plus groups you may know if you have a rare disorder — like the Alpha One Foundation and the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation. Over time, we added other groups — societies of health professionals, nonprofit organizations with an interest in health, and pharmaceutical, biotechnology and medical device companies. As we evolved, our mission never strayed from its focus on “promoting the health of all people.”

Eventually, the National Health Council became known as the place “where the health community meets,” and we developed a reputation for evidence-based analysis and forging consensus on some of the thorniest systemic issues within our health care system. All of this work was guided by our belief in Putting Patients First®.

Working with our member groups, we seek to influence health policy and advocate on behalf of patients by working with Congress and the Executive Branch, regulatory agencies, and other key groups within the Washington political orbit. And we’re very good at it.

So what’s changed? During the past year, we’ve taken a hard look around — at the state of health care in this country, at the opportunities presented by a change in administrations and a new Congress, at the prospects for bringing about meaningful improvements for people with chronic diseases and disabilities. We have sharpened our focus with a redefined mission — to provide a united voice for people with chronic diseases and disabilities.

We’ll continue to work with and through our member patient advocacy groups to get the job done. But we need your help. Will you join us?

Myrl Weinberg, CAE
President
National Health Council