FEATURE
Tips and Takeaways
• Know your messages . Practice saying them and refine them as needed .
• Redirect questions that are not on point so you can share relevant information .
• Keep things simple and only answer the question at hand . Extra information can be confusing .
• Preparation is key , but don ’ t overthink it . Be confident in your expertise .
• Nurture authentic relationships with community partners .
I think it is really going to call on all of us to tighten our language skills and our collaborations so that there is a very solid , unified front .”
Peter Kyriacopoulos
Sometimes , though , public health officials simply aren ’ t the best messengers . In such cases , an effective strategy can be to tap into existing social networks and find someone who ’ s already part of the community to help carry your message . “ What I think we did smartly was engage trusted community partners ,” such as religious leaders , college basketball coaches and social media personalities , said Shone . “ I think that was quite effective .” The state health department even got NASCAR driver Richard Petty to do a public service announcement . In North Carolina , “ he ’ s the king ,” Shone said . When he speaks , “ it carries weight .”
Even local voices can be powerful — business leaders , a local DJ , the parent who runs the local youth soccer league , Castrucci said . “ There ’ s good data that show that those microinfluencers are better at getting people vaccinated for flu than the CDC messaging .”
Turning Visibility into Support
Such experiences highlight the value of community partnerships . Communications with other types of external groups can also build on the increased visibility of labs and maintain momentum , said Kyriacopoulos . Now is a great time to share the services public health laboratories provide and why you are valuable to your community .
Since the start of the pandemic , Megan Crumpler , PhD , HCLD ( ABB ), director of the Orange County Public Health Laboratory in California and APHL president-elect , has seen more recognition within her broader agency and interest in the laboratory ’ s projects and publications . Now she makes a point of sharing regular updates about the laboratory ’ s work —“ kind of like keeping a CV ” for the laboratory — and is getting encouraging feedback , she said . “ It ’ s a great mechanism for us to be able to show that we ’ re still relevant and doing good work .”
She is also building on relationships with public health leadership organizations in the state to play a larger role in advocating for public health policy . She has spoken in front of the California Senate Health Committee and had the opportunity to contribute to relevant legislation , such as for an emerging infectious disease surveillance system and funding for public health laboratory workforce training .
“ It ’ s been a really cool experience to be able to have a seat at the table , and now when anything laboratory-related comes up , they come to me ,” Crumpler said . “ There ’ s mutual respect between the organizations , and they see us as a good source of trusted information .” g
The production of this article and publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement # NU60OE000104 , funded by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of , nor an endorsement by , CDC , HHS or the US Government .
18 LAB MATTERS Winter 2023
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