The 8th Annual National Summit for Health Communication

June 17th and 18th, 2024

 

REGISTER FOR THE SUMMIT

Overview

The 8th Annual National Summit for Health Communication will be held on June 17 and 18, 2024 in the Washington, D.C. metro area and online. The Society is partnering with Deloitte and the Journal of Health Communication to host this year’s event.

The 2024 Summit promises to be a dynamic and forward-thinking event, offering cross-sector health communication professionals invaluable opportunities to stay at the forefront of their field. Through solution-oriented discussions, cross-industry best practice sharing, and a focus on practical applications, attendees will gain knowledge and strategies to effectively navigate the ever-evolving health communication landscape.

Location

Deloitte Offices
1919 N. Lynn Street
23rd Floor
Arlington, VA 22209

Virtual attendance is also available for the Summit. 

Agenda

Eastern Daylight Time Zone
Monday, June 17: In-Person (only) Workshops 

Hosts and speakers to be announced on rolling basis.

Workshop 1: Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication: How Communication During an Emergency is Different
Lead Instructors: Donda Hansen, BS, Branch Chief, and Sara Dodge Ramey, M.Ed., Associate Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
12:00 – 2:00 PM
CDC recognizes that the right message at the right time from the right person can save lives. That is why they established their Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) program. The newest update of the program is currently underway. However, many of the original principles still hold true in today’s crisis and emergency situations. CERC draws from the latest lessons learned during public health emergencies and research in the fields of public health, psychology, and emergency risk communication.  During this interactive workshop, participants will:
  • Define all six CERC principles.
  • Describe the rhythm of CERC and how communication works at each phase of a crisis.
  • Describe how emergency risk communication is different from regular communication.
  • Describe the psychology of a crisis
Workshop 2: Start with the End in Mind: Formative Research to Segment Your Audience for Impact
Lead Instructors: Erika Reed-Gross, MHS, Principal Associate and Shelly Spoeth, BS, Principal Associate, Abt Global
12:00 – 2:00 PM

Understanding your audience is one of the most critical steps in planning any health communications program, project, or campaign. However, health communicators are often asked to reach the general public or all healthcare providers. How can you define, analyze, and segment large groups of people in order to reach them on their terms with health messages and materials they want? Start with who you need to reach FIRST! Formative research practices such as environmental scans, landscape analyses, in-depth interviews, and surveys are just a few of the ways you can determine audience segmentation, selection, and ultimately messaging and product development. Instructors will discuss a variety of low-cost formative research activities that can drive audience segmentation and will share recent real-world examples including risk-based segmentation and a continuum of care model. They will share worksheets and hands-on tools enabling you to leave with new thinking for your own project. During this hands-on workshop, participants will:

  • Define three methods of formative research that can be used immediately.
  • Describe three types of audience segmentation strategies.
  • Understand the importance of segmenting audiences.
  • Utilize tools to help them research and segment audiences in their own work.
Workshop 3:  Back to Basics! How to Apply Clear Health Communication Principles to Your Work
Lead Instructor: Stacy Robison, MPH, President/Co-Founder, CommunicateHealth Rachel Pryzby, MPH, Vice President, CommunicateHealth 
3:00 - 4:30 PM

The pandemic underscored the importance of cultivating public trust, reducing misinformation, and communicating health information in ways that resonate with diverse audiences. In each of these endeavors, clear communication is critical. This workshop will focus on how to communicate clearly about complex health topics. Drawing from health literacy best practices and behavior change theory, we’ll explore how to:

  • Write in plain language
  • Write for equity and inclusion
  • Lead with empathy in health materials
  • Explain numbers and statistics
  • Apply information design fundamentals

Participants will have the opportunity to practice applying clear communication principles to real-life scenarios.

Workshop 4: Best Practices for Getting Published: From Manuscripts to Monographs
Lead Instructor: Lauren Swan-Potras, MA, Managing Editor, Journal of Health Communication, and Dr. Jovanni Spinner, MPH, CHES, CEO and Founder, Beacon Public Health
3:00 – 4:30 PM  

Published scientific papers and scholarly books are essential to disseminate health communication research findings and information. This workshop is designed to equip authors and researchers with the essential tools and strategies needed to navigate the complexities of publishing. Led by seasoned publishing professionals, this workshop offers invaluable insights into the publishing process. Through practical tips, real-life examples, and interactive discussions, attendees will leave the workshop with a comprehensive understanding of best practices for successfully bringing their scholarly works to publication. Whether you're a graduate student looking to publish your first paper or a seasoned professional aiming to write a book chapter or produce a monograph, this workshop provides indispensable guidance to help you achieve your publishing goals.

Workshop 5: Communicating to Build Trust
Lead Instructors: Doug Levy, Science Communications Advisor and Ken Rabin, Senior Scholar, City University of New York, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy
3:00-4:30 PM

Anticipating what skeptics or others may say or do is an essential part of public health in 2024. Knowing how – or whether – to react is equally important, even if you never intend to be in the media. In this interactive workshop, science communications advisor and former USA Today health reporter Doug Levy and public health communications and policy expert Ken Rabin will share and demonstrate best practices for anticipating, preventing, and reacting to misinformation and other challenges facing public health professionals. Based on the methods in Levy’s book, The Communications Golden Hour: The Essential Guide to Public Information When Every Minute Counts, the workshop will include steps to craft and use effective messaging based on the current media and social environment and skills that work in any setting – media interviews, community meetings or one-on-one conversations.

