A Pandemic, Healthcare and the News Media – the perfect storm.

Crises are traditionally limited to a finite length of time. During a crisis, a media relations office can count on an intense, but somewhat brief scrutiny from the media and the public before calm and order is restored and attention is turned to another organization with the latest crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the lifespan of a crisis. Nowhere has that change been felt most severely than in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Media Relations Group (MRG). Nearly 11 months into the pandemic, the need to sustain and maintain an office that fields non-stop media inquiries is crucial to our many stakeholders - beneficiaries, Congress, the healthcare industry, and providers, to name just a few. Not to mention that healthcare was consistently the number one or number two campaign issue during one of the most historical and impactful presidential elections our nation has ever experienced. And did I mention that literally overnight - March 16 to be exact, our entire 25-person staff was converted to full-time telework?

This presentation will focus on the conversion of a fast-paced media relations office under normal circumstances to a warp-speed media office dedicated to one focus - COVID-19. The initial wave of media interest flooded our web-based media inquiry intake system when the Life Care Center of Kirkland, Washington became the epicenter in what was to become the first of many tragic COVID-19 outbreaks in long term care facilities throughout the United States. There were more than 100 confirmed cases among residents, staffs and visitors and 37 deaths. Early on during the first two weeks of the pandemic, we formed a COVID rapid response team of 5 of our 18 press officers to respond only to media inquiries about the pandemic. By the first of April, our entire staff had converted to a full fledged COVID response task force.

The presentation will examine how our office used:

• A web-based form media use to submit questions without having to resort to phone calls or e-mails.
• An inquiry assignment system that allowed us to spread out inquiries evenly among press officers.
• A web-based inquiry repository that communicated with the inquiry submission form and tracked the inquiry from beginning to end. The web data base is key-word searchable allowing press officers to develop responses based on cleared language used in previously approved responses on similar topics. This feature increased the speed and efficiency of our responses to the media. It also allowed our geographically dispersed press officer team to use one common platform to manage inquiries and share information. And it allowed leadership to track hot topics, media trends, and reporter and media outlet interests and trends.
• A media inquiries template that standardized the content and look of inquiries as well as improving the quality of the responses. Subject matter experts were able to quickly spot inquiries needing attention in their inboxes, review draft responses, and provide their expertise where it was needed. The template also helped senior leaders review and approve inquiries quicker thanks to the consistent look and streamlined content.
• A process that mapped the life of an inquiry which helped all press officers understand which inquiries required higher approval and how to get that approval. The process also helped our newest team members quickly adapt to new requirements. Inquiries were handled consistently which made the volume bearable.