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Washington Post health reporter Ceci Connolly was at UNMC this week to talk with Richard Raymond, M.D., Nebraska’s chief medical officer, left, and Rod Markin, M.D., Ph.D., associate dean of UNMC’s College of Medicine, on bioterrorism and the Nebraska Public Health Lab. |
UNMC Chancellor Harold M. Maurer, M.D., wants the media’s national spotlight shining on UNMC’s faculty, students, programs and research.
Just as it did on Sept. 3 when the UNMC/NHS husband and wife transplant surgery team of Brian Stevens, M.D., Ph.D., and Lucile Wrenshall, M.D., Ph.D., was featured on ABC’s “World News Now” or when Steve Hinrichs, M.D., professor of pathology/microbiology, made the February 2002 cover of the AAMC Reporter for UNMC’s work in bioterrorism.
“With our vision to become a world-class academic health science center, it is important to have a national presence,” Dr. Maurer said. “National media is one way of letting others know the great things happening at UNMC. I’ve asked public affairs to increase our national visibility and I’m encouraging all of our faculty to help in that effort.”
Getting the word out
Tom O’Connor, senior associate director of public affairs, said the UNMC media relations team is aggressively pursuing more national media placements. “There are tons of stories taking place at UNMC/NHS that have potential national media interest,” O’Connor said. “Unfortunately, many stories don’t get told, because we aren’t aware they are even happening. If you have a story idea, we would love to hear from you. We will do our absolute best to try to get the word out.”
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Sack lunches will be provided to attendees. However, seating is limited, so reservations need to be made by calling 559-4353. Rose Ann Shannon, news director of KETV (Ch. 7), will participate in the seminar along with the UNMC media relations team, which includes Tom O’Connor, (559-4690), Vicky Cerino (559-5190) and Walter Brooks (559-5768). |
Faculty are asked to contact public affairs when they have a story of national importance, when their research is published in a prestigious journal or when they’ve been appointed to national committees.
Examples of UNMC faculty who have gained national exposure include:
- Carl Smith, M.D., professor and chairman of the obstetrics/gynecology department, was interviewed for an upcoming issue of Parents magazine dealing with how first-time mothers can overcome their fears associated with delivery;
- Pierre Fayad, M.D., professor and chairman of neurological sciences, who is a regular contributor to the ABC.com Web site; and
- Stephen Rennard, M.D., professor of internal medicine/pulmonary & critical care section, who continues to attract international media coverage for his research on the benefits of chicken soup.
Tools to increase UNMC’s visibility
The UNMC media relations team has a number of tools at its disposal to increase national media placements. One tool is Profnet, an e-mail service in which reporters around the country seek to interview experts from academic medical centers around the country.
“Each day, we receive several Profnet inquiries seeking medical experts,” O’Connor said. “We try to e-mail these requests to the appropriate experts around campus. If our experts respond to these reporters in a timely fashion, the chances are excellent that they will be interviewed.”
The Profnet inquiries come from a wide range of publications, including major magazines and newspapers.
The public affairs department also can develop news releases and alert media to upcoming events, O’Connor said.
“We aggressively go after media placements,” he said. “We view the media as an ally to help us get the word out on all the great things happening at UNMC. The power of the media should never be underestimated. There’s no better way to reach a large number of people in a short amount of time. Media placements can truly make a difference on the bottom line, by bringing in new patients to the medical center.”
One exciting innovation pioneered by Public Affairs is the distribution of audio sound bites to radio stations.
Sending sound bites
“We’ve been distributing these sound bites to radio stations around Nebraska,” O’Connor said. “We’ve received some excellent feedback from stations who appreciate the service. Many radio stations have had to cut back on their news staff, so the e-mail sound bites are a great way for them to get news and never leave the radio station.”
In the near future, O’Connor plans to distribute weekly sound bites from “Community Health Line,” a radio show he hosts with Bill Gust, M.D., assistant professor, internal medicine. The show, which typically features UNMC guests, airs Wednesdays from 11:30 a.m. to noon on KIOS (91.5 FM).