The MHA hosted more than 60 public health and hospital leaders from across the Michigan Sept. 27 in East Lansing for the Talking Health: Research-Based Communication Strategies for Public Health & Healthcare event.
Organized by the de Beaumont Foundation and in collaboration with the Michigan Association for Local Public Health, faculty provided an in-person training based on the foundational concepts include in the book Talking Health: A New Way to Communicate About Public Health. Participants received collaborative learning, group discussion, exercises and problem solving focused on the perceptions of and distinction between public health and healthcare, the importance of framing, messaging and storytelling and bolstering the effectiveness of communication.
Event faculty included Brian C. Castrucci, DrPH, co-editor of Talking Health and president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation. Castrucci expressed the importance of collaboration between public health and hospitals and the need to establish partnerships with respected community messengers to establish credibility with the public and policymakers. Additional speakers included Doug Hattaway, president, Hattaway Communications and Nat Kendall-Taylor, PhD, chief executive officer, FrameWorks Institute.
Members with questions about the event or the MHA Public Health Task Force may contact Lauren LaPine at the MHA.