HOSPAC Endorses Todd Hunter
January 16, 2014
The Honorable Todd Hunter
Todd Hunter Campaign
Dear Representative Hunter:
HOSPAC, the state political action committee of the Texas Hospital Association, is endorsing your candidacy for the Texas House of Representatives! Because of your commitment to Texas hospitals and the vital work we do in communities across the state, HOSPAC is pleased to stand with you in your election effort.
We appreciate your interest in working with hospitals as we face the challenge of delivering the highest quality patient care in an era of funding cutbacks. Hospitals are vital sources of trauma and emergency care, acute and primary care, and prevention and wellness services. They are also major economic engines, generating nearly $200 billion in economic activity for the state. State budget cuts and a persistently high number of uninsured residents threaten hospitals’ continued ability to sustain their services and maintain access to care. The 84th Legislature will be dealing with multiple issues affecting Texas hospitals from workforce and behavioral health to Medicaid financing and reimbursement. We urge you to work to ensure that policy issues of importance to hospitals are paramount and that budget decisions do not adversely affect hospitals and, most importantly, the patients and communities we serve.
To get the word out about your endorsement, THA and HOSPAC will:
• Release our endorsements in a press release and publish on the HOSPAC website;
• Promote the endorsements to THA members; and
• Be available to assist your campaign in promoting this endorsement to media outlets in your district or on social media.
Next week, HOSPAC will distribute a general news release about its endorsements. In addition, we encourage you to personalize the attached template to promote HOSPAC’s endorsement in your district. You may use HOSPAC’s and/or the Texas Hospital Association’s name in campaign advertising or other communications. If you would like additional assistance with media relations activities, please contact Lance Lunsford, THA’s vice president of advocacy communications, at 512/465-1052.
One of the largest hospital associations in the country, THA represents more than 85 percent of the state’s hospitals and health care systems, which employ more than 369,000 health care professionals statewide. Endorsement decisions are made by the HOSPAC Board of Directors, a diverse group representing hospitals of types and size from all areas of the state. Endorsement decisions are based on candidates’ positions on health care issues, previous support of health care issues of importance to hospitals and the patients we serve, and input from local hospital representatives.
If you would like additional information about health care/hospital issues, please contact THA’s Jennifer Banda, vice president of advocacy, public policy and HOSPAC, at 512/465-1046. Hospitals look forward to working with you to improve health care. Good luck in your election efforts!
Sincerely,
Mike Zucker, FACHE Jennifer Banda, J.D.
Chairman Vice President, Advocacy, Public Policy & HOSPAC
HOSPAC Board of Directors Texas Hospital Association