Community Health Connectors
Whoa! In today’s day and age, there are certainly a lot of organizations out there making a difference in health care. And, to appeal to the multi-faceted nature of who you are as an individual, you can select from a group below that fits your specific desires and goals for the reformation. Thanks for taking an active step to revolutionize health care, improve the health of others, and make the system work for you!
Allies for Health Reform
Integrative Health Resources
Natural Approaches to Health and Lifestyle
Thoughtful Blogs
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Local Level:
Oregon’s We Can Do Better brings to you the Archimedes Movement, where “the mission of the Archimedes Movement is to create a new space for civic engagement outside our traditional legislative and governance structures to advance solutions to the common problems we face –starting with the crisis in the health care system.”
Health Care for ALL – “Oregon (HCAO) is working for secure, affordable health care for each and every Oregonian. We believe the best way to do this is through a universal, single-payer health care system for every resident of the state (and nation). With everyone in the same insurance pool, we can lower costs while providing more comprehensive services than what most residents receive now.”
Citizen’s Guide to the Oregon Legislative Process “Oregon’s legislative process, unlike some legislatures in the nation, is dominated by legislative committees, where most of the work to shape legislation and public policy is done. Committee members consider the testimony of many groups including Oregon citizens. This page offers many tools to help citizens participate in our legislative process.”
Oregon Action “takes pride in developing outstanding leaders from communities who are traditionally on the downside of power — people who are low-income, women, people of color, immigrants and those with felony backgrounds — building their skills and ability to strengthen their community. Oregon Action believes power rests in the hands of the people. We organize people to work together and exert their power to win progressive changes in the policies that shape their lives.”
Oregon Health Action Campaign (OHAC) “is a 20-year-old organization whose mission is to empower the consumer voice in the development of health systems that give all people access to the care they need, when they need it, from providers of their choice at an affordable cost. OHAC works statewide and in local communities, with organizations and individuals, in coalition and collaboration, to increase the number of people receiving health services as well as improving access for the uninsured, low-income and vulnerable Oregonians.”
Health Care Without Harm states that “together with our partners around the world, Health Care Without Harm shares a vision of a health care sector that does no harm, and instead promotes the health of people and the environment. To that end, we are working to implement ecologically sound and healthy alternatives to health care practices that pollute the environment and contribute to disease.”
Health Equity Initiative “works to address the root causes of socioeconomic and racial injustices that lead to health disparities.”
Metropolitan Alliance for Common Good “is a broad-based organization of 29 religious congregations, labor union locals, and community-based organizations. It is driven by the belief that these Mediating Institutions must be strong because they are the cornerstones of a vibrant democratic society and hold the key to mending and reweaving the social fabric essential for strong families, healthy communities, and a just world.”
Physicians for Social Responsibility “is a non-profit advocacy organization that is the medical and public health voice for policies to prevent nuclear war and proliferation and to slow, stop and reverse global warming and toxic degradation of the environment.”
Purple Bus Lady Health care protesters get creative– we need this sort of thing all over the country! Join Kathie McClure as she traverses the country in a purple bus dotted with smiling faces, looking to see how we can collaborate with one another and seek fair and adequate health care for everyone.
Talk Health Reform is a pretty amazing idea. This governmental outlet actively discusses a myriad of topics getting all perspectives on what a genuine health care system looks like and how we can create the tools to obtain it. And what makes it even more awesome, is that YOUR input is personally requested.
The Trust for Health Care Excellence “engages front line clinicians and health care professionals in an active grass roots process of advocacy and action toward an improved health care system. The initiative is called the Better Health Initiative. Our approach is to use “middle out” leadership in order to cultivate a more unified, cohesive voice and develop solutions to drive systematic health care change.”
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The vision of iCaduceus “is to improve the health of people throughout the world by offering highly-disseminated, superb medical information and education that supports integrative and holistic clinicians in creating successful and satisfying practices.”
Integrator Blog cites that “integration, by nature, asks us to open our peripheral visions. We are served to look at the whole of the field. We need to develop new fascia, new connectivity. Opportunities crop up in new places. These News and Reports are meant to give provide you with tools, insights and connections to enhance integrated care in the environment you serve. We are, though often loosely conjoined, a subset of the broader healthcare industry. We share — to greater and lesser degrees — a desire to transform the conventional sytem.”
The Urban Zen Foundation “creates, connects and collaborates to raise awareness and inspire change in the areas of well-being, preserving cultures and empowering children. We design forums, partner with existing organizations and bring together experts to define solutions and implement action.”
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Natural Approaches to Health and Lifestyle
Health Taken Seriously “How to make informed choices in order to keep your family and home healthy.”
The goal of Campaign for Safe Cosmetics “is to protect the health of consumers and workers by requiring the health and beauty industry to phase out the use of chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects and other health problems, and replace them with safer alternatives.” The website includes a list of health conscious beauty products and what chemicals to watch out for due to toxic components.
Natural Medicine Network ” is being created to allow people within the natural medicine community to communicate. It will be a place collaborate, exchange resources and talk with students and doctors around the country. This page is the homepage to an online forum that will be released in December 2008 to all those who create a username and password on this page. The Natural Medicine Network has been designed by a student for prospective students, ND/MSOM students and practitioners. Friends, family and the curious are also welcome.”
The Enso Center “is to increase awareness of Naturopathic Physicians and the principles of the medicine we practice.”
Institute for Natural Medicine (INM) “assists in the dissemination of credible information about naturopathic philosophy and natural medicine to consumers, businesses, health care professions, governmental entities and educational institutions, through advancement of educational and research activities.”
Natural News “is a non-profit collection of public education websites covering topics that empower individuals to make positive changes in their health, environmental sensitivity, consumer choices and informed skepticism.”
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Thoughtful Blogs
Brandon Brown: Mindblog and Book Reports
Deepest Health: Exploring Chinese Medicine
Ecology of Medicine
Five Minds
NC Natural Medicine
Portland Acupuncture Blog
Sara Ryn Hart’s Weblog
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Admin’s Note: It is our aim at the Helfgott Blog to ensure that the practices and principles of the organizations listed above are benevolent and contain compassionate intentions. If at any time you believe that the organizations above do not uphold these values, please do not hesitate to let us know. We are an advocate for the patient first and foremost. If you are an organization that feels that your mission statements and ideals are in-line with those of the Helfgott Blog and would like to be considered as a reference on our Community Resource page, please let us know and we will review your cite. Thank you for your interest!