March 14, 2007 - Bronx, New York -Allison Wagner, an accomplished campaign coordinator with over 15 years of experience running grassroots advocacy campaigns, has been named the National Campaign Manager for PHI’s Health Care for Health Care Workers (HCHCW) campaign. The campaign seeks to expand health coverage for direct-care workers in the United States.

Nationally, two out of five direct-care workers lack health coverage of any kind. The direct-care profession (nursing assistants, home health aides, personal care attendants, etc.) is one of the fastest-growing in the American economy, primarily because the number of Americans over 65 years old is expected to double between 2000 and 2030. During that same period, the number of people traditionally available to provide this care will increase by only 7 percent, creating the potential for a large “care gap.” Additionally, low wages and few benefits force many direct-care workers to seek other ways to make a living. Studies show that health insurance is key to keeping workers in their jobs.

“Direct-care workers provide most of the hands-on care that our nation’s elders and those living with disabilities depend upon each day,” said Wagner. “The fact that so many of these workers lack health insurance compromises the long-term care system in a variety of ways, not the least of which is many workers are just one injury or illness away from financial ruin, and having to leave the workforce altogether.”

In her new position, Wagner will be responsible for developing overall campaign strategy and assisting with the implementation of state-based campaigns. “While this is a national issue,” Wagner said, “it is primarily a problem being addressed at the state and local level. By and large, the federal government has been focused elsewhere in recent years.”

Before joining PHI, Wagner served as a coalition campaign manager for anti-tobacco advocacy campaigns, as a consultant to interest groups in the areas of voter mobilization and grassroots action, and as a candidate campaign manager. Most recently, she served as a consultant to issue and candidate campaigns, providing strategic planning services, research, and voter contact expertise. A graduate of Wake Forest University and a native of Maryland, she is based in the HCHCW national campaign office in Washington, D.C.

For more information about the Health Care for Health Care Workers campaign, visit www.coverageiscritical.org

To contact Allison Wagner, email: awagner@paraprofessional.org or call 718-928-2066.