Toni Lawson has worked on a broad range of healthcare issues in the policy and advocacy arena for over 20 years. In 2006, she joined the Idaho Hospital Association as Vice President for Government Relations where she has successfully advocated on behalf of hospitals throughout the state of Idaho and the communities they serve.
Lawson’s career in health policy began at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center, where she coordinated government relations, community benefit programs and special training programs for staff and physicians to impact care through improved patient communications. Later, she worked as an independent consultant and lobbyist, successfully representing clients such as Nurse Practitioners of Idaho, the Idaho Nurses Association, and the National Association of Social Workers.
This experience in public policy led her to Washington, D.C., where she served as Health Policy Advisor to Idaho’s senior senator on the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging and the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. She worked with staff and members of Congress to develop legislation, formulate positions on health policy issues, identify relevant topics for congressional hearings, and act as liaison with other committees, House staff, government agencies and outside groups.
Prior to her shift to health policy, Toni worked as a fundraiser and organizer with multiple non-profit community organizations. This included nine years in the Basque region of Spain and grassroots work in conflict resolution. She is an active member of Boise’s Basque community.
Lawson graduated from Boise State University with a Degree in Anthropology.