Good publicity can support CM initiatives
Good publicity can support CM initiatives
Put the media to work for you
Nursing and politics not only mix, but if you can find a way to focus the media spotlight on what matters to you and those you represent, sometimes you can make wonderful things happen. Just ask Donna Zazworsky, MS, RN, CCM, director of home health and outreach for St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic in Tucson, AZ; principal of Case Manager Solutions, an independent case management company with offices in Tucson and New York City; and "Nurse Donna" to television viewers across Arizona.
It wasn’t long ago that a local bond issue in Tucson to improve the parks and recreation department faced defeat at the polls. "I was reading the Letters to the Editor in the local paper and I could tell that many residents were confused about the bond and what it would provide," she recalls. "In fact, many groups were opposed to the bond due to some misinformation about the adaptive recreation center included in the plan."
Zazworsky had been working for several years on a successful multiple sclerosis (MS) management program that included regular water exercise. "The bond issue called for an adaptive aquatics center to make it easier for MS patients to participate in the benefits of water exercise. Unfortunately, local residents feared that the new center would take away from existing facilities at the park in question."
The solution was a news story that not only included an architect’s model of the new center but also brought the mayor and city council members to the site to discuss the importance of the bond issue. Zazworsky also appeared in the story, accompanied by images of her arthritis and MS patients exercising in the pool. "We talked about the benefits of water exercise and the need for a special recreation center for adaptive needs. We clarified that the new center would replace the old, outdated center and not take space away from the park."
The piece on the recreation center and the benefits of water exercise aired three days before the bond vote, and the bond passed.
Attracting attention
You don’t have to be "Nurse Donna" to get your own stories to the attention of the public through the media, says Zazworsky. Here are four strategies she says will help you get your message out:
1. Develop a relationship with local media.
"You must develop a relationship with local reporters," she stresses. "You want to align yourself with a reporter who is going to hear your voice above all the others competing for their attention." Zazworsky suggest that you read local papers, watch local news broadcasts, and take note of the reporters who regularly cover health and medical news. "Most newspapers run their reporters’ e-mail addresses right under their byline," she notes. "Start a correspondence with the reporter if they are covering an issue of concern to you. Let the reporter know you have useful information on diabetes or congestive heart failure that you would be glad to share."
However, she cautions, reporters get dozens of e-mails each day from individuals just like you. "You have to find a message that will make you stand out from the rest — a new approach to the issue."
2. Identify "hot topics."
"You will always get a reporter’s attention if you can contribute to a theme already in development," Zazworsky says. "For example, if a television reporter announces a four-part series on heart disease, call and let him know about your heart disease management program. Tell him you have someone available to talk about it if he is interested."Another approach is to watch for "hot topics" and suggest a news story that relates to it, Zazworsky suggests. For example, if there is a story in the news about an elderly woman with Alzheimer’s disease wandering away from a local nursing home, call and suggest a story on Alzheimer’s disease and management skills for families.
3. Always follow up.
"If you e-mail a reporter with an idea and don’t hear back, e-mail again," Zazworsky stresses. "You absolutely must follow up. These people are very busy and they receive many communications each day. You can’t just send one message and give up if you don’t get an immediate response."
4. Be ready to deliver.
Never suggest a story without being able to deliver the appropriate individuals for interview, she cautions. "I had a friend who had what I thought was an excellent story idea. The story involved children. I knew the television station would want a child to interview. It took my friend too long to find the right child, and the opportunity was lost. Timing is essential. You’ve got to be ready, now!"
Most important, Zazworsky notes that you must develop a sense of "what is newsworthy." If you can develop that news sense and build a relationship with local reporters that makes you the person to call about health issues, the media can be a powerful ally that supports your efforts to provide services for your patients.
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