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MemorialCare - Government Relations
MemorialCare Medical Centers Government Relations
2010 - 2011 Legislative Year

Tips for Meeting with your Elected Officials
A relationship with your representatives takes time and is built on trust. You may not always agree with your representatives, or they agree with you. However, if you consistently keep your word, follow through, and act in a professional manner, your opinion will always count.

Here are some tips for conducting an effective face-to-face meeting:

Do:

· Always be prompt, and be conscious of your time allotment
· Introduce yourself and anyone with you, and explain the purpose of the visit
· Offer 1-2 reasons why this issue is important to you and why you are a credible advocate
· Be concise
· Ask for what you want
· Offer ways you can help the representative help you obtain your goals
· Leave information about the issue
· Explain how supporting this issue will affect their district constituents, both residential and business.
· Be courteous, polite and professional
· Offer to follow-up on any information you might not have at that moment and follow through on your commitment
· Say thank you, and follow-up with a thank you letter

Don’t:

· Be late
· Be argumentative or condescending
· Offer information you cannot back up
· Take too much time
· Get angry or yell
· Be disorganized.
· Allow side issues to hijack the agenda.
· Forget to have everyone in your party speak.
· Condemn other legislators.

Often, your representatives will ask their staff to meet with you. Do not be slighted by this. Elected officials have great faith in their staffs.

The most important factor as you build trust with your elected officials is to keep your word at all times – never mislead or lie.

With each new visit to your representatives, you’ll see how effective you can become. Meeting face-to-face is a great way to Take Action!

MemorialCare respects the right of each of its employees to hold his or her own viewpoint on political issues. MemorialCare does not and will not make, adopt, or enforce any rule, regulation or policy controlling or directing, or tending to control or direct the political activities or affiliations of its employees. In addition, MemorialCare will not coerce or influence, or attempt to coerce or influence, its employees through or by means of threat of discharge or loss of employment to adopt or follow, or refrain from adopting or following, any particular course or line of political action or political activity. Although MemorialCare may, at times, identify its position on certain legislative bills and public policy issues, MemorialCare does not require that its employees adopt or follow the same position.
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MemorialCare Health System is a not-for-profit integrated delivery system which includes Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, Miller Children’s Hospital Long Beach, Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center and Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and San Clemente. Our community-based hospitals are located in Southern California in both Los Angeles County and Orange County. Copyright © 1999 - 2010, Memorial Health Services. All rights reserved.