Tuesday and Wednesday, April 20-21, 2010*

NHPCO’s Capitol Hill Day offerings are a unique opportunity to establish a link between the care you provide and the policy questions your lawmakers face. Your federal representatives need to know how they can protect and improve care for the dying.

NHPCO, in collaboration with its lobbying affiliate, the Alliance for Care at the End of Life, is building on the success of Capitol Hill Day 2009 and rising to meet the challenges facing the hospice community.  Capitol Hill Day 2010 will offer an expanded opportunity for Hospice Advocates to sharpen their skills and tell the hospice story, plus more time to cover critical ground on Capitol Hill.  Now, more than ever, it is critical that the hospice community invest more time and manpower in Hospice Advocacy.

MLC registrants, who also register for Capitol Hill Day, will receive the following at no additional expense:

• A personalized schedule of meetings, set up for you by Hill Day management professionals, with your representatives in the House and Senate, and the option to meet with other federal officials from your service area.
• Maps and materials customized for each Congressional meeting.
• State delegation coordination for maximum impact in Senate meetings.
• Interactive, state-focused strategy sessions tailored to your advocacy experience level, on the timeliest hospice messages for Capitol Hill, and effective tools to develop lasting relationships with Congressional staff and Members.
• Tickets to “Hospice Comes to Washington,” NHPCO’s Tuesday night social event just for Hill Day attendees.
• Training and materials on how to take Hospice Advocacy home after Hill Day.
• Metro card to get you to and from Capitol Hill.
• Access to NHPCO’s Hill Day Respite Room, located in the Congressional compound, where you can unwind, snack between meetings and ask questions.
• Admittance to NHPCO’s Congressional Reception.
• A customized questionnaire to report back on your meetings.
• A team of on-site professionals to address all of your Hospice Advocacy questions and concerns.
• And, more to come…  

Capitol Hill Strategy Session

NHPCO is pleased to announce the 2^nd Capitol Hill Strategy Session.   Attendees will receive preparation materials for their Capitol Hill meetings and work with outside experts to fine tune advocacy skills.  The Capitol Hill Strategy Session provides an opportunity to work with colleagues, industry experts, key policy makers and issue advocates to deliver the best messages to advance end-of-life care on the Hill.  Attendees will also receive up-to-the-minute developments on legislative activity impacting the hospice community.  For 2010, we’ve expanded this offering to include more expert attention and additional room for states to caucus.   This is a “must-attend” event!

*Please note:  Capitol Hill Day 2010 is a comprehensive, multi-day event that begins with a Strategy Session at 1:00 pm on April 20^th.  The Strategy Session is a prerequisite to joining NHPCO on the Hill for Congressional meetings.  Attendees should make sure that their travel arrangements allow for both days of activities.   Pre-registration is required.

The deadline to register for Capitol Hill Day is Thursday, April 1, 2010.

This event is free to MLC registrants; $149 for non-registrants. After you register, you will need to select your Congressional meetings.

Meetings on Capitol Hill

NHPCO strongly encourages hospice professionals to regularly meet with their Congressional representatives to educate them on the benefits and challenges of providing hospice and palliative care and to position hospice programs as local community resources. 

For Capitol Hill Day 2010, NHPCO has allotted an entire day for Congressional meetings and activities. NHPCO will be scheduling and coordinating these meetings for Capitol Hill Day registrants.  This will allow unprecedented impact and a more unified showing on the Hill!  NHPCO will also be hosting a Respite Room on the Hill, where attendees can grab a bite to eat and get their questions answered.

All-Member Capitol Hill Reception

Complete your Capitol Hill Day at this great networking opportunity!   The Capitol Hill Reception takes place on Wednesday evening in the middle of all of the action on the Hill.   The reception will be open to all NHPCO members, Members of Congress and their staff. Details regarding the Capitol Hill Reception will be posted early in 2010.