February 2006 RAM Campaign E-Newsletter
Want the latest news on what is happening with Remaking American Medicine? The bi-monthly RAM Campaign Newsletter features stories about the latest things happening with local coalitions, the campaign and the production series. All previous RAM Campaign Newsletters are available here.
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Greetings from RAM
Dear Friends and Colleagues:
As many of you know, Crosskeys Media® has received a September
2006 broadcast window from PBS, exact times and dates to be determined. This good news allows us to focus our collective campaign efforts, including RAM coalitions, membership communications, special events and media relations.
Our DCI team will continue to develop promotional materials that will help spread the word. Read on for the latest information about the series and the campaign.
Production News
Crosskeys Media team members are now wrapping up filming at each site and are moving into post-production on all four programs. Activities include:
- Taping at Johns Hopkins Hospital for Program One - “Silent Killer” was completed in January. Production continues this month at Seattle hospitals participating in the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 100,000 Lives Campaign.
- Production at the two sites featured in Program Two - “First Do No Harm” is largely completed. These sites are Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, which is engaged in efforts to transform how the institution delivers care, and Pittsburgh, PA, where the region is confronting an epidemic of
hospital-acquired infections.
- For Program Three – “The Stealth Epidemic”, taping has wrapped up on the story of health care activists in Whatcom County, WA implementing innovative community-wide efforts for people with multiple chronic diseases. Filming continues in Los Angeles County where the focus is on a chronic disease management program for uninsured patients suffering from diabetes.
- Production is largely completed at the Medical College of Georgia Health Center, site of Program Four – “Hand in Hand.”
Post-production on the series will continue through June 2006. Final masters will be delivered to PBS in July for broadcast in September 2006.
Since 2002, Crosskeys Media has been documenting numerous institutions and individuals.
As the stories have evolved, and as a result of feedback from PBS, a few of the programs have been altered. The new program titles and brief descriptions are:
- Program One – “The Silent Killer” profiles those who are committed to fixing a health care system that is estimated to kill up to 98,000 people a year.
- Program Two – “First Do No Harm” focuses on efforts to address medical errors in hospitals.
- Program Three – “The Stealth Epidemic” looks at groundbreaking efforts to create effective chronic disease management programs.
- Program Four – “Hand in Hand” shows how a unique partnership between patients, families and providers is transforming one teaching hospital.
You can find the most recent series descriptions on RAMcampaign.org in the “Press Room” or “About Remaking American Medicine” sections of the site.
Campaign News
National Governors Association Joins National Partnership Program
The National Governors Association (NGA) became the 44th organization to join the RAM campaign. The NGA is the bipartisan organization of the nation's governors and promotes visionary state leadership, shares best practices and speaks with a unified voice on national policy. The NGA Center for Best Practices focuses on state
innovations and best practices on issues that range from education and health to technology, welfare reform and the environment.
The NGA’s engagement is particularly timely. NGA Chairman (2005/06) Governor Mike Huckabee (Arkansas) has launched “Healthy America: Wellness Where We Live, Work and Learn” a public education campaign targeted at reducing obesity in order to control chronic diseases such as diabetes. In addition, the Arkansas RAM coalition is hoping to feature Gov. Huckabee as one of their local Champions of Change because of his commitment to improving health care quality.
RAM on the Road
Many thanks to our Partners and their affiliates for inviting us to conferences and meetings. The RAM team recently made a presentation at the annual National Health Council Voluntary Health Leadership Conference and later this month will be presenting at the American Health Quality Association annual meeting. In March, RAM will be featured at the annual conference of the Association for Community Health Improvement (an American Hospital Association affiliate) in Phoenix, Arizona.
We very much appreciate your continued support of the campaign and willingness to introduce us to your members and colleagues.
Coalition Activities
The DCI staff continues to work closely with RAM coalitions and we encourage you to access the tips and tools that can be found on the campaign Web site, including the Leadership Guide and the Coalition "White Paper." We also suggest that coalitions capitalize on the excellent activities being conducted by others across the country. Here is another example of a RAM coalition for your consideration and inspiration.
WHYY/ Philadelphia
WHYY is a member of the Philadelphia Area Caring Community Coalition, a coalition of 100 partner organizations across the region that for the past six years have been addressing important health issues. The station is using
Remaking American Medicine to enhance and leverage these ongoing community efforts.
On behalf of RAM, WHYY has recruited additional coalition members including the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania, the New Jersey Hospital Association, the local chapter of AARP, the Delaware Healthcare Association, the American College of Physicians and the American Board of Internal Medicine. The goal of this campaign is to address the needs of medical education and to improve provider communication skills.
The coalition has selected the Longitudinal Experience to Appreciate Patient Perspectives (LEAPP) program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as a RAM Champion of Change. The program follows a group of medical students who are working with chronically ill patients. The goal is to improve the patients’ care and the students’ communication skills with patients. WHYY will feature the program in a 30-minute documentary to be broadcast close to the RAM series premiere in September 2006.
