Committee to Protect Health Care

 

Dear Lorraine – We wanted to be sure you saw this month's newsletter. You can find it below! - Dr. Rob Davidson, MD ------------------------ The Committee to Protect Health Care deploys a range of tactics to help get the word out about the pro-patient issues we advocate for every day. The press call, or virtual press conference, is one of the most effective ways to influence the public dialogue around health care policies. Since our founding in 2019, the Committee has done well over 100 press calls in more than a dozen states, featuring physicians from a variety of backgrounds and varying levels of media experience. These press calls help us make news and move our messages proactively. Our press calls generally feature these components: Three physicians, each speaking for 3-4 minutes Prepared remarks A question-and-answer session with news media on the call A news release of the press conference that goes to the relevant media outlets To make things convenient and help participating physicians feel as prepared as possible, the Committee and our communications professionals draft remarks, which physicians can use verbatim or edit to reflect their voices and experiences. We also write a news release that reflects the message and substance of the press conference, with quotes from participating physicians. Before the press call, we schedule short prep sessions with participating physician speakers. The call is an opportunity for participants to practice their remarks, go over messaging, and simulate answering reporters’ questions. These prep sessions are also a good time to get tips and best practices, such as best ways to read the prepared remarks, lighting and background for Zoom calls, and best attire tips. At these sessions, participants can raise any thoughts, questions, or concerns. Ahead of the scheduled press call, we contact relevant trusted news media outlets – TV, radio, print, and online platforms – and invite them to the call. A member of the Committee’s communications team facilitates the call, directs questions from the media, and ends the call. Right after the call, we email the final approved news release. We also field queries from reporters who may want to do related or longer stories with available physicians on the topic of the press call. On such occasions, we coordinate with the physicians for times and dates that work best, and offer any additional media prep the physicians wants.  The Committee then tracks any resulting stories and broadcasts of the press conference. We share links of these news hits with participating physicians to view and share with friends, family, and colleagues, and on social media. These press calls are valuable because they help us amplify our reach and deliver our message to a wide and diverse audience, with no cost beyond an investment in time. With a single press call, we can garner coverage on multiple news platforms and outlets. Our free press calls can also generate the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertising that we didn’t spend. Here are some examples that illustrate how press calls can generate further coverage: Doctors call for prescription drug affordability board Minnesota doctors asking state lawmakers for help Doctors speak out: Abortion access is on the ballot in Arizona We hope you’ve gotten some insight into how the Committee gets our physician-led pro-patient messages out. We also hope you’ll consider participating in a news conference in the near future! We are grateful for everything that physicians do for their patients, and for advocating for policies that can help make quality, affordable health care more accessible to every American. We invite you to become a Member where you’ll know your monthly donation is helping sustain the Committee's work. To become a member, go to Committeetoprotect.org and sign up today!     If you would like to send a check to support our organization, please mail to: Committee to Protect Health Care 650 W. Lake Street #300, Chicago, IL 60661 Contributions to the Committee to Protect Health Care 501(c)4 are not tax deductible. If you believe you received this message in error or wish to no longer receive email from us, please unsubscribe.