Public Relations Activities Putting Member Efforts In spotlight

August 2020

Here at TCEP, we strive to protect both emergency department patients and doctors, and as the pandemic has taken center stage, we have worked hard to uphold those goals. Despite COVID-19, our work this summer has been in full swing, with much activity that you should be aware of.

In last month’s newsletter, we announced our new statewide public affairs campaign to raise awareness about the critical services you and your emergency departments provide. This campaign set out to engage the public; provide assurances regarding COVID safety measures and dispel any misperceptions of health risks in emergency rooms; and alert the public to the life-threatening dangers of avoiding critical emergency care.

Our public affairs firm, Mercury Public Affairs, has to date secured numerous media placements in several markets across the state. Member physicians have been interviewed and covered by news networks in Austin, Corpus Christi, Houston, Laredo, San Antonio, Waco and Wichita Falls. In addition, a Houston member was featured in a national piece on CBS News This Morning. Each one of these interviews established TCEP and our members as trusted community leaders and enabled us to speak directly to our patient populations.

Member voices have also been featured as op-ed authors in more than a dozen thought pieces throughout the state. The Austin American-Statesman, Corpus Christi Caller, Longview News Journal, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, Midland Reporter-Telegram, Odessa American, San Antonio Express-News, Tyler Morning Telegraph and Waco Tribune-Herald have all carried our message in their papers.

The Fort-Worth Star Telegram was particularly compelled by our issue, with its editorial board choosing to write its own piece compelling their readers to seek emergency care as soon as its needed, writing, “Too many people are still delaying needed treatment, at great cost to their health… [and] Don’t worry about catching the coronavirus. Don’t fret that doctors and nurses are already overwhelmed with the pandemic. Don’t wait. Just go. It could be the difference between life and death.”

If you follow our social media pages, you may have noticed some of our new campaign content there as well. We’ve been sharing our message, with great success, across Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram – and more posts are on the way.

A truly statewide campaign, we’ve reached across Texas’ many regions and local communities - your voices are being heard in every corner of our vast state. Our campaign will continue to unfold over the coming weeks and months. I am honored that so many of you have offered your expertise and shared your stories and look forward to amplifying even more narratives. As always, you’re dedicating yourselves to delivering care to those who need it, even in the midst of a pandemic. Together, we’re raising awareness – and saving lives. Thank you.