Metro Council needs neighborhood advocates

You've seen my neighborhood.  You know I'm an advocate. When I served on the Metro Council, my district downzoned more area than any other district in the city. Residents who normally don't organize asked for the action, organized petition drives & met my request to show that 80% of affected property owners were in support of it.

That process worked. Some efforts took longer than others, and the process changed when I moved into a second term and new Councilmembers objected. Overall, the process worked - not just to restrict construction of "attached homes" where large-scale residential construction was allowed in primarily single-family neighborhoods. It also drove the Council to come to a new definition that solved the need to re-zone property to protect property owner's interests.

Base zoning in the area allowed construction of  "duplexes", homes built at the time to look like one home, usually ranch-style. I was an owner-occupant of one before I married. It was built in 1950. New "duplexes" became two stand-alone homes with 10-foot connecting wall during the booming '80's and beyond. They often pushed the limits of design to do this. Sometimes they worked. Often they didn't.

After I left the Council, the debate rolled on. It adopted a new definition of "duplex," defining two-stand alone homes on one lot as a "duplex" when they meet all set-back requirements and stand 10-feet apart just like they would if they had a wall.  That compromise satisfied everyone, except us language purists and I did not object. The issue died down. Community standards won.

Today endorsements for neighborhood-friendly candidates now in a run-off election for Metro Council were announced. Solutions can emerge from collaboration and consensus.

When partisan interests are tempered with thoughtful, impressive advocacy progress can happen.

Nashville Community Education has an AmeriCorps Vista position open

This would be a good short-term position for someone interested in public service. Please pass along the job description.  The position is open until filled.

The one where my home life resembles national politics

I knew when I bought my home 26 years ago, it would be a good investment. A quiet street where people stroll. Within walking distance of a great neighborhood public school. About fifty years ago, several dozen ranch-style homes were built on my circle/street here, on land where Geddes-Douglas Nursery grew trees. Today it is a demolition zone, where the land for my home outweighs the value of its shelter.

It is distracting & depressing to work from my idyllic home-office when nearby homes start coming down. Dust covers my property, porta-johns go up and privacy goes away. In this I have no choice. In the past ten years, gentle growth that accompanies upgrades and remodeling was pushed out with violent surges. Showcase homes with crews of landscapers, pool cleaners, carpenters, long-haul deliverers and even sight-seers laid claim to the benefits our sweet neighborhood historically shared.


Homes have gone from being 2500 to 7000 square feet big on our half-acre lots in the last ten years, so it's not editorializing to say the character of the neighborhood has changed. Instead of feeling pride and welcome, I can't help but see visitors now as possible property investors, not possible neighbors. Today I am sad and sorry to see another home go. We enjoyed a simple, satisfying way of life here for so many years. We live abundantly, amidst prosperity. When we bought this home we knew it was going to be a good investment anyway. So why do I feel invisible & marginalized today? Is my community at-risk or getting stronger? It's all in the definitions you use, I'm sure.

White House proclaims this National Health Center Week

Across the US, municipalities, states & even the White House are recognizing this week as National Health Center Week. Last year, President Obama recognized community health centers with this proclamation. I was honored to be among those who received one.

 I especially love the gold seal and the official signature. I don't care if a magic pen was used to sign it.

It's official and it's on my wall in my office.

This is a week to raise awareness of the need for and value of community health centers in America. Happy National Health Center Week!

PROMOTING HEALTH CENTER WEEK IN THE DIGITAL AGE - PT 2

Remember back in the day when a hand-delivered press release stood out and got attention? Back when  real-time news coverage came at 6 & 10pm CT or the next day or next week? Not anymore! TV and newspapers aren't the only place people get their news today. Today, Twitter is my primary news source.

Social media provides the perfect vehicle for building excitement and awareness.  Community health centers using Facebook and Twitter should not ignore those platforms in any campaign communications mix. Here are ten ways to use social media to promote National Health Center Week:

1. Use an image of the National Health Center Week poster as your health center's profile picture on Facebook now through August 13. Ask health center staff, board members & supporters to do that too.  Do the same on Twitter.
2. Don't limit coverage of NHCW activities to coverage of an actual event. Feature photos of preparations for on Facebook or Flickr. Show people in action, building bulletin boards, setting up displays or simply smiling and holding up a tee-shirt or giveaway that will be used during events.
3. You could also video people getting ready for a big event, then upload it to YouTube. People love seeing video on Facebook. If people you photo or video don't object, tag them whenever you post content that features them. That makes the content appear on their Facebook page where their friends will see it too.
4. Cross-promote. Tweet messages about your Facebook and YouTube postings and link to them.
5. Thank and recognize dignitaries, sponsors & supporters on Twitter & Facebook. If you're out of ideas for content, quote facts about America's community health centers. Link to NACHC, your state primary care association website or your own where information supports each fact.
6. Video messages of appreciation from staff, your board, or community leaders about the good work at your community health center. Save it to a DVD and play it in your lobby on your television. Upload it to YouTube. Link it to Facebook, Twitter or to an evite-invitation.
7. Cover your own event as a news story and post it to Facebook soon after the event. Build a photo file. Shoot a short video and report on activity just as if you would see it in traditional news media.  
8. Develop a hashtag for an activity and live-tweet it. You never know who might be watching, follow your hashtag and learn about your health center that way.
9. If you sponsor a forum, consider livestreaming video on the internet. Using services like Ustream.tv, you can broadcast your event live over the Internet. This helps expand your audience and interact with them, even if they are not present in person at your event.
10. Create a blog and post video/photos along with narrative that may range from reflections on the mission of the work of one person, to the history about your health center, or patient stories (get their permission on a signed release!). The ideas are endless. Blogger and Posterous are two very simple platforms for blogging and again, it gives you another way to feature content, cross-promote it, and tell your story, your way.

