WINNER

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF CARDIOLOGY
Over the last two years the ACC's "Cardiologist for a Day" program has
captured the attention of lawmakers. In a non-confrontational manner, the
program has brought together state legislators, Center for Medicare Services
Carriers, private payers, state/local health department administrators and
physicians to discuss health care policy. The program involves inviting policy
makers to visit a cardiology practice and spend time observing the health care delivery process.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

PFIZER, INC.
To help raise visibility and encourage friendly competition, Pfizer created an
incentive program for their program, Pfizer Advocates. Performance is
measured through a point system with two types of points. One for activity
and another for participation of employees, based on percentages. Each June the site that received the most points is publicly recognized at an annual legislative conference in Washington, DC. The top three site coordinators also receive a prize and the site itself gets a large trophy that can be displayed at the site for the year.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT

OHIO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION
In an effort to prevent freezing Medicaid reimbursement rates for children's
hospitals, OCHA created The Medicaid Action Center and also worked to put
a human face on the effects of such cuts. Encompassing many of the tried and true grassroots activities (letters, phone calls, rallies, testimony) and some new twists (holiday cards for legislators designed by children, hospital personnel delivering messages to lawmakers in preemie baby bottles, awards for legislators designed with the faces of children), OCHA was successful in
stopping the Medicaid cuts.