ebola: preparation & practice · call center scripting 10:00 am email to call ctr mgrs call...

Ebola: Preparation & Practice

Paul Baltes

Communications Director,

Nebraska Medicine

Click to edit Master text styles

– Second level

• Third level

– Fourth level

» Fifth level

2

Agenda:

▪ What happened▪ How we responded▪ Why you should care

Learning Objectives:▪ How to be agile in the face of a crisis▪ How to create the basics of a plan

4

Global Travel:The next “Special Pathogen” is out there

5

▪ Academic health network

▪ 2 hospitals, 809 beds

▪ 40 clinics

▪ Close affiliation with University of

Nebraska

▪ 13,000+ employees between

Nebraska Medicine and UNMC

▪ Known primarily for oncology and

organ transplant

The Nebraska Biocontainment Patient Care Unit▪ Completed in 2005▪ Built to treat exposure to special

pathogens (bioweapons, flu, airborne infectious diseases)

▪ 10 beds (5 patient rooms)▪ Separate air handling▪ Locked and sealed▪ Trained staff of 35-40

Click to edit Master text styles

– Second level

• Third level

– Fourth level

» Fifth level

8

11

Preparation is a team sport

The time is now:

▪ What is your risk?

▪ Who’s going to be affected or care?

▪ How will you:

▪ Communicate

▪ Drill

You cannot simultaneously prepare

for and react to a crisis or disaster

Preparation is a team sport

How we prepare:

▪ Drills

▪ Incident command structure

▪ Flow of communication

▪ Familiarity with decision makers

▪ VISION

Preparation is a team sport

July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov.

“…some things are afoot.”

Dr. Sacra

arrives

Dr. Sacra leaves

AshokaMukpo arrives

Mukpoleaves

Dr. Saliaarrives

Dr. Saliapasses

State Dept. visit

Activation: 2014

17

18

Who is your PR pilot?▪ A single point of contact ▪ Trusted advisor▪ Master of methods

▪ News ▪ Social ▪ Internal▪ Marketing

▪ Understands your communications culture

▪ Not necessarily the same as a spokesperson

19

20

Audience Considerations

▪ External▪ General public

▪ News & social media▪ Health care: CDC, public health, other hospitals, referring practices▪ Call center

▪ Internal▪ Employees, physicians, students ▪ Patients ▪ Visitors ▪ Boards of directors

There’s no such thing as “Internal Communications”

Methods:

▪ Simultaneous media advisory and internal message

▪ Continuous updates via established communications vehicles (internal and external)

▪ Letter to patients

▪ Letter to BCU staff▪ “You are making us proud…”

▪ “…you truly are leading the world. You exemplify everything about our promise of Serious Medicine Extraordinary Care”

▪ “With our sincere respect and gratitude…”22

Ebola Response

Audience Timing How/Method Responsibility Completed?

Staff/MDs 10:15 AM Email+mgr CMO

Board of Directors/ Regents 10:10 AM Email + phone CEO/admin asst.

Call center scripting 10:00 AM Email to Call Ctr mgrs Call Center mgmt

Elected officials 10:30 AM Phone Gov’t relations

Current inpatients 10:20 AM Paper letter Staff RNs hand deliver

News media 10:30 AM Email release Media Relations

Referring health systems 10:30 AM Email CEO

Community non-profits 10:30 AM Email COO

Ebola Response

Ebola Command

Center, Sept. 5

Communications

team is at the table

with administrative

and clinical

leadership

Ebola Response

Ebola Response: Internal Why:

▪ Respect for colleagues and the work they do

▪ What information do they need to:

▪ Feel safe

▪ Do their job or education

▪ Be able to answer questions

How:

▪ Established channels

▪ E-newsletter

▪ Intranet resources (Q&A, message points, clinical resources)

▪ Email updates

▪ Manager cascade

▪ Employee forum

“Alternative” Communications

26

Plan for predictable “what if” scenarios

▪ What if our patient takes a turn for the worse?

▪ What if a staff member becomes ill?

▪ What if this happens:

Ebola Response: Internal = External

Ebola Response: Internal = External

30

After activation: 2015 - present

▪ Monitoring

▪ International outreach

▪ Training

▪ Education

▪ Preparation

31

After activation: 2015 - present

After activation: 2015 - present

How many people have died of Ebola Virus in 2019?

▪ None

▪ 2,181

▪ 1

▪ 3,264

33

Pop Quiz:

34

“New cases are down to 15 a week from a high of 128 in April, but outbreaks are still popping up in remote and dangerous mining areas.”“People don’t see this as an emergency.”

-NY Times Oct. 18, 2019

What has changed in five years?

▪ Expectation of instant information

▪ Internal communications audit

▪ Input from colleagues

▪ Analysis of how we communicate

▪ Implementation of recommendations

35

After activation: Communications

Takeaways:▪ You cannot simultaneously prepare for and react to a crisis

▪ Internal communications = external communications; secrets are obsolete

▪ Your entire organization is your PR department

▪ Media relations: think like a reporter, think like a human

▪ Plan for what’s next

36

Homework (due at the end of the week):▪ What are 2 or 3 “real risk” potential crises for your organization?

▪ Operational

▪ Reputational

▪ Computational

▪ Do a quick (and honest!) assessment of your level of readiness

▪ Make an appointment with your 1-up and discuss:

▪ Where your org comes up short

▪ What you should do about it

▪ Who can help

37

38

In closing…

39

40

pbaltes@nebraskamed.comFacebook.com/NebraskaMed@NebraskaMedYouTube.com/NebraskaMed