January 21, 2009

From the Director's Desk

With the New Year underway, I'd like to take a moment to touch on the many opportunities awaiting us in 2009. As a nation, we kicked off the year with the inauguration of a new president, Barack Obama. Although the celebrations are over, Washington is still buzzing with a new energy and excitement that we hope will bring better days for all Americans.

I have been at the helm of HAP for more than six months now, and with the excitement of the New Year, I want to ask you to join us in working toward a shared vision of a fully resourced SHIP network that empowers Medicare beneficiaries to access appropriate health care coverage and services to improve their quality of life.

Over the coming year, HAP will continue to provide high-quality services that reflect the needs of the SHIP community. Our core mission remains the same - increasing the capacity of SHIPs by engaging in partnership initiatives in the areas of Medicare education and program development. We are also excited about our new initiatives which reflect many of the needs and priorities you shared with us in the 2008 SHIPs' Needs Survey:

• Public Education: Identifying and highlighting issues affecting Medicare beneficiaries, and providing recommendations to help address the issues
  
• Training: Offering customized trainings on Medicare and volunteer program development issues
  
• Certification: Being a resource on volunteer certification programs, and providing a forum for SHIPs to discuss certification and share experiences

We understand that you have many responsibilities and priorities, and we appreciate that you choose to partner with HAP. We look forward to working closely with you again in 2009.

Sincerely,
Lee Thompson,
Executive Director
Health Assistance Partnership