Advocating on behalf of the National Center for Health Statistics
The Friends of NCHS is a voluntary coalition of more than 250 organizations that support the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). Members of this diverse group -- including think tanks, professional associations, and universities -- rely on the data collected and maintained by NCHS to conduct research, support advocacy efforts, and inform health policy.
The Friends of NCHS advocates on behalf of the agency to Congress. Its activities include:
Sending joint letters to key members of Congress;
Making joint visits to members of Congress and their staff; and
Coordinating briefings to demonstrate the importance of NCHS and the research it supports.
Why NCHS?
NCHS Helps us understand our health
Thanks to NCHS, we know too many Americans are overweight and obese, cancer deaths have decreased, average life expectancy has increased, and emergency rooms are over-crowded. We know how many people are uninsured, how many children are immunized, how many women receive prenatal care, how many Americans are living with HIV/AIDS, and how many teens gave birth.
nchs helps us improve our health
NCHS's surveys and data collection efforts -- such as the National Health Interview Survey, National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey, and National Vital Statistics system -- help us identify health challenges in our communities, develop policies to address them, and evaluate our progress in eliminating them.
nchs needs funding to enhance data quality, timeliness
Investment in NCHS will allow the agency to further modernize its data collection efforts to produce higher quality, more timely data to improve health and health care. NCHS needs sustained, modest budget growth to support efforts like collecting consistent, comprehensive birth and death data and implement electronic records to enhance timeliness and security.
“We must all obey the great law of change. It is the most powerful law of nature.”
Let's Chat.
The Friends of NCHS is made stronger when we represent all perspectives in the health care community. We'd love for your organization to be involved. There is no monetary obligation to join, and we’d welcome your support.
Join Friends of NCHS using this Google form.
To learn more, email info@friendsofnchs.org.