Communicating Through COVID-19 and Beyond: Impact and Insights from the Field of Public Health

"Communicating Through COVID-19 and Beyond: Impact and Insights from the Field of Public Health" Overview

Thank you to everyone who joined us and asked questions in yesterday’s webinar, “Communicating Through COVID-19 and Beyond” — and thank you again to our speakers for their thought-provoking insights, expertise, and actionable tips for communicators. You can watch the recording from the presentation here and learn more insights from our speakers in our newly released accompanying resource, Communicating Through COVID-19 and Beyond: Impact and Insights from the Field of Public Health. 

Download the resource

Access the webinar recording

Here are highlights from our speakers about this important and timely topic:

“In times where we can’t offer certainty, we can provide empathy and clear strategies for navigating uncertainty.”

— Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, Director of Public Health and Health Officer at Pasadena Public Health Department, CA

Goh underscored the vital role that communications plays in public health and responding to uncertainty with empathy. At the Pasadena Public Health Department, Goh and her team credit centering empathy and clear communications strategies in their long-standing relationships with education partners, families, and students to successfully advance public health messaging during the pandemic. 

“It’s not what’s convenient for us, it’s what’s convenient for our communities.”

— Julie Pryde, Public Health Administrator at Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, IL

Pryde emphasized how embracing an honest and open communications strategy helps maintain relationships with the community. In addition to a transparent approach to messaging, Pryde discussed how she opened new lines of communication and increased accessibility to information with her “Ask the Administrator” daily newspaper column launched in 2020. Through this column, Pryde answered submitted questions for over a year in the local paper to reach the senior community. 

“Leave perfectionism behind and focus on consistent messaging as a team."

— Frank Kruppa, Public Health Director and Mental Health Commissioner at Tompkins County Health Department, NY

When asked about one thing he would leave behind in his communications strategies, and one thing he would take forward, Kruppa said he would “leave perfectionism behind” and take forward the teamwork necessary to craft effective messaging. He noted that his team realized early on that communicating consistently and crafting messages as a team was the best way to earn trust. This approach is exemplified by the community ambassador program that Kruppa and his team successfully piloted in summer of 2021 to reach diverse communities in Tompkins County. 

Watch the recording here.

More Insights are in Our New Resource

We are excited to announce the release of our latest resource, Communicating Through COVID-19 and Beyond: Impact and Insights from the Field of Public Health. Crowdsourced from over 600 public health communicators across 51 states and territories, this resource highlights the immense impact of public health communicators in 2020 and offers a powerful wealth of insights for protecting public health through COVID-19 and beyond. In addition to learnings from Dr. Goh, Ms. Pryde, and Mr. Kruppa, the resource also features insights from health department leaders across the nation—from the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona, to the Blue Ridge Mountains in rural Virginia. 

Download our New Resource.

As you read these timely insights from your colleagues, we hope you’ll share your reflections and learnings with us by tagging us on social media at @PH_Comms on Twitter or Public Health Communications Collaborative on LinkedIn.