Our team at the Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF) is excited for the upcoming VOICES conference. It’s our seventh conference bringing together more than 200 community activists, service providers, researchers, and health advocates to mobilize and create meaningful policy impacts for Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AA and NHPI) communities.
On September 14-15 in Washington, D.C., the VOICES conference will focus on health equity in AA and NHPI communities and tackle one of the greatest questions we face – the future of health and the health care system in our country. While the passage of the Affordable Care Act and its expansions of health insurance coverage have made tremendous differences for families across the country, many in our communities still face barriers to enrollment and are not covered by a health insurance plan. With the next open enrollment period beginning this fall, we are taking the opportunity to focus on improvements in prevention and care delivery to ensure greater access for our communities.
The movement toward health equity for all communities faces many challenges, and we are working to fully equip our leaders with the tools they need to spread the message. During the conference, we will use community organization and coalition building practices and explore opportunities to influence change on state and national levels. Conference participants will share their experiences in working to raise AA and NHPI voices in health advocacy conversations, and in collaboration with other advocates, provide recommendations and narratives to Congressional leaders about the significance of health equity for all.
VOICES 2015 aims to prepare our leaders to strengthen our national conversations about health and health care by including new voices and marginalized communities. As the health care landscape continues to shift, it is crucial that we stand together and elevate AA and NHPI voices to move health forward and beyond for our communities.
APIAHF is one of CPEHN’s four founding ethnic partner organizations.