Annual Summit Networking Reception & Student and Emerging Leader Poster Session
5:00 - 7:00 PM
Deloitte Offices, 24th floor
The Society for Health Communication is pleased to offer a poster presentation session for students and emerging leaders during the evening networking reception on June 17. Abstract submission is now closed. All Summit registrants are welcome and encouraged to attend the networking reception.
 
Tuesday, June 18: In-Person and Virtual Summit

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Opening Keynote: Health Communication: Creating Tangible Impact in a Tumultuous World
Bill Novelli, MA 
Emeritus Professor
Founder, Business for Impact Center
Georgetown University
 
Session 1: The Transformative Power of AI in Health Communication and Public Health
Amelia Burke-Garcia, PhD, MA
Director, Digital Strategy and Outreach
NORC
 
Rebecca Soskin-Hicks, MD
Pediatrician
Medical Consultant
 
Justin Snair, MPA
Founder and Chief Principal Consultant
SGNL Solutions
 
Mark Urbanczyk
Principal
Deloitte Consulting
 
Grant McLaughlin, MA (Moderator)
Managing Director
Deloitte Consulting
     
Session 2: Inclusion, Equity, Data Democratization and Health Communication
KImberly Brock, MPH
Executive Vice President
Health Equity Lead
Golin Health
 
Chandria Jones, PhD, MPH
Principal Research Scientist
Center on Equity Research
NORC 
 
Tayla Mahmud, MA
Executive Vice President
Health Equity & Multicultural Strategy
M Booth Health
 
Brittaney Bethea, MPH, CCPH (Moderator)
Associate Vice President
Account Services 
CMRignite
 
Session 3: Successes and Failures: Everything We Learned from Health Communication Campaigns and Programs
LeShaundra Cordier, MPH, CHES
Senior Director, Mental Health and SUD
Fors Marsh
 
Jessica Rath, PhD, MPH, CHES
Vice President
Truth Initiative 
 
Casey Terrell, MPH, RD
Director, Strategy and Evaluation
Ad Council  
 
Sung-Yeon Park, PhD (Moderator)
Professor and Associate Dean
School of Public Health
University of Nevado, Reno
 

Level-up 1: Using Inclusive Language in Health Communications 

Michael Grela, BS
EVP, Head of Reputation,
Public Health & Social Impact
Inizio Evoke Comms 
 
Stacy Robison, MPH
President and Co-Founder
CommunicateHealth
 

Level-up 2: Let’s Talk Heat: Promoting Public Education on Occupational Heat Illness Prevention

Pamela Barclay MS, MPH
Health Scientist
OSHA
 
Eduardo Hernandez, MPH
Research Health Science Specialist
OSHA
 
Closing Keynote: Building Trust, Saving Lives: Strategies for Effective Community Communication in Public Health Crises
Simbo Ige, MD, MS, MPH
Commissioner
Chicago Department of Health
 
Registration

Registration is only available online. Registration fees are shown below.

To register, click here.

In-Person and Virtual Summit
 
Regular (through 5/8 - 6/10)

Virtual

$ 115

Onsite

$ 270

Student Onsite

$ 150 

 

In-Person (only) Workshops

Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication: What still holds true and what’s new?

$  110

Start with the End in Mind: Formative Research to Segment Your Audience for Impact

$ 110

Back to Basics: How to Apply Clear Health Communication Principles to Your Work

$ 95

Best Practices of Publishing: From Manuscripts to Monographs

$ 95 

Communicating to Build Trust

$ 95 

 

Lodging

The Society for Health Communication secured three room blocks for the nights of June 16
through June 18 at hotels within walking distance of the Summit venue at Deloitte Offices. The
hotels are also within walking distance of the Washington, DC, Rosslyn Metro station.

Le Meridien Arlington: Le Meridien is directly next door to the Deloitte offices.
Discounted room rates are available starting at $369+ tax/fees. To reserve a sleeping
room, please call 1-888-236-2427 and mention “Society for Health Communication” or
you may reserve online via this link by May 3.

Hyatt Centric Arlington: Hyatt Centric is a 7-minute walk to the Deloitte offices.
Discounted room rates are available starting at $269+ tax/fees. Please reserve a sleeping room online via link this by May 21.

Residence Inn Rosslyn: Residence Inn is an 11-minute walk to the Deloitte offices.Discounted room rates are available starting at $309+ tax/fees. Breakfast is also available at no additional cost. Visit the following link to reserve your room for the Summit by May 17.

Cancellation Policy

Refunds are limited to registration fees paid. To qualify for a full refund minus a $25 administrative fee, written cancellation must be received by the Society for Health Communication registration manager no later than Friday, May 31, 2024. No refunds will be given after May 31, 2024. Substitutions may be submitted at any time, but must be submitted to the registration manager in writing at [email protected].

Event Sponsorship

Sponsorship of the Summit provides organizations with several benefits, including promotion of organizational branding on event communications and materials, no-cost registration(s), and inclusion of organizational content in the Society’s newsletter. For more information, please see the Sponsorship Flyer linked here or contact Dana Chomenko, Society for Health Communication Executive Director at [email protected].