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>> How many people signed the thing now?
>> 14,000 right?
>> Yep.
>> And how many stories, there were like 10,000?
>> We have at least 11,000.
>> At least 11,000?
And then encourage people to share their stories on the
website, too?
Ms. DeParle: This is Nancy-Ann DeParle, the Director of the White House
Office of Health Reform.
It's the second week of May and we're making a lot of progress
this week in getting health care reform enacted.
Ms. Lambrew: HealthReform.gov is a joint initiative of the Health and
Human Services and White House Offices of Health Reform.
Its goal is to involve the American public in the policy
debate through information and virtual interaction.
The President (Voiceover): -- participate in a regional White House Forum on
health reform.
Ms. Douglass: We think it's very, very important for the public to be
involved in telling the government what's going on in
their lives, with respect to health care.
There are many places on the website where citizens
can participate in the health reform movement this year.
They can register their support for health reform.
There's a button that they click onto,
they can share their stories, and we have a staff of people
who are going through the stories and through the ideas.
Those are going to be posted on the website.
People will really be able to see what their neighbors are
going through.
And the people who are shaping the policy will be able to see
what American citizens are going through.
Ms. Lambrew: It includes a quote of the day to give you information on what
people are saying about health care.
There's a quiz for those of you who want to learn more about the
health care system and then figure out how to be involved.
It will give you the latest dialogue and debate and
discussions about the different policy features that are out there.
Ms. Douglass: We've also had video of the stake-holder meetings that we've
been having with different groups all around the country --
whether its doctors and nurses and pharmacists.
Secretary Sebelius (Voiceover): And I want nurses at at the head of that army.
So, help us, join us.
President Obama thanks you for the work you're doing.
Ms. Lambrew (Voiceover): We have a dedicated team of people who work on the web,
whose goal is to figure out what works, what is the right
policy and how to engage the American public.
Ms. Douglass: As the health reform bill takes shape in congress,
people will be able to see more and more of the detail about the
way that it will affect their lives,
in lower costs and assuring quality and affordable health care.
Guaranteeing choice of doctors and plans,
they'll be able to see how all of that is going to work by
going to our website.
Ms. Lambrew: I don't think that we'll look back on history and see this as
a normal period of time.
What President Obama did, in terms of reaching out and
engaging the public and using new forms of communication to
get the people involved and engaged in the policy process is
fundamentally different than the ways things have been done before.
And I am convinced that that will be a central ingredient in
achieving what the President has set out to do, which is to
ensure that every American has affordable quality health care.