Our Work

Prior to 2017, the dialysis community was a relatively unknown political entity in California. That was until one union began targeting dialysis providers using the legislative and ballot initiative processes in an attempt to leverage dialysis providers to force unionization on their workers outside of the traditional organizing process. These tactics were dangerous for dialysis patients and dialysis providers.

BCFS was hired to provide strategic counsel and comprehensive, full-service public affairs support to assist dialysis providers and patients by defeating a series of legislative and ballot measures that would threaten access to life-saving dialysis care.

Since 2017, BCFS has waged full-scale legislative public affairs and ballot measure campaigns to help defend patients and the industry from dangerous and cynical attacks.  

KEY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Built a broad coalition of doctors, nurses, patients, social justice groups, businesses, kidney advocates and many others to support patients and protect access to dialysis care.
• Ran full-scale public affairs campaigns – including strategic polling, messaging, earned media, grassroots, and digital and TV advertising campaigns – to raise awareness of the life-sustaining nature of dialysis with key political decision makers and influencers.
• Successfully defeated half a dozen harmful statewide bills related to staffing ratios, charges and reimbursement, employee compensation, charitable contributions and other measures since 2017.
• Managed three successful statewide ballot measure campaigns, guiding the overwhelming defeat of Proposition 8 in 2018 by 60% of the vote, Proposition 23 in 2020 (63%) and Proposition 29 in 2022 (67%).
• Engaged at the local level in multiple cities to protect patient access to care.
• Placed dozens of op-eds, secured hundreds of news articles, and favorable editorials in support of dialysis patients, the dialysis industry and its position on issues.
• Engaged dozens of organizations and thousands of dialysis patients and workers in grassroots advocacy including legislative visits, committee testimony, calls and letters to legislative offices and other activities.