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Sharon Reis inducted into National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame

On Tuesday, December 12, 2023, Sharon Reis was inducted into the Hall of Fame for the Public Relations Society of America’s National Capital Chapter.

Sharon was honored for her dedication to health, health care and social issues, including her work on campaigns to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, raise awareness of colorectal cancer, fight COVID-19 and promote health equity. Beyond recognizing her commitment to her clients and their issues, Sharon was also honored for her role in mentoring and shaping the next generation of PR professionals.

PRSA

The National Capital Public Relations Hall of Fame inducts role models who have created an enduring impact on PR from 30 or more years of distinguished accomplishments. Click here for more information about the honor.

“I am honored to be inducted into the PRSA NCC Hall of Fame alongside some of the finest PR professionals in the country. This recognition signifies an important milestone in my health care PR journey, and I am grateful to continue to develop communications programs to help improve health and well-being for so many.”

– Sharon Reis

The Reis Group team.

 

 

Sharon Reis and Patrick Reis.

 

Lauren Musiol, Senior Vice President, introducing Sharon Reis.

Taking the Pulse of Health Care Policy

In the world of health care public relations, we are tasked with staying up to date with industry trends, elevating reputations and developing earned media plans. As a Washington D.C.-based agency, we have the advantage of being close to policy action so we can keep tabs on what our clients need to know about the fast-moving developments in health care. Here are the top issues we are watching this fall from Congress and the White House, and why they are worth paying attention to.

Drug Pricing

After years of promising to reduce drug costs, Congress is poised to take policy action, launching at least nine bills that take aim at pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) or companies that channel prescription drugs to patients. Elsewhere, The White House, as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, made a historic move in announcing the ten drugs selected for price negotiation under the law. This is the first-ever direct drug-price negotiations between pharmaceutical manufacturers and Medicare, and it would have far-reaching implications in reducing costs and expanding the availability of medicines that are crucial for America’s seniors.

Drug Shortages

Significant and dangerous medication shortages have surfaced in recent months, with more than 300 prescription drugs, including critical chemotherapy treatments, being in short supply. The situation is forcing almost 60% of health systems to ration or even postpone care. Congress is considering several policies including a GOP-led effort aimed at enforcing accountability in the drug market by improving transparency and mandating the provision of additional information about manufacturing and distribution. Additionally, The Senate Subcommittee on Health is also poised to consider a bipartisan proposal known as The Drug Shortage Prevention Act that would require producers of prescription drugs to notify the FDA as soon as they anticipate being unable to meet the demand.

Pandemic Preparedness

With the fall season of respiratory illnesses upon us, Congress is also considering how to bolster the public health system to anticipate the inevitable return of the flu, RSV and COVID-19. By October, The Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act expires and requires re-authorization. The act is the backbone of the nation’s public health response, as it accelerates public-private partnerships to develop vaccines and take other actions. Additionally, both chambers of Congress are taking up policy measures to support emergency response and pandemic preparedness. Elsewhere, The White House took action by announcing the appointment of Dr. Paul Friedrichs, a retired Air Force combat surgeon who helped execute the Pentagon’s COVID response, to head the new White House Pandemic Office. He will oversee efforts to fund vaccine development in time to meet these challenges.

Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023

The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act was recently reintroduced in the House and Senate and will have far-reaching impact if passed. The bipartisan bill would authorize an expansion of Medicare coverage to include screening and treatment of obesity from providers who specialize in obesity care and include coverage of behavioral counseling, prescription drugs for long-term weight manage. The passage of TROA would be a key catalyst to expanding access to obesity treatment across the board, and therefore, improve the health of millions of Americans.

The future for all these important issues remains highly unpredictable, along with proposals effecting Medicaidhealth care price transparency and mental health.  One thing that is certain, however, is that The Reis Group will be following all this very closely to make sure our clients are well positioned to succeed.

Health care PR: What’s the landscape for 2023?

As the new year unfolds and the pandemic is no longer dominating our lives, we are excited to see what unexpected developments the future brings. Working in health care public relations, we are often charged with communicating complex health care messages in a rapidly changing—and sometimes volatile—environment. We must constantly adapt to these unpredictable dynamics to assist our clients who are trying to increase awareness for their issues and platforms, build credibility for their organizations and promote science that improves care.

Among many important issues that we will be monitoring, four stand out as top-of-mind as we initiate new strategies for earned media, thought leadership and science promotion on the national level and in communities across the country.

