For the good of the child

Legislative activities of the past 10 years have led many hospitals to develop grassroots advocacy programs that focus on specific issues. At Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, St. Louis, advocacy efforts involve employees, physicians, board members, and others. Situated near the Missouri-Illinois border, Cardinal Glennon serves patients from both states and deals with the legislatures and government agencies of each. Cardinal Glennon has formed alliances with children's hospitals in Missouri and in Illinois to lobby for fair funding from both states' Medicaid programs. Cardinal Glennon has formed a public policy committee that evaluates issues, sets priorities, and identifies trends. Hospital staff work with legislators from both states, inviting them for a first-hand look at children's needs. The hospital has also formed the Letter-Writing Advocacy Committee. Committee members write their representatives, stating their viewpoint on specific issues. Cardinal Glennon sponsors the Southern Illinois Perinatal Program. The hospital is also home to Missouri's regional poison control center, which in 1991 saved the state of Missouri $400,000 in Medicaid funds and saved private insurance carriers approximately $2.2 million. Cardinal Glennon's advocacy efforts extend beyond specific hospital programs, however, Hospital representatives often testify to legislative committees on more universal issues such as child abuse, lead poisoning, primary care needs, and trauma care.