In November 2005, WHYY hosted a community quality forum with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Carolyn Clancy, president of AHRQ and a member of the RAM National Awareness Advisory Committee, served as keynote speaker.
In February, WHYY will convene a “Community Leadership Summit on Health and Healthcare.” Inspired by Remaking American Medicine, the Summit will convene leaders from the health care community, insurers, local business groups and purchasers to share concerns and seek solutions through institutional collaboration and partnership.
Additional outreach activities include hosting a screening/community forum for medical school leaders, providers and the general public. It will address the medical education needs in Philadelphia and surrounding communities. The station will also produce a complementary radio program for its NPR series, Voices in the Family.
For more information contact: Brain Duke, director, Community Caring Coalition at: 215-928-2434 or email: bduke@whyy.org.
Campaign Tools & Resources
New Campaign Promotional Brochure Just Released
We are pleased to announce a new RAM campaign promotional brochure that you may wish to use at conferences, coalition meetings and events. The four-panel brochure is available as an easily downloadable PDF file and can be found at www.RAMcampaign.org in the “Resources” section.
In the coming weeks we will be sending suggested feature stories about RAM that we hope you will place in your internal publications and/or your Web sites.
We encourage you to log on to www.RAMcampaign.org frequently for new products and tools. Coming up will be a new consumer-oriented promotional brochure for RAM events. It will be easily customized so as to include your logo and most importantly, feature the issues you are addressing. Within the month you will also be able to access a complete series press kit.
RAMcampaign.org
We hope you are visiting the campaign Web site frequently.
New information is being added on a regular basis, including relevant press stories, coalition updates, quality tools and resources and Partner events. Please encourage your colleagues to subscribe to the campaign newsletter.
You can view and download new outreach materials that QIOs, PBS stations and RAM coalitions have developed in both English and Spanish in support of Remaking American Medicine. Some of these have been developed specifically to reach out to Latino communities.
If you have any questions or have information you would like to add to the site, please contact Allan Childers, RAM Webmaster.
Tell us about your Champions of Change
We continue to seek nominations for local Champions of Change -- individuals and institutions that are dedicated to improving health care quality. Issues being tackled by your nominees should relate directly to the overarching theme of quality health care improvement. Most importantly, the nominee should demonstrate how a particular issue was addressed and the positive impact this activity had on a local community. For examples, please log on to www.RAMcampaign.org and view the Champions currently posted.
More News
Introduce RAM to Your Members
It’s never too late to make sure your members and affiliates are aware of the series and the outreach campaign. Here are two easy ways the RAM team can help you involve your colleagues.Teleconferences
The RAM team has conducted a number of teleconferences with our National Partners and QIOs. Our presentations can be tailored to your needs and structured to meet your time considerations. We can provide an accompanying PowerPoint® presentation for use on these calls.To learn more, contact Lee Allen.
Web sites and Partner Publications
As mentioned above, DCI will begin producing series stories that may be used in your publications or Web sites. They can be shortened to meet your needs. Please continue to check the “Resources” section and “Press Room” at www.RAMcampaign.org for these materials.
Who to call
Devillier Communications, Inc. (DCI)
Linda Devillier, President: Strategic Counsel, PBS Stations, National Partner recruitment and relationships, QIO support. Available for presentations.
(202) 833-8121 ext. 3005, ldevillier@devillier.com or lbdevillier@aol.com
Barbara Lohman, Senior Vice President: Overall responsibility for campaign management, National Partner recruitment and relationships, QIO support. Available for presentations. (951) 340-0010, blohman1@aol.com
Lee Allen, Project Director: Day to day responsibility for the campaign. Serves as official liaison with Partners, QIOs and PBS stations. Manages PBS Incentive Grants Program. Available for presentations. 202-833-8121 ext. 3009, lallen@devillier.com
Laura Warkentin, Project Manager: Responds to all requests for promotional materials such as written materials, series video clips and artwork. Provides overall support to QIOs/ National Partners Program and Web site. (202) 833-8121 ext. 3014, lwarkentin@devillier.com
Allan Childers, Webmaster: Manages Remaking American Medicine campaign Web site. (202) 833-8121 ext. 3007, achilders@devillier.com
Crosskeys Media:
NOTE: Crosskeys Media has a new address and phone number. The new office address is: 2021 Sperry Avenue, Suite #5 Ventura, CA 93003. The new telephone number is noted by Frank’s name. The new fax number is (805) 650-8304. Matthew’s telephone number remains the same.
Frank Christopher, Executive Producer: Remaking American Medicine
(805) 650-8300, fc@crosskeysmedia.com
Matthew Eisen, Co-Executive Producer: Remaking American Medicine
(619) 283-0480, me@crosskeysmedia.com