The continued effects of COVID-19. Our nation’s health care providers are tired, stressed and feeling burnt out, which directly affects patient safety and the quality of care. The mental health impact of COVID-19 has touched nearly everyone, especially our teenagers and young adults. While Medicare permanently lifted geographic restrictions for mental telehealth services during the pandemic, people with private insurance still face barriers accessing very much-needed mental health care across state lines.

High cost of prescription drugs. In a potentially important shift, Senator Bernie Sanders, as the new chair of the powerful Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, has said one of his key areas will be lowering the cost of prescription drugs. Amazon and other major corporations are moving into the prescription drug field, which also could be a game-changer. At the same time, access to innovative new treatments to stave off conditions like Alzheimer’s or provide daily management of diabetes are very promising, but extraordinarily expensive.

Changes in social media and surges in AI. The importance of short, powerful videos and the increasing importance of social media influencers will continue to dominate social channels. AI will facilitate content creation and change searches in many unknown ways. It will be interesting to see how these changes affect various social platforms. It feels like everyone is looking around for another option. Will Twitter continue to serve as the hub for journalists? Will more industries ban the use of TikTok? Will masses of users really leave Facebook?

Obesity as a chronic condition. The long-awaited anti-obesity drugs are being hailed as miracle pills. It will be important to track who can actually afford and have access to these medications and what effects they have on finally de-stigmatizing obesity and treating it as a legitimate medical condition. Even Congress will be weighing in when policymakers debate the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act with its proposed expansion of Medicare coverage.

So, stay tuned! It’s certain to be an eventful time in a rapidly evolving health care landscape, and we plan to be right in the middle of it!

 

 

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE…

The Reis Group marks its sixth anniversary this month and there is a lot to celebrate. We were named a finalist for the Top Boutique Agencies for 2022 by PRWeek and we also made the list of best agencies for PR Daily. In addition, our energetic and skilled team is growing. Our health care clients are working hard on pressing issues and our hybrid work schedule is striking the right balance.

Teams and Zoom are the norm and fill my days. Several people are often dressed in athleisure wear, which now appears to be the new “business casual.” Others are back to their more formal attire, but wearing sneakers, which I personally have fully converted to doing. Our new litmus test for any type of meeting is whether we should make the effort to travel to another place, or just do it virtually?

My backpack has become my desk. Actually, it really is now my portable office. It’s heavier and fuller than before but has everything I need to work from anywhere for an extended period of time. It even includes snacks and several days of vitamins. This is coming from a person who believes in traveling really light.

While I am not sure what our workspace will look like moving forward, I am quite certain about our client work, which has been constant, challenging, and rewarding since we were established in 2016. Our core capabilities remain firmly grounded in thought leadership, reputation, earned media, science promotion, social media, environmental scans, and more. And health care remains arguably the most urgent issue facing our nation, as the field is widening its focus on well-being, health equity, and health justice, and more.

More specifically, I am particularly excited about our new annual performance “reflection,” which has replaced a conventional review. Two years ago, we revamped the process to focus on the “Wheel of Work” along with concepts from Harvard Business Review articles on employee engagement. We make a concerted effort to provide constructive feedback on an ongoing basis with every assignment and every project. It has become our way of life to ensure that we are seeing, hearing, and valuing each other’s strengths. This year’s Annual Reflection offers an opportunity for each of us to think about big issues and life issues such as purpose and connection.

I am writing this anniversary blog as I ride the Acela from Washington, D.C. to New York for an in-person meeting. It is my second one in several months and it feels so different. The train is full. Some people are wearing their masks. Many are not. Others are busy typing away on their laptops. A few are talking loudly on conference calls. Everyone is looking a little stressed. Wait a minute, except for the masking, not that much has changed after all!

A Spiritual Awakening of Sorts

The eerie, high-pitched singing of billions of cicadas is once again permeating the Washington, D.C. area, and for me, their amazing return is a fitting symbol of rebirth─after the lifting of the COVID-19 shutdown, the blooming of new spring flowers, and the exhilarating feeling of finally being able to hug our friends and families again. The last time the cicadas emerged from their sleep, it was 2004. My mother had just passed away after a long battle with breast cancer, my family moved into the new home where we still live today, and our beloved Boston Red Sox won the World Series for the first time in 86 years. Fast forward to June 2021, and it is another year full of major milestones. My youngest daughter is going off to college, my husband and I will become empty nesters, and the health care PR firm I founded is already turning five. Inspired by the song of the cicadas, here are five things I am happy to sing about.

