A Voice for Those Who Care  January 2010 Care. Vote. Contribute. IN THIS ISSUE:    A Note from the Chairman  HOSPAC Announces Elections Endorsements Host a Voter Registration Drive Nominate a Worthy Colleague for HOSPAC’s Star Award Feb. 16 Reception Scheduled During THA’s Leadership Conference Thanks to HOSPAC’s 2009 Contributors!   Make Your Voice Heard ... Join HOSPAC! HOSPAC Notes is a periodic publication of the Texas Hospital Association's Political Action Committees, 1108 Lavaca, Suite 700, Austin, Texas 78701, 512/465-1047. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the publisher. Jennifer Banda, J.D. Senior Director, Government Relations Lisa Kepple  Director, HOSPAC Jennifer O'Neil Public Affairs Specialist Amanda Engler Managing Editor Kathy Li Production Editor   A Note from the Chairman   David Tesmer It’s an honor to serve as chairman of your HOSPAC Board of Directors! The 2010-11 HOSPAC Board had its first meeting of the year earlier this week and welcomed several new members. In addition, James Summersett III, FACHE, president/CEO of Knapp Medical Center in Weslaco, was elected chair-elect of the organization. Congratulations, Jim! One of HOSPAC’s main activities is raising funds to support endorsed candidates. I’m proud to announce that HOSPAC Federal met its goal for 2009, and we are close to the goal for HOSPAC State. Some 2009 contributions are still coming in at press time. HOSPAC appreciates the support and participation of all 2009 donors. The 2010 election cycle already is underway, and this will be a busy year for HOSPAC. THA staff and members will be distributing numerous HOSPAC contribution checks to endorsed candidates, and we will be kicking off 2010 fundraising efforts soon. Running for political office is expensive, and HOSPAC needs as many financial resources as possible to help elect those best able to advocate for Texas hospital concerns. So, please contribute to HOSPAC and vote in the 2010 elections! David Tesmer Chairman, HOSPAC Board of Directors Serving with Tesmer is the HOSPAC Board of Directors.  HOSPAC Announces Elections Endorsements  The HOSPAC Board of Directors met Jan. 12 to review and make endorsements of state and federal candidates for the 2010 elections. HOSPAC made endorsements in several statewide races, as well as most races for the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. All 32 incumbents were endorsed in their bids for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Texas Supreme Court seats and a few other legislative races will be considered at a Feb. 16 meeting of the HOSPAC Board. Several of these pending endorsements involve open seats, and HOSPAC still is gathering information about the candidates and meeting with them. More detailed information about state endorsed candidates will be available on a searchable Web site, beginning in early February. Watch your e-mail for a special announcement! Information on congressional candidates will be published in a mid-February edition of the Health Care Advocate. Because HOSPAC represents a diverse membership, and because many different types of candidates may be well-positioned to improve health care policy, HOSPAC contributes to and endorses candidates only after careful research and deliberation. In making its endorsement decisions, the HOSPAC Board of Directors considered candidate recommendations from hospital and other community leaders; the candidate’s knowledge, philosophy and position on health care issues; his or her willingness to listen to local hospital input; and district demographics. Host a Voter Registration Drive The Texas Hospital Association and HOSPAC have prepared an online toolkit to help mobilize Texas’ 355,000 health care employees and make them influential participants in both the primary elections in March and the General Election in November. The toolkit includes general information about voting in Texas, step-by-step instructions on hosting a voter registration drive and get-out-the-vote campaign, sample correspondence, artwork and other resources. Hospitals are urged to consider hosting voter registration drives and get-out-the-vote activities during the weeks leading up to the March 2 primary elections. Some facilities also may want to serve as polling sites for early voting or on Election Day; check with your local elections administrator for more details. To participate in the March 2 primaries, voters must be registered by Feb. 1. Early voting will take place Feb. 16-26.  The 2010 election cycle is key because every statewide office is on the ballot, including governor and lieutenant governor, as well as every seat in the Texas House of Representatives and 16 Texas Senate seats. In addition, Texas will elect 32 congressional representatives and possibly a senator (if Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison resigns, a special election will be held to fill the vacancy). Some of these races will be decided in the primaries, so voter participation is critical. Prior to the beginning of early voting for the March 2 primaries, HOSPAC will publish detailed information about its state endorsements online (see related article above). Information on congressional candidates will be published in a mid-February edition of the Health Care Advocate. If you have questions about the upcoming elections, please contact Jennifer Banda, J.D., senior director of government relations, at 512/465-1046. If you have questions about the online voter registration toolkit or any of the materials, please contact Amanda Engler, APR, senior director of media relations, at 512/465-1026. Nominate a Worthy Colleague for HOSPAC’s Star Award HOSPAC is seeking nominations for its Star Award, which recognizes outstanding hospital leaders who go above and beyond to support HOSPAC. The inaugural HOSPAC Star Trustee Award was presented in August to Peggy Allison, trustee at Methodist Healthcare System of San Antonio. The award will honor an outstanding hospital executive or organization. The award will be presented at the Texas Hospital Association’s Leadership Conference, Feb. 17-18, in Austin. Download the nomination form and submit your suggestion today! Nominations are due by Jan. 27, so don’t delay! Feb. 16 HOSPAC Leadership Reception Scheduled During THA’s Leadership Conference  Mark your calendar and plan to attend HOSPAC’s first Leadership Reception of 2010! This event will be co-hosted with the THA Board of Trustees on Feb. 16 in conjunction with THA’s Leadership Conference at the Renaissance Austin Hotel. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has been invited as the guest speaker! Watch your e-mail for more details soon! For more information, contact Lisa Kepple, HOSPAC programs director, at lkepple@tha.org. To register for THA’s conference, visit www.tha.org/conf2010.  Thanks to HOSPAC’s 2009 Contributors! Many thanks to everyone who contributed to HOSPAC last year! As of Dec. 31, the HOSPAC 2009 Annual Campaign effort raised an estimated $249,395, and totals are still being finalized. Overall:  $249,395 (93% of $267,000 goal) State PAC:  $105,185 (87% of $121,000 goal) Federal PAC: $122,940 (102% of $121,000 goal) Corporate PAC: $  21,270 (85% of $25,000 goal) HOSPAC’s Leadership Level members will be recognized during THA’s annual Leadership Conference in February and in the March-April issue of Texas Hospitals.  * Most recent pledges/contributions received prior to publication. Back to top According to Texas Government Code 305.02, portions of this material may be considered “legislative advertising.” Authorization for its publication is made by John Hawkins, senior vice president of government and public affairs, Texas Hospital Association, P.O. Box 679010, Austin, Texas 78767-9010.