Video is not hard to shoot, edit and share these days if you use a flipcam-type camera like I do. Digital photos can be taken by mobile phones, point-and-click cameras or with more professional equipment.

Your organization may chose one or many of the ideas I've submitted for consideration. It is not necessary to be active in all social media to get attention. If you chose one, I'd chose Facebook, where your patients & staff are probably most active.  This is also a good chance to become Friends with more people who could benefit from knowing what's happening at your community health center.



Here's an example of one FQHC promoting activity for NHCW on video.

Is your organization using social media to promote National Health Center Week?  Are you using it another way? If so, please share!

PROMOTING HEALTH CENTER WEEK IN THE DIGITAL AGE - PT 1

I mentioned earlier this week that National Health Center Week is right around the corner ( Aug 7-13) and all across the county, community health centers are publicizing their events. Their intent is to bring attention to the work of community health centers - bringing preventative & primary care to over 20 million Americans regardless of insurance or ability to pay. Their publicity efforts will draw patients in for services, dignitaries in for tours & media in to cover that.  This year many will integrate social media and their websites more than ever before. Here are some tips for using the digital domain to publicize their activity.

1. Link related content to your press release and distribute it online, by email. To help editors and reporters gain background easily, hyperlink key phrases straight to online sources for more information. Connect them to your website, NACHC's Health Center Week website, but also HRSA, state sources, or anywhere you think will give them insight to the greater story: that changes in Medicaid or health care reform policy that affect community health centers will change the lives and health care of people in your community.

2. Post your press releases on your website.  Search engines may pick it up there before any news coverage or announcements in the press are printed. Publicity in the digital age can be immediate, and a press release can become news before news media chooses to help make it so.

3. Optimize your press release by using strong key words. It is not enough to build a who-what-when-where-how lead to attract attention anymore.  You must create content that improves search engine results while you provide information. Google Insights is a place to start identifying what key words will achieve good results.

Here's a simple example of how this can work. I entered five key words:

Health Care, Insurance, Back-to-School, 

National Health Center Week, & Medical Home 

Some community health centers are currently gaining official "medical home" designation and it is a term used to describe a comprehensive health care center. Lots of back-to-school giveaways and innoculations occur during National Health Center Week. Many people who are unemployed and out of insurance. Community health centers are a place for them.

When I compared how often these terms show up in search rankings I learned that people search the web for information concerning "insurance" more other terms listed, on the web.  Here you'll see results of comparisons in the "Health" category. I also checked related categories, like "Lifestyles," "Business," and "Local" and though different, confirmed the term most searched was "Insurance." You can narrow the search to your region or Metro area, as well.



This graph tells me health centers should highlight their mission to serve the uninsured, especially during this economic downturn time. Decribing fully why an FQHC can do that OR adding a quote from a clinician, patient or community leader who mentions that, may bring their press release to the attention of readers who need them or reporters who are writing about the economy, or health care, or community health centers.

Google Insights is just one tool community health center PR people can use to optimize and maximize their publicity efforts. There are many more, and many I do not understand yet, but I'm learning.

Are you working on Health Center Week? Did this help?

IT'S A PRIVILEGE TO BE PROACTIVE

I mailed this postcard to get out the vote in a run-off election
during my first campaign to serve on the Metro Council in 1999.

This week is my party week.  It has my birthday and wedding anniversary AND my mother's birthday in it. I enjoy presents, family and friends all week long. Yesterday I had lunch with a friend I met in AWRT/American Women in Radio & Television many years ago. We were both presidents of our local chapter back in the '80's and she showed me how to be self-employed.

Back then, we rented P.O. boxes and printed business cards but did not divulge we were home-based professionals. She had a few years' more experience in business than me and, like me, is a Nashville native. She became my model for business marketing, using grassroots connections to stay visable and employed. She introduced me to association, government and non-profit work and she knows how to have a good time.

Now we try have lunch several times a year, and yesterday it had been too long since we last talked face-to-face.  In minutes, we were in full-swing, consulting & affirming each other, sharing stories and background on people we know, in the news and in our lives.

After 2 1/2 hours, we parted, laughing. And she said something that made me pause. "You're proactive," she said.

I do care about my family, my community, society and myself. I like being with other people who feel the same way I do. My work in advocacy, public service, promotions and PR have all been portals to something greater - personal relationships, knowledge, service and fun.

It is a privilege to be proactive.

I'm having a good party-week. Thanks for being a part of it, too. :)

Join the party and leave me a birthday message. I don't think Blogger lets me respond like Wordpress does, so know I appreciate having the chance to connect & for sharing this time with you today. Peace.