  1. I am thrilled (and humbled) as The Reis Group marks its five-year anniversary of charting a new course. The energy of the team, our clients, their issues, our partners, and their support have made the past five years incredibly successful, and the momentum is growing.
  2. Summer hours have begun! Rotating in two teams, we take every other Friday off. This summer is particularly special because our entire team is vaccinated, and we are bursting at the seams to take long-delayed vacations!
  3. Health and health care continue to be among the most pressing problems facing our nation. Health and well-being, equity, and mental health are key parts of our public health conversation, and these issues also fuel our personal passions and inspire the work of our small, woman-owned business.
  4. Our entire team is coming back to the office in September! A third of us are already back a couple days a week, but our team finally will be fully back together─and not soon enough. We will implement a hybrid schedule, working from home on Mondays and Fridays and being together in the office the rest of the week.
  5. The pandemic presented an opportunity for self-awareness and self-care. One of the few bright spots for me was an opportunity to reflect and meditate more: To take stock of what is important to me and to my family, and how I want to show up in this world. To savor the gift of time, many free weekends at home, and an opportunity for some personal growth and personal transformation.

When we opened our doors five years ago, I said something that still holds true and that I keep near my heart. “To give it my best—to really make it shine—I need to work with the best people; people who share my values and my commitment to excellence. I have to work in a culture of support, in which our team members see that a major part of our work is to build each other up and help each other succeed.” I’m very grateful to know that The Reis Group’s voice is enduring, just like the cicadas, and will continue….

A Clearer Path Forward for 2021

Kindness. Recovery. Brightness. These are some of the words my colleagues used during a recent Zoom meeting to describe their hopes and expectations for 2021. Several shared news of a friend’s pregnancy, an engagement, a pleasant family milestone, or possible vacation. Their energy and optimism reminded me that despite the pain and chaos of the past year, there are nonetheless many reasons to feel grateful, particularly for the health, safety, and job stability of our team.

The ongoing development of new vaccines and the adoption of more serious mask mandates are our new lights at the end of the tunnel. The nationwide innovation that has occurred by collaborating across sectors to develop multiple COVID-19 vaccines is truly inspiring and has shone a light on what is possible when we find ways to work together in our collective best interests.

In health care PR, we have turned our attention to building vaccine confidence and promoting the science behind it. These campaigns are crucial to our nation’s revival. The personal toll of pandemic loss and confinement has also focused new attention on the importance of behavioral and mental health, including the expansion of telehealth. I am encouraged, too, by the renewed focus and wider acceptance of the power of the mind-body connection in achieving health and well-being. On Instagram, I’ve started following Happify and wanted to share one of their recent posts, “Three Things to Notice Daily:” What energizes you? What are you grateful for? What’s not working, and why? I have found that pausing to take the time to identify and focus on these three things has made a difference in my daily well-being.

Finally, I am particularly grateful for our team of amazing health care PR experts. Through our regular Zoom calls, we have maintained and built even stronger connections. We have supported and shared with each other when we’ve been challenged in so many unexpected ways. As the path forward becomes clearer every day, we are hopeful of getting vaccines before the fall, seeing those new babies, attending those weddings, and enjoying a renewed sense of well-being.

A Formative Four Years

It’s hard for me to believe that we are already celebrating the fourth anniversary of the founding of The Reis Group.  As I thought about this milestone and about my original vision to create a health care public relations agency with the best possible work culture, I was wonderfully gratified to get the news that we were just named one of the “Best Boutique Agencies to Work For” by PRovoke, one of the leading industry trade news outlets.

To be recognized for our culture, being named one of the best in the nation in the “most voluminous and competitive” category, according to PRovoke, is very rewarding for me both professionally and personally. Having a strong, talented, supportive team has been a joy, and it gives me hope for much success in the next year and beyond.

As I looked back at the four-year mark, I found myself marveling at how much has changed in such a short time, even before our world was upended by COVID-19.

The Cloud

When we moved into our brand new Dupont Circle office in Washington, D.C. in 2016, we worked with our tech expert to put all our content into the cloud and to have everything accessible virtually. It’s been an amazing change, particularly with our increased travel schedules, to have the ability to work from anywhere and have access to all our files. And it enabled us to buy the lightest laptops available, which was fantastic news for my poor sore shoulder!

Remote Work

Long before COVID-19, we started working remotely once a week on the day of your choice. But that became too confusing; some people would take it, others wouldn’t. It got to the point where we didn’t know whether someone was in or out of the office. We had a solution: “Work From Home Fridays.” Everyone would get the benefit. Everyone would be required to use video calls as the primary form of communication. Everyone needed to have a home office set up. Wow! Did that ever pay off when the coronavirus hit!

