JPA Health Communications

While the health sector previously weighed-in supporting broadband internet expansion efforts, it missed an opportunity to communicate a vision of how greater access to internet services can also bolster access to healthcare and solve growing inequities. Yet, as we approach September, the deadline to reauthorize the nation’s infrastructure spending, is fast-approaching and offers another opportunity, albeit one of a different kind, for the healthcare sector to initiate a cross-sector public affairs campaign focused on achieving another win on behalf of patients. By merging the ongoing efforts of the telecommunications and infrastructure sectors to expand broadband access with those of the health sector via an aggressive nationwide public affairs campaign, stakeholders have the potential to transform care for rural residents, seniors, and underserved communities. Just as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused us to adapt and innovate, so too must public affairs efforts to take action on the opportunities narrowly missed in the last Congress – now is the time for this kind cross-sector collaboration to capitalize on growing public trust in the business community combined with a thirst for bipartisan legislative successes.

For companies that want to engage in policy, the messages are mixed: we’re trusted and should engage, but we’re part of a corrupt process. While it is entirely self-serving as a public affairs communicator to say, “prioritize public affairs”, here are some thoughts about why it is true and how to inoculate your organization against blowback while preparing a robust engagement strategy to achieve your policy goals. Public affairs give the lobbyist and policymaker room to work: Those of us who are witness to the process know good lobbyists help educate elected officials, staff, and other policymakers. Because we communicate in the open, through media and public platforms with informed policy messages, public affairs is less exposed and not seen as part of a larger problem.

In addition to a “wartime” strategy presented by the new Biden administration, I was heartened to see the first statement from new CDC Director Rochelle P. Walensky, MD, MPH, which reaffirms CDC’s commitment to update COVID-19 guidance using the latest evidence so that people can make informed decisions. Working with the CDC on public health education campaigns over the past two decades, I have found their employees to be dedicated public servants who rigorously support evidence-based programs and messaging. The collaborative, cross-sector approach to vaccine promotion by the COVID Collaborative and Ad Council to encourage vaccine uptake by health care providers and the general public alike is incredible. And while not related to COVID-19, I was also interested to see that the Communications Network, as part of their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Project, recently released a report called Race and Racism: Doing Good Better that provides a starting point to understanding how communicators are bringing the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion into social good communications work.

The Focus on SDOH Will Take Off As JPA Health’s policy and public affairs professionals game plan the 117th Congress and a Biden Administration, we keep returning to an overarching framework that will drive health policy for the next two years: the need to address social determinants of health, health equity and the conditions that arise from our lack of investment in them. Due to a divided Congress and healthcare still being a top issue among the American public, the Biden-Harris Administration is predicted to rely heavily on executive and regulatory actions to address key health issues. Biden will likely look to stabilize an Obama-Biden era legacy program that has experienced a lot of executive orders and court battles in recent years designed to diminish the program’s scale. With rich federal government agency and executive branch experience, JPA’s public affairs team is ready to help both government agencies and the stakeholder community navigate the rapidly changing landscape to amplify the work to improve people’s lives.