A Matter of Life and Death: Crisis Communications During a Worldwide Pandemic (College of Fellows Master Class)
October 27, 2020 12:45 p.m. – 1:35 p.m.
Session Type: Reputation & Crisis Management
Dr. Rhoda Weiss, APR, Fellow PRSA, once wrote: “Great leaders lead ‘from the heart,’ rallying their followers to move toward a better future.” Working remotely and almost 24/7 for months — with the future uncertain and no end in sight — Dr. Weiss led exhaustive communications and marketing efforts on behalf of 74 nationally renowned health systems and medical centers across the United States as they navigated the urgency and uncertainty of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic.
Representing the vast majority of hospitals nationwide, Dr. Weiss engaged members of this group daily and as a group frequently each week by conference call to share communications, challenges and activities so that they could learn from each other, share activities so that others would not have to reinvent the wheel and save precious time, and create a family of care.
And she does this as a volunteer. Nearly a decade ago, Dr. Weiss created this group of 74 CMOs and CCOs to meet together in person twice annually at an executive roundtable to share best practices and challenges on issues that all health system CCOs and CMOs face.
With future in-person Executive Summits in question, she decided that more than ever the group needed to stay together throughout each week to lend knowledge, expertise and support to each other:
• Responding to endless questions.
• Gathering and sharing the latest information and best practices.
• Seeking facts that weren’t always available.
• Addressing misinformation and rumors.
• Ensuring that health system CEOs in the eye of the pandemic storm joined at least one call weekly to share goals, challenges and heartbreaks.
• Anticipating trends.
• Supporting health care professionals at every level of their organizations.
• Staying focused on the needs of patients, communities and stakeholders.
• And most of all, exemplifying best practices in crisis communications at a time when medical organizations were facing unprecedented demands, lack of equipment and funding, and fear among patients and family members.
An unprecedented situation is providing an extraordinary case study in crisis communications as the world is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as people explore what the “next normal” will be and as we continue to support and thank the health care workers whose heroism — in unimaginable circumstances — continues to be an inspiration.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify the stages of a crisis and how they evolve in an era of social media.
• Prepare for, manage and communicate during a crisis while identifying and sharing best practices and solutions.
• Identify and address ethical issues presented by the crisis.
• Develop a post-crisis plan including lessons learned.
• Demonstrate how issues management can be a preemptive public relations strategy during uncertain times.
Representing the vast majority of hospitals nationwide, Dr. Weiss engaged members of this group daily and as a group frequently each week by conference call to share communications, challenges and activities so that they could learn from each other, share activities so that others would not have to reinvent the wheel and save precious time, and create a family of care.
And she does this as a volunteer. Nearly a decade ago, Dr. Weiss created this group of 74 CMOs and CCOs to meet together in person twice annually at an executive roundtable to share best practices and challenges on issues that all health system CCOs and CMOs face.
With future in-person Executive Summits in question, she decided that more than ever the group needed to stay together throughout each week to lend knowledge, expertise and support to each other:
• Responding to endless questions.
• Gathering and sharing the latest information and best practices.
• Seeking facts that weren’t always available.
• Addressing misinformation and rumors.
• Ensuring that health system CEOs in the eye of the pandemic storm joined at least one call weekly to share goals, challenges and heartbreaks.
• Anticipating trends.
• Supporting health care professionals at every level of their organizations.
• Staying focused on the needs of patients, communities and stakeholders.
• And most of all, exemplifying best practices in crisis communications at a time when medical organizations were facing unprecedented demands, lack of equipment and funding, and fear among patients and family members.
An unprecedented situation is providing an extraordinary case study in crisis communications as the world is still dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as people explore what the “next normal” will be and as we continue to support and thank the health care workers whose heroism — in unimaginable circumstances — continues to be an inspiration.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
• Identify the stages of a crisis and how they evolve in an era of social media.
• Prepare for, manage and communicate during a crisis while identifying and sharing best practices and solutions.
• Identify and address ethical issues presented by the crisis.
• Develop a post-crisis plan including lessons learned.
• Demonstrate how issues management can be a preemptive public relations strategy during uncertain times.
Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA
President and Founder, Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group Inc
Presenter
