A Moment of Reckoning—and Possibility

Polling tells us voters are ready to rebuild health care from the ground up; looming cuts tell us policymakers aren’t listening. Community Catalyst CEO Linda Goler Blount explains how we bridge that gap.

It’s been just over two months since I officially stepped into the role of President & CEO at Community Catalyst. In that short time, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many of our staff, connect with our Board, and begin building relationships with movement partners across the country.

I’ve also had the privilege of representing our mission in powerful spaces—from Capitol Hill to Atlanta Tech Week to the Executive Women of Color Summit in Chicago. I was also honored to deliver the 2025 commencement address at the School of Social Policy & Practice at the University of Pennsylvania, where I told graduates: “You don’t have to do this work—you get to do it.” I carry that reminder with me now, especially as I step into this role at a defining moment for health justice.

Because let’s be clear: we are on the brink of the most severe health care cuts in our nation’s history. If implemented as planned, these policy choices will result in millions losing coverage—not because their needs have disappeared, but because the system was never built to fully include them. Rural hospitals are already closing. Families already struggling financially will face rising medical debt. And all of this is being set in motion while health care corporations report record profits and tax breaks are handed to the wealthy.

These outcomes aren’t inevitable—they’re the result of political choices that put profits over people and prioritize corporate gain over our health. And they stand in stark opposition to what people across this country are demanding. 

At Community Catalyst, we believe that moral clarity must be matched with strategic discipline. And we are delivering both. 

New national polling we commissioned with HIT Strategies shows just how deep that disconnect runs: 

• 42% of voters now list health care costs as a top personal concern—up seven points in just one year. 
• 73% say the system needs major change or a complete rebuild—a view shared across party lines. 
• 78% want a stronger government role in lowering costs. 

Meanwhile, 54% of voters report struggling to afford health insurance or related expenses—with even higher percentages in states that have refused to expand Medicaid. 

People understand the stakes. They know the system was built to serve the powerful—not them—and they’re demanding bold action to change it. What we’re seeing instead is the opposite: cowardly and dangerous.  

That’s where Community Catalyst comes in. We’ve got the track record, strategic clarity, and deep relationships to meet this moment. We bring together data and narrative, policy expertise and community insight, to create and implement solutions like no one else can — solutions that increase access to care and build lasting power in communities.  

Across the country, we’re leveraging our partnerships with more than 350 local, state and national partners to expose policies and profit-driven behaviors that got us here, hold those with their hands on the wheel of power accountable, and advance solutions shaped by the lived experiences of those most impacted by racism, classism, and other forms of oppression.  

And as we shape our next strategic plan, we’re doing so with a sharp focus on return on mission and return on investment. That means tracking not just dollars raised, but how strategically we deploy our assets—both resources, our expertise, and our partnerships—to drive policy wins, shift narratives, grow community power, strengthen credibility, and, ultimately, improve health outcomes. Every investment we make—from campaigns to coalitions—should build trust and deliver measurable impact. We’re not just lifting up voices—we’re working to ensure communities have their hands on the wheel of power, driving the changes they want to see in health, equity, and justice. 

Our next strategic plan will build on what we’ve learned and push us further—aligning our policy, advocacy, organizing, and communications to deliver measurable wins, increase access to care, grow community power, and shift the narrative. It will deepen our focus on structural change, while ensuring our work is grounded in lived experience and responsive to what communities need now.  

Let’s meet the moment—and build what’s next, together.