Healthcare was near the top of the list of political priorities during President Obama’s terms and it’s remained there during the administration of President Trump. While the chances of success for the latest Republican effort to replace Obamacare, Graham-Cassidy, seem iffy, the measure was given a Senate hearing Sept. 25 on Capitol Hill. Before the proceedings could get started, though, protestors, some in wheelchairs, made their voices heard, leading committee chairman Sen. Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, to halt the proceedings for 15 minutes while they were removed.
Last week, 16 healthcare nonprofits formed a coalition to work against the bill. The group got a boost when TV’s Jimmy Kimmel mentioned their work on his show. As such, we asked them how they planned to use PR and social media to rally their supporters and augment Kimmel’s mention. Here’s a sampling of what some of them told us:
Michelle Kirkwood, director, strategic communications/media relations, American Diabetes Association, says, “We’ve leveraged our owned communications channels as well as earned media. On social media, we’ve shared our coalition statements and urged followers to share stories and call their senators. We maximized the organic Twitter distribution of Jimmy Kimmel’s monologue…In addition, we deployed an action alert to half a million diabetes advocates. Throughout [this] week, we’ll join our coalition partners in a press conference with patients at the Capitol, submit a statement for the record to the Finance Committee hearing and issue a public statement to news media.”
Allison Miller, director, media advocacy, the American Cancer Society, says, “The Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) is engaging a...grassroots and media advocacy effort…this includes activating earned media strategies—press events, feature stories, radio guest segments—in select target states and around the country. On social media, we are using direct language that drives home how the bill will affect our volunteers and their families. We’re utilizing ACS CAN-branded national and state social media accounts to share patient stories and relevant updates. We’re empowering our volunteers to use their accounts to challenge people to take action. Tactics include asking people to email, call and (in coordination with our email program) tweet at or tag their senators on Facebook.”
David Burch, senior director, communications, Volunteers of America, says, “We have focused largely on internal communications to mobilize our network of 32 affiliates across the country, encouraging our more than 15,000 employees to contact their senators and voice opposition…We’ve used Twitter to communicate our position to the broader public and encourage followers to join the fight. For media relations, we feel our voice is more powerful when working in a coalition…so our media outreach has been done as part of the coalition” of 16 healthcare groups.
Christina Howerton, manager, communications and new media, National Health Council, told us it is “calling on members to activate their grassroots advocates to call their senators…we have also…sent numerous statements of opposition and are partnering…[on] a press event to allow people with chronic conditions to talk about how the bill will negatively impact them. There also will be a groundswell of social media activity, all using the hashtag #ProtectPatientsNow.”
Sue Nelson, VP, federal advocacy The American Heart Association, says it is “engaging its grassroots network, You’re the Cure...we have and will continue to activate our volunteers via email, text, Facebook and Twitter until the vote occurs.”
Bari Talente, EVP, advocacy, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, tells us, “We immediately activated our network of MS activists across the country via an email action alert and on social media, asking them to contact their senators. We also targeted a Twitter campaign at key senators, using the hashtags #ProtectPatientsNow and #MSactivist. Most important, we asked people living with MS to share their stories knowing this would have the most impact.”
Rachel Kerestes, VP, external affairs, Lutheran Services in America, says it is “engaging in a surround-sound campaign…from our national office in Washington, D.C. We are engaging in traditional PR tactics, running social media campaigns, leveraging digital platforms, activating our grass-tops and grassroots networks and sending materials directly to senate offices. We also are coordinating micro-targeted traditional and social media campaigns with our member organizations located throughout the country. In local media markets we are engaging in print and broadcast outreach, social and digital media and direct contact with elected officials.”