June 2009 council Currents
NHC Updates
- Health Reform and Health Workforce
- Comparative Effectiveness Research
- Electronic Health Records
- Intellectual Property, Biosimilars, and FDA
- Supporting NIH - Appropriations and a Collaborative Database
- Campaign to Put Patients First
Inside the NHC
- 2010 Voluntary Health Leadership Conference
- VHA Physical Activity Interest Group Meeting
- 2009 Management Compensation Survey
- BoardSource
- Representation and Presentations by NHC Staff
- Better Health Care by Design
- International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations
- AAHRPP Update
- NHC in the News
2010 Voluntary Health Leadership Conference
The National Health Council’s 23rd Annual Voluntary Health Leadership Conference will be held at the Omni Tucson National Resort in Tucson, Arizona, February 10-12, 2010. Please visit the resort’s website at www.omnitucsonnational.com for more information about the facility. Questions regarding hotel reservations or the conference should be directed to Donna O’Leary at oleary@nhcouncil.org.
VHA Physical Activity Interest Group Meeting
This new interest group will hold its second meeting in the coming months to continue its dialogue about encouraging people with chronic diseases and disabilities to become more active. Other agenda items will include a report on member organization’s physical activity programs and community outreach.
2009 Management Compensation Survey
The data collection process has started for this year’s management compensation report. This report is produced jointly by the National Health Council and the National Human Services Assembly. The Management Compensation Report for National Voluntary Health and Human Service Organizations covers more than 100 different positions, and the information is segmented by geographic location, organization type, organization budget, total employees, and time in position. The deadline for participation is Friday, June 26. For more information about how to participate, contact Kelly Clapp at kclapp@nhcouncil.org.
BoardSource
The NHC has started the process to renew BoardSource memberships for NHC member organizations. BoardSource provides nonprofit organizations with tools to build a high-performing board. Benefits include a subscription to Board Member magazine, a 33% discount on BoardSource products, a discount on the Annual BoardSource Leadership Forum, and more. The deadline for participation is Friday, June 26.
Better Health Care by Design
Individuals concerned about the cost of health care are encouraged to register for the free e-publication Better Health Care by Design. This weekly SmartBrief was created by the NHC and Wyeth as part of an out-of-pocket cost-impact initiative. The weekly newsletter provides readers a timely snapshot of media reporting and analysis on the issues surrounding the impact of out-of-pocket costs on people with chronic diseases and disabilities and their family caregivers, providers, and employers. This e-publication will help NHC members stay abreast of the latest news on the economics of health care. To subscribe to Better Health Care by Design, go to http://www.smartbrief.com/bhcbd. To view past issues, go to and click on Archive.
Representation and Presentations by NHC Staff
- NHC President Myrl Weinberg spoke on the need for patient-focused care at the Aspen Health Stewardship Event on March 12 and at a Johnson and Johnson meeting on March 18. She was a moderator for a panel on Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing at the Roche Science and Ethics Advisory Group meeting on May 4. On May 7, she was part of a panel discussion on health reform, hosted by GE and moderated by NBC White House Correspondent Chris Reid.
- The National Health Council has joined the Council for American Medical Innovation and NHC Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Marc Boutin will serve as an advisory board member.
- Boutin participated in panels on health care reform at the 2009 Patient Advocacy Leadership Summit on April 23, the 2009 PhRMA Annual Conference on April 3, and at a PhRMA monthly briefing on March 24. He spoke about follow-on biologics at a monthly briefing hosted by BIO on April 22. He also participated in a briefing on an Institute of Medicine report making recommendations about changes to HIPPA rules as they relate to research held by Faster Cures on March 25.
International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations
The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) continues to grow in influence within the worldwide health care community. In May, IAPO hosted a unique, influential gathering of representatives from patient organizations and the World Health Organization (WHO). The meeting in Geneva, Switzerland, was held just prior to the WHO World Health Assembly and offered WHO representatives an introduction on how patients can be powerful allies in setting public policy. Patient representatives learned ways to work with the WHO representative from their respective country, and some held individual meetings with their WHO representative following the meeting.
The WHO director of chronic disease and health promotion, Dr. Fiona Adshead, led a discussion on the WHO’s Noncommunicable Disease Action Plan, and Dr. Sabine Kopp with the WHO Medicines Quality Assurance Program presented on counterfeit medicines, to name only two of the topics. The all-day meeting wrapped up with a brainstorming session on practical application of the information gained in the discussions.
NHC President Myrl Weinberg serves as chair of the IAPO Governing Board and attended the Board and committee meetings and Annual General Meeting in London in mid-May.
