Advocate
Conquering CHD is the resounding voice of the congenital heart community. Our voice is strengthened by the involvement of all of those who share our mission - those who share their stories, and advocate on behalf of the people in their lives affected by congenital heart disease. Each one of us has a story to tell. These stories make a great impact when told the right way to the right people. Let Conquering CHD help you advocate to fellow patients, doctors, researchers, and lawmakers. Our advocates are the most effective resource for making changes on Capitol Hill, with government agencies, other national policy makers and even within their own hospitals. As an advocate, you will benefit from: regular communication to help you stay up to date on what is happening in the CHD policy world, access to resources to help empower you to share your story, alerts to when urgent action is needed, and personalized opportunities depending on local and regional needs.
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Attend Heart Connection Conference
Heart Connection is an annual conference uniting all impacted by CHD. Get ready to learn, engage, and act, changing the landscape of congenital heart disease together. In addition to sessions led by experts in the field, Heart Connection includes legislative advocacy visits to Capitol Hill where patients and families like you, along with medical providers and federal policymakers unite to educate members of Congress about congenital heart disease.
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How to contact your lawmakers
There are many ways to advocate. We offer tips and tricks for sending emails, connecting on social media, or even visiting your legislators local office.
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Telling your story
Your story is the most important part of advocacy! While no one can write your story for you, we would like to provide you with a few tips to make your story impactful and powerful.
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Advocacy for Kids
Kids of all ages make fantastic advocates! Their honesty and humor, tied to the promise of the future, alway gets the attention of Members of Congress and their staff. With a little practice, kids can be just as prepared as their adults to use their #CHDVoice.
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Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act
The Federal Government is the largest funder of CHD research. Conquering CHD advocates fought for the passage of the CHFRA, which became law in December of 2018. This legislation authorizes $50 million for CHD research and data collection through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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Congenital Heart Public Health Framework
The Congenital Heart Public Health Consortium (CHPHC) has developed a framework that identifies the core components of the public health approach and how those apply to children and adults living with congenital heart defects. Key components of the framework address the progress made in recent years as well as the continued disparities in surveillance, policy, and health outcomes. The framework is intended to serve as a catalyst in raising awareness of the public health opportunities to reduce the risk and improve long‐term outcomes for those living with congenital heart defects.
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Stay Connected
Start your advocacy journey by staying connected to be sure you receive timely updates on urgent action items and opportunities to advocate. Follow us on social media and join our email list.