Hi, This is Morgan Cats, and I'm here to talk to you about strategies for communication with stakeholders and media. We have a very special guest today, Mr Joseph Demattos. He has been the president and CEO of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland, or H Van the States oldest and largest nationally affiliated long term and post acute care association. Before joining H Fam, Mr de Matos served as AARP's senior state director for Maryland, where he was responsible for and directed advocacy, community service and education activities statewide. He has also served in leadership roles for AARP's Medicare prescription drug and Social Security campaign. Born and raised in Hawaii, Mr DeMattoss holds a master's of arts in government from Johns Hopkins University and has also completed executive education studies and management at the Wharton School of Business. [COUGH] Mr. DeMattos, thank you so much for being here today. >> Dr Katz, thanks so much for having me. >> Thanks again. You represent assisted living facilities and nursing homes across the state of Maryland. This is a big job, but you have really risen to the occasion over the past several months and provided a lot of vital information to stakeholders and press wanting to know more about what was going on in this setting. I think you've done such an amazing job setting the record straight for Maryland and supporting assisted living and nursing homes. And we would love to get your feedback today on how to do this, right? >> Well, thank you very much. I appreciate that kind introduction. Look, if I've risen the bar or if I've done anything right at work, it's because Maryland skilled nursing and rehab senators in Maryland assisted living campuses working with Johns Hopkins and other partners have really risen to the occasion. We knew early on that communications would be key because we knew early on that people with pre existing conditions we're going to be especially susceptible to this virus. And so we've placed a really high priority on communicating, advocating and connecting the post acute community, including nursing homes, assisted living with our acute partners at places such a johns Hopkins. >> So tell me a little bit more about that. How for you have you identified really effective ways to get that information out to the right people at the right time to make sure that assisted living communities were really communicating with external stakeholders. >> Well, Dr Katz, you hit a really key point, even in your question. And that was getting information out at the right time to the right people. And that meant using push and pull tactics with every type of communication. When we were really in the thick of it in March, it meant emails out. It meant text. It meant phone calls. It meant that you threw clocks and watches out the windows and we were literally, literally texting assisted living campuses hospitals, Department of Health, making connections about PPE in real time in, in March and in April. So you use all those regular communications methods, right? You use email, use tax, use the phone. But what was different about March in April is you use them in real time with various constituencies. So you weren't just speaking with owners or managers. You were speaking with people literally that were caring for people on a wing or in part of a campus on DWI were using all of that in the thick of things. And and we're starting to use all of that again as we are approaching a co occurring seasonal flu season, with covid still being present. >> And so in terