On Thursday, June 23, 2011, a cross-section of the genetics community—disease advocacy organizations, health professionals, researchers, industry representatives, families, students, and more—came together as a collective voice for the sixth annual Genetics Day on the Hill. This highly anticipated and widely attended event gave an unparalleled opportunity to see the power of advocacy in action. The community came together as one harmonious voice to initiate and build momentum for change in policy issues that impact the intersection of genetics and health.

For 2011, we selected issues to bring to the Hill based upon the input and needs communicated by the members of our diverse network. We addressed three important topics:

• Supporting our nation's most vulnerable populations, specifically through advancing the work of the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Health Resources and Services Administration—particularly the Title V Block Grant program.
• Incentivizing translational research, particularly through the National Center for Accelerating Translational Sciences, a new Center at the NIH. To go more in depth on this issue, watch the webinar "Everything You Need to Know: National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences."
• Providing crucial initiatives that protect and support the health and well-being of individuals through the lifespan, particularly through the CDC programs for birth defects, disabilities, and public health. For more information watch the webinar, "An Overview: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CDC."

Participants shared personal and corporate stories about what is important to them and their families, work, and communities in the context of the issues selected.

Have a policy issue of importance to your community that you would like to propose as a topic for next year’s Genetics Day on the Hill? Email our policy team at policy@geneticalliance.org and tell us about it!

First Time Visiting Capital Hill? View our webinar.

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Read about Genetics Day on the Hill 2010

Genetic Alliance improves health through the authentic engagement of communities and individuals. In this, our 25^th year, we celebrate innovation on our journey toward novel partnerships, connected consumers and smart services.