Each year, more and more of GAO’s efforts are successful due to the increase of our collective voice: That is, the united voice of our clients, families, employees, and industry partners. GAO staff can only do so much alone—it is our Hearts for Home Care (H4HC) Ambassadors and advocates who help to bring the message to legislators loud and clear.
And our Ambassador program continues to grow every year. In 2019, 335 BAYADA employees and caregivers served as Ambassadors—a 28% growth over 2018! Not only is the Ambassador program growing and expanding each year, the culture of advocacy is growing across the company. That is, Ambassadors are increasingly getting their coworkers and clients involved in advocacy efforts, and BAYADA and the home health care industry as a whole are seeing how their voices help make a significant impact.
In 2019, GAO saw a major expansion of the Ambassador program. Traditionally, each GAO state director would host an annual Ambassador Training day. After extensive research and development, GAO expanded and enhanced the program by hosting seven revamped on-site Ambassador academies, ten 30-minute educational Ambassador zoom sessions, and eight on-boarding sessions for new Ambassadors. Additionally, GAO developed the curriculum for, and hosted, the first-ever Advocacy Bootcamp during the National Association for Home Care and Hospice (NAHC) annual conference in Seattle, Washington. Here, GAO taught and trained other providers on BAYADA’s “best-in-the-industry” grassroots advocacy program.
The Ambassador program continues to grow every year in number and in recognition. In 2019, BAYADA’s grassroots and Ambassador programs were recognized as one of the most impactful in the entire home care industry. In 2019, Ambassadors continued to lead home visits, legislative roundtables, and office visits with legislators.
