HPAC Continues Planning for Future of Advocacy at CHEST

FEBRUARY 2021

HPAC Continues Planning for Future of Advocacy at CHEST

The Health Policy and Advocacy Committee (HPAC), Executive Leadership team, and the Presidents of CHEST met in November in a strategic planning session to collectively discuss the group’s recent and future activities.

There was strong agreement that the efforts since the completion of the NAMDRC acquisition have outpaced the initial expectations. The group described themselves as being on an incredibly vertical trajectory in the advocacy space. Several factors have led to this:

1. CMS prioritization of the issues of noninvasive ventilation and “home” oxygen access, both of which are among HPAC policy priorities.
2. COVID-19 and the national health emergency thrusting pulmonary medicine and critical care into the public’s awareness.
3. The recognition and progress in development of meaningful and effective partnerships with other organizations and stakeholders with common concerns.

As a result of this strategic planning session, in addition to continued efforts in the five priority areas the group has identified, HPAC will address the broader issues of:

• Best governance structure to support this function within CHEST.
• Best staffing model.
• Effective communication of HPAC’s efforts.

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