NCHN Executive Director & NCHN Member Attend White House Community Leaders Briefing

May 8, 2012 - PRLog -- Dr. Rebecca J. Davis, Executive Director of the National Cooperative of Health Networks Association (NCHN) and Tim Size, Executive Director of Rural Wisconsin Hospital Cooperative, attended the National Cooperative Business Association (NCBA) sponsored Community Leaders Briefing. Approximately one hundred fifty cooperative leaders from all sectors of the economy and corners of the nation met with top policymakers at the White House on May 4, 2012, to discuss how their organizations spur economic recovery through job creation and ongoing investments in their local communities.

The event began with a briefing by senior Obama Administration officials including Jack Lew, White House Chief of Staff; Judy Canales, Deputy Under Secretary, USDA, Danielle Gray, Deputy Assistant to the President, National Economic Council; Carlos Monje, Chief of Staff, Domestic Policy Council; and Jon Carson, Director, White House Office of Public Engagement.; and Greg Nelson, Deputy Director for Private Sector Outreach, White House Office of Public Engagement. Following the briefings four breakout sessions were conducted so that the cooperative leaders could meet with members of the Administration to discuss small business development, job creation, innovative programs and financial cooperatives.

During the Briefing, Dr. Davis had the opportunity to describe the work of NCHN and its members and introduce Tim Size, Executive Director of the Rural Wisconsin Hospital Cooperative as one example of the cooperative health organizations that has been in operation since 1979.

“Every day cooperatives around the United States are stimulating the economy and we are pleased to have the opportunity to discuss our successes in job creation and ways to use the cooperative model to continue to strengthen communities large and small," said Liz Bailey, interim president and chief executive officer of the National Cooperative Business Association. According to Ms. Bailey, two million jobs are generated each year as a direct result of cooperatives, which illustrates the incredible impact that these organizations have on local economies. The NCBA reports there are currently 29,000 cooperative businesses nationwide spanning most industries, including agriculture, energy, financial service and credit unions, food distribution, healthcare, housing retail and telecommunications. United States cooperatives account for more than $3 trillion in assets, over $500 billion in total revenue and $25 billion in wages and benefits.

The White House Community Leaders Briefing is a weekly program that provides a unique opportunity for community leaders to have a dialogue with the White House about issues that are affecting their communities as well as to ensure that they are well informed about government policies and programs and how they can use or maximize these resources.

NCHN is a national level professional membership organization of health network leaders across the nation. Its mission is to support and strengthen health networks through collaboration, networking, leadership development and education. The Association has members in 33 states. For more information, visit www.NCHN.org