This week’s Shout Out* goes to……..[drumroll, please]…..

Adam Searing, Director of the North Carolina Justice Center’s Health Access Coalition!

Good storytelling is an art, but people who are good storytellers have a knack for making it look easy. Adam Searing not only tells a good story, he shows other people how to do it, and do it well. And he makes it easy.

The bow-tie clad consumer advocate cut his teeth in the health care world by leading the fight against Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina’s effort to convert from non-profit to for-profit status back in the late nineties. Since then, he and his colleagues have taken on many more giants in an effort to create a better and more just health care system for North Carolinians and for all Americans. One of Adam’s most effective advocacy tools has been the use of online video to tell the stories of people’s struggles and successes in getting the care they need. He’s not only created hundreds of compelling, creative videos that have helped advance health reform, he’s also taught other advocates how they can do the same on a shoe-string budget – no fancy equipment or expensive video production teams needed.

We’re not the only ones who’ve noticed. This week, Adam was honored in Washington as a “Champion of Change” for his work to educate others on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act as part of President Obama’s “Winning the Future” initiative.

To add to the commendations, we’d like to point you to some poignant videos produced by Adam and his equally fantastic colleagues, Adam Linker and Nicole Dozier. Enjoy! And congrats, Adam!

-- Kathy Melley, Director of Communications

*This Shout Out is the first in what will become a regular blog from the staff at Community Catalyst recognizing people whose words, actions, and/or work (whether advertently and inadvertently) help move the health reform agenda forward.