Working from home one day a week is fun. Working from home every day is just hard. I miss my co-workers! Getting coffees together. Chatting about the weekend. Noticing a new piece of clothing or a desk decoration. Being able to tell how each of us is doing by reading our body language. Let’s face it; you really can’t do that as well on Zoom. We are on virtual calls every day together, but nothing replaces being in each other’s presence.

Health Care’s Transformation

Our firm is focused on health and health care. I’ve dedicated the last 20-plus years of my life to these issues. So much has changed so quickly in both a scary and exciting way. Disparities, telehealth, questions about insurance coverage, access to care, prevention, mental health, reimbursement issues, scope of practice, and more. Never have these challenges been more apparent or important.

Supporting Our Community

The sweeping protests around the world are sparking historic changes that have been too long coming. As an employer, I am strongly committed to equity and to having a team that reflects our community, that is open to ideas from everyone, and that supports each other’s successes. Every June, we donate to a cause that helps the community. This year, we made a donation to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

My Proudest Moment

When we opened our doors four years ago, I said something that still holds true and that I keep near my heart. “To give it my best—to really make it shine—I need to work with the best people; people who share my values and my commitment to excellence. I have to work in a culture of support, in which our team members see that a major part of our work is to build each other up and help each other succeed.” I’m very grateful to know that we are doing that, and will continue…

Working—and growing—during a pandemic as a newly minted health care PR professional

COVID-19 has upended office life and we are all living with a new normal. As a young PR professional working in health care communications, I’m looking for ways to learn new skills and break through the pandemonium to continue to grow. When we began working remotely full time, I was worried that my professional development would be stunted, but I quickly discovered three ways of continuing to grow–and maintain sanity–during this chaotic time: getting face time with mentors, setting goals, and taking time to breathe fresh air.

Getting Facetime with Mentors

The pandemic has thrown schedules into disarray, canceled events, and suddenly shifted focus for our health care-focused clients. For me, it also means that working closely with mentors to get feedback and improve my skills is more difficult than ever. I’ve quickly learned to provide my team leaders more time to review my materials and to schedule time to discuss changes. Being more proactive about asking questions and seeking out new tasks is key to maintaining the vital momentum of learning.

Working at a PR agency allows constant interaction with coworkers, and I usually can just walk into someone’s office whenever I have questions. Now, it’s limited to emails and video chats. The video gives me important face time for a richer mentorship experience that helps me understand a boss’s revision and master a new skill.

Setting Goals

Before COVID-19, setting goals helped me plan my days, understand what areas I need to improve on, and think about how I can achieve those goals. With all the chaos and extra time, the first week working from home felt somewhat empty and directionless. Working at home reveals many distractions in my apartment, not to mention those in the outside world. But setting some personal benchmarks has helped me keep on track with my daily work and my broader professional goals. These benchmarks have included checking in with team leaders to get feedback and give updates on my work, make progress checks to meet my deadlines, and dedicate myself to learning new skills such as crafting new business proposals and mastering best practices for writing commentaries. I’ve also applied this goal-setting to my personal life to make the best use of all my unexpected free time.

Breathing Fresh Air

Among my new daily goals is to get outside whenever I can. It’s no secret that fresh air and exercise are vital for a healthy life, but it’s not easy when you’re locked down. Invigorating yourself and promoting mindfulness—while self-isolating—can be as simple as going for a walk or run, or just opening a window. I count myself as particularly lucky because I live on the top floor of a building with a beautiful rooftop for quick breaks when I feel cooped up. I can re-center my mind and come back to work feeling relaxed and refocused. You can too!

Your professional development doesn’t have to be put on hold during quarantine. You just need to work around these new barriers and, with your mentors, find new ways of growing. Being organized and mindful of your mental and physical health will help move you forward in learning new skills and proving yourself as a PR professional.

Think Like a Thought Leader

Our high-speed, media-saturated digital world sometimes feels like a dense, dark jungle with huge shadowy trees and thick tangled vines that block out most of the sunlight and leave us in darkness.

Our job in health care public relations is to shine a light to cut through this darkness on behalf of our clients and highlight their work, their mission, and their values. In the health and science field, we have the ability—and the obligation—to build our clients’ credibility and elevate their reputations so that their key achievements and messages do not get lost in the information wilderness of social media.

“Thought Leadership” has become the mantra for this type of work. At The Reis Group, we represent a wide variety of clients who are doing cutting-edge work in specialized areas such as integrative health, epidemiology, pediatric health, Alzheimer’s prevention, cost containment, and much more. We can effectively promote the value of our clients’ work—if we do it the right way.

In the worlds of health care, science and medicine, the key executives, scientists, and researchers have the ability to become recognized leaders in their fields through op-eds, broadcast appearances, speaking engagements, letters to the editor and other opportunities. After 40 years working in the media, the last seven in public relations, here are a few of my tips on how to help make this happen.

