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An Opportunity For Community Education & Engagement

From THE HILL'S Healthcare Blog, polls show that the majority of seniors are bewildered by the new healthcare reform law.
"The survey, sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA), an advocate for seniors, found that only 17 percent of respondents could answer even half of the 12 questions about key provisions in the law selected by the NCOA."
Regardless of your personal opinions about health care reform, and though it's confusing and complicated, it's also now the law.  And it could be an opportunity for outreach-oriented hospitals to educate their community about reform's effect on consumers, an opportunity to be seen as the "go-to resource" for useful information and recommendations.

Why wait for someone else to explain the law's many twists and turns?  They're YOUR audience, YOUR community.  The better educated they become, the more they'll have YOU to thank.

Could you deploy your social media skills to begin the dialogue?  I've seen lots of hospital Facebook pages sporting messages like "Wear sunscreen..." and "How to barbecue safely..."  Maybe it's time to tell consumers something they DON'T know but should, maybe it's time for "What consumers need to know about health reform."

You don't have to do it alone, though.  Collaborate with, say, an Area Agency on Aging, one of the many organizations devoted to the empowerment and independence of older Americans.

Your thoughts?

And here's a business idea for you entrepreneurs out there: spend a few days developing some well-researched and well-written content about health reform for hospitals to use in their own educational efforts.  Sell the package (white papers, PowerPoint decks, flyers, electronic content) to those hospitals for, say, $250 - cheap compared to each hospital creating its own content.  100 buyers at $250 each is $25,000.   Not bad for a few days work.  I doubt you'll get a better idea today!


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