Nurturing Key Partnerships

Our public health response plan was written, rehearsed, and revised. We knew what to do, who to call, and how we were going to manage nearly anything that came our way. Then H1N1 influenza showed up, and blew some large holes into the best laid plans of mice and men. Here’s what we learned.

Planners Think Micro Not Macro

In the aim to build a health emergency response plan, one of my clients was wise enough to include their local school districts. How might certain events affect those schools? What could we do to mitigate the risk? How might we build these contingencies today to avoid headaches tomorrow?

After plenty of discussion and spending years to developing a plan, we felt confident that the H1N1 influenza would be a piece of cake. After all, the disease was striking one or two schools at a time.

One problem: we forgot all of the area’s private schools.

When the first H1N1 influenza case came from a Catholic school, we realized that we had never incorporated the Diocese into our plan. At first, we didn’t know who to call. Fortunately, we quickly resolved that issue and were able to apply our protocols without any major difficulties.

Please Do Not Panic; We Are Here to Help

Early in the H1N1 influenza process, the CDC provided guidelines that a school must close for 7-10 days upon confirmation of even one swine flu case. These protocols were designed to halt exposure in the wake of an unknown disease strain. What we discovered was a small lesson in human nature.

When my client recommended the first closure of an area school, we failed to recognize how parents might react to this news. People were dying in Mexico, and this confirmation was early here in the United States. Parents, naturally concerned about the health of their children, raced their kids to a local emergency room, overwhelming the day-side hospital staff.

Had we included the hospital in our conversation on the school closing, they would have been better prepared for the influx of patients wanting swabs.

Nurture Partners

When developing a Strategic Communications Plan in the commercial sector, planners sometimes forget to explore how their plan could affect other stakeholders. For example, a large manufacturer will want to include labor unions, suppliers, and financial institutions. Utilities will want to build strong relationships with their state and local emergency management agencies. Grocers could be partners with local charities such as soup kitchens.

There are many groups, organizations, and businesses that can aid you in achieving your goals. Identify them now and include them in your plan. Meet with them regularly. Include them in any event or exercise of your plan. Make sure communication channels remain open at all times.

Here are other articles I have written on this topic:

• New Campaign for Will County Health Department
• 10 Day Tune Up for H1N1 – Day 2: Your Message
• 10 Day Tune Up for H1N1 – Day 1: Influenza Update
• Writing a Strategic Communications Plan: Evaluation
• Writing a Strategic Communications Plan: Key Messages
• Why You Should Be Proactive with Bad News
• What Twitter’s DoS Attack Can Teach Us
• Three Things People Want to Know in a Crisis
• Using Social Media in a Public Health Emergency
• How Do You Respond to Online Criticism?