NorthShore Health Centers Becomes an Advocacy Center for Excellence

This spring, NorthShore Health Centers officially became an Advocacy Center for Excellence (ACE). This distinction means that the NorthShore team and its stakeholders have proven their advocacy engagement and have demonstrated their commitment to investing in affordable, comprehensive, and innovative care by the Community Health Centers (CHC).

“This is something that we’ve prioritized over the past couple of years,” said NorthShore’s Director of Communications Denise Carpenter. “I’m really proud of our team for their hard work and for prioritizing affordable, comprehensive, and innovative care.”

ACE has three levels of certification – bronze, silver, and gold. Each level has different requirements to apply.

“When we officially decided to apply for ACE, we easily fell into the bronze segment,” said Carpenter. “We decided to go for gold status, which, with everyone’s dedication this year – we will end up successfully earning, I believe.”

To earn bronze, an advocacy coordinator must be identified and the organization must develop an advocacy work plan. The corporation must pass an advocacy board resolution, establish at least one social media account, register 20% or more of staff and board members as advocates at HCAdvocacy.org, or host a meeting or tour with at least one elected official or their staff annually. The organization must also host a National Health Center Week (NHCW).

To move from bronze status to silver or gold status, organizations must reach a threshold of a certain number of points on top of achieving that required of bronze status. Points are designated by application tasks. Silver status requires 40 points. Gold status requires 75 points.

“Looking into the future, the gold status is easily attainable as we complete the other required tasks to reach the 75 points.” said Carpenter. “Our advocacy push, from the start, has always been about the patients and not this distinction. So many of the things asked of us are already items we have completed or make a priority already.”

The other tasks associated with silver and gold status include the following: 

• The action alert response rate from the staff of 10% across a period of six months
• Register 50% of the staff and board members as advocates of HCAdvocacy.org
• Participation in a town hall with elected officials
• Testify or submit written remarks to local, state, or federal officials on proposed legislation impacting health centers
• Establish an advocacy committee at your organization
• Register 100% of staff and board members as advocates
• Establish an advocacy committee at your organization
• Participation in NACHC’s Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP)
• Host a round table or candidate forum with elected officials
• 10 action alert response rate of 15% over six months
• Register 75% of staff/board members as advocates at HCAdvocacy.org
• Submit an op-ed/essay to a publication (media, blog, website, etc.)
• Post a video on social media and tag member(s) of Congress
• Attend an office visit with member(s) of Congress (or their staff)
• Staff and board member attends NACHC’s Policy & Issues Forum
• Participation in civic engagement efforts
• Host staff or board member advocacy training at your organization
• Staff and board member participation in NACHC’s Advocacy Leadership Program (ALP)

“Our staff really worked tirelessly to get us from bronze status straight to being able to apply for gold status by strategically completing tasks in the list,” said Carpenter. “The list includes tasks that can be applied to achieving both, but to achieve gold status you must complete more tasks and/or larger tasks worth more points.”

With this new status, NorthShore Health Centers will be even more poised to meet the needs of their patients. After all, the achievement is a nod to their commitment and capability to affordable, comprehensive, and innovative care.

For more information on NorthShore Health Centers, you can visit northshorehealth.org.