Coalition Board members, staff and community leaders participated in the 14th Annual Spring Conference of the National Healthy Start Association (NHSA) April 6-9 in Washington, DC. This year’s conference highlighted opportunities for advocacy expanding health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Joy Burgess, RN, MSN, chair of the Coalition’s Community Advocacy and Public Policy (CAPP) Committee; Board member Rev. Tom Rodgers; Marsha Davis, Magnolia Project community outreach coordinator; and Isadora Howell, Make a Difference! Leadership Academy graduate and 2013 recipient of the Dorothy Wilson Mabry Legacy Award attended the meeting.

Healthy Start attendees from Northeast Florida were also featured presenters in two of the conference workshops. Rev. Tom Rodgers participated as a panelist along with representatives from Maryland and Illinois and discussed Florida’s challenges in implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Marsha Davis highlighted state efforts to promote “Show Your Love,” a new preconception health campaign developed by the CDC.

The group also joined other attendees in visiting elected officials to encourage their support of funding for the Magnolia Project and other federally-funded Healthy Start initiatives.

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