Mobile Integrated Healthcare Week is coming up again this October, and it’s time to get MIH Week proclamations in front of governors. Governors in South Carolina, Wyoming, and Indiana have signed MIH Week proclamations to recognize the tireless efforts and incredible impact of MIH teams.
NAMIHP spent months developing the proclamation language, and it’s time for MIH Week professionals to get all states to recognize the second week of October as MIH Week. It’s time for you to be an MIH Week Champion.
Why the MIH Week Proclamation Matters
Signing these proclamations is all for show, right? What’s the big deal? MIH teams have been working for more than a decade to build local partnerships, fill care gaps, and keep patients out of the hospital. To keep elderly people at home, living independently. To make sure those who recently had surgery don’t end up back in the hospital. To help people with diabetes or heart failure manage their conditions. And this is only a tiny fraction of the work done through MIH.
Yet, much of these efforts fly under the radar. The public and politicians far too often don’t know what’s being done in their communities to provide high-quality healthcare. Expanded partnerships, compensation, and recognition come from awareness. That’s why the proclamation matters.
Getting an MIH Week proclamation signed requires consistent effort from MIH Week Champions in the field. These individuals must reach out and educate multiple people. The process of getting a proclamation in front of a governor, much less a president, means numerous people learn about MIH at each step. Finally, with the official recognition comes more awareness by the public and more value placed on the profession.
How to Get a Proclamation Signed
NAMIHP envisions every state adopting the MIH Week proclamation. Each state’s recognition adds awareness and builds the path towards federal recognition and sustainability. Ideally, each state will have one or two MIH Week Champions who consistently reach out to state leaders to keep the proclamation top of mind.
“You have to be a squeaky wheel,” said Jim Adkins, former NAMIHP board member and long-time advocate. “They don’t know you. You have to convince the person on the other end this is something of importance.”
A great first step is reaching out to the Governor’s Office of Correspondence. This office gets a lot of calls, so it may take several attempts before you reach someone. Take the name and contact information of the most appropriate person to handle your request. Persistence is key. You may need to call and/or email every few weeks. Each time you reach out, forward the proclamation. Keep reaching out asking them to add the proclamation to the annual list the governor signs.
“When talking to someone in these offices or in person, you need to educate them,” Jim said. “Talk about MIH in broad strokes. It benefits the health of all Americans. It recognizes the efforts of thousands of hard-working MIH personnel across your state.”
Once your proclamation is listed for annual signature, you still want to follow up every year to make sure the governor formally signs.
Structure of the Proclamation
The proclamation language serves to educate and recognize MIH as a profession. The first part acknowledges that many citizens receive care from MIH and that this care fills gaps in the health system. It then leads into the goals of MIH and how these goals rely on partnerships with local EMS, health, and community organizations. Finally, it highlights the commitment of everyone involved in MIH to providing high-quality care and that MIH Week recognizes this hard work.
Be an MIH Week Champion
If you’d like a copy of the proclamation language to build from, visit the MIH Week site and download an editable version.
Several states have already taken the lead in adopting the proclamation. To have this adopted in your state, become a Champion. Now is the time to start reaching out to get the proclamation in front of your governor.
Get MIH Week Recognized! MIH Week Proclamation & Resources