Be ready to respond quickly: In the Twitter universe, the news is non-stop, so at any moment, we have to be poised to act immediately. For us, the COVID-19 pandemic is the most vivid recent example of the need to be constantly aware of how events move so rapidly that we must always be ready.

Be ready to respond smartly: We try to know all the potential outlets that might be interested in hearing from our leaders. Whether it’s a short, quick letter or a substantive commentary, we cultivate contacts with journalists and publishers who may be most receptive to our messages.

Know the message: Our clients have devoted their careers to representing specialized populations and the targeted audiences who care deeply about their issues. We have to be in a position to know how any breaking news event may relate to the specific topics that are our clients’ major areas of interest.

Know the messenger: Our leaders have carefully nuanced positions on issues. We need to talk with them as often as possible, interview them on major topics of the day whenever possible, and keep up on their published writing and research.

Speak in their voice, not yours: Our thought leaders are passionate about their issues and have distinct ways of expressing themselves on the most vital topics. We should be able to virtually memorize the language that they would use. Then, when the client sees the message that we are planning to put out, they feel that the voice is authentic.

This kind of work is competitive and difficult, but it’s definitely worth the planning and the effort.

A Passion for Pie

Next week, The Reis Group will temporarily trade PR for pastry-making when our staffers prepare their entries for the Great 2019 Pie-Off! This time-honored annual team tradition requires creativity and flair in the kitchen for us to master recipes that can stand out among a group of up to 10 pies, prepared by our highly competitive staff. On the flip side, our digestive fortitude also will be put to the test as we sacrifice our waistlines and taste each and every pie in search of this year’s winning entry.

This competition is serious stuff around our Dupont Circle office. To prepare for this year’s Pie-Off, we caught up with TRG master pie-maker, Stephanie Wight. In her seven years with the team, Steph has been recognized for her prize-winning pastry creations four times!

Q. How many of your pies have been honored in the Pie-Off?

A. I had to go back to my Instagram archive for this one. The first time I won was in 2014 with a blueberry custard pie. Then in 2015 I earned second place with a Smore’s Brownie pie. In 2016, I won with a Pear Ginger pie, and then last year I went from sweet to savory and won top prize with a Sausage, Apple and Sage pie. Important to note that all these winners were judged primarily for taste, not for appearance. I’m definitely not a visual artist when it comes to my baking.

Q. What’s your most memorable pie?

A. The Blueberry Custard became a fan favorite among my friends and family. And then the Pear Ginger was a unique combination that turned out great. I attempted artistry by braiding the crust – and it actually turned out pretty well, which was a miracle!

Q. What do you look for in a recipe to make these delicious creations?

A. I look for an element of surprise. Everyone loves traditional pies, but you need to have some kind of an edge to stand out. This year will be interesting because I’ve heard lots of buzz about savory pies, which have won the past two years (shout out to Tamara Moore’s meat pie in 2018—that was amazing!) So, this year, we might have an even mix of sweet and savory, making the selection process even more difficult!

Q. Do you have any baking memories from childhood that have instilled this skill or passion?

A. My first Reis Group Pie-Off in 2014 was the first time I ever baked a pie! Although I do have fun memories from childhood helping my mom bake cookies and cakes. My grandma always brings pies for Thanksgiving, but for the past few years my Pie-Off winners have shared the Thanksgiving table with hers. The S’mores pie is another family favorite!

Q. What’s your Pie-Off routine?

A. First, I search Pinterest and some cooking magazines to select a pie…. then, I make sure to plan lots of free time on the Sunday before the contest to bake. Since I’m not the most experienced baker, I read through recipes during the selection process to make sure they aren’t too complex. I also have always gone with either store-bought crust, or crusts that are easier to make like graham cracker crust or even better—Nilla wafer crust! If I’m going with a fruit pie, I make sure to buy ingredients in advance, to get the optimal degree of ripeness.

Q. Do you have any Pie-Off advisors?

A. Well, my boyfriend, Mick, otherwise known as Chef Micky B, is a very good cook. His stepfather is a long-time chef in South Florida, so Mick grew up learning from the best. However, he doesn’t know much about baking, so the baking tips from my mom have been the only cooking lessons I’ve been able to share with him. He will definitely be involved in the selection process for my pie and he’ll be around for any emergencies while baking.

So, I’m getting ready for a great time next week with my creative colleagues—and then I’ll be heading to the gym to work it off—and then start thinking about my 2020 recipe!

>>Learn more about Stephanie and drop her a hello here.