The 2021 MHA Virtual Communications Retreat recently brought together more than 80 communications, marketing and public relations professionals who work in hospitals across the state. Participants learned from experts on effectively communicating with vulnerable populations to help improve health equity.
Ellyn Davidson, CEO, and Lori Bahnmueller, partner and director of research and strategy, Brogan & Partners, shared research into how to effectively reach socially vulnerable populations and craft effective messaging for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Renee Canady, PhD, CEO of the Michigan Public Health Institute, discussed issues that contribute to growing health inequities and disparities, describing the “how, what and why” of addressing these challenges. Adnan Hammad, PhD, president & CEO of Global Health Research, Management & Solutions, then presented a case study on how health inequities from the Middle East and North Africa region affect the world and the potential of global health partnerships in bringing about health equity and social justice in underserved communities.
The retreat concluded with a presentation from Leon Caldwell, senior director of the American Hospital Association (AHA) Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, and Emily Gustafson, vice president of digital strategy at the AHA, sharing communication tools and resources available for hospitals to improve health equity communications efforts.
For more information, contact the MHA Communications Department.
Communications and public relations personnel in Michigan hospitals are invited to join their peers from across the state from 1 to 2:45 p.m. May 26 for an abbreviated retreat geared toward the specific needs of hospital communicators. Whether their focus is on social media, media relations, marketing, public relations or another area of expertise, hospital communicators will find it valuable to join the retreat to discuss a topic that is critical to all healthcare organizations: effectively communicating with vulnerable populations to help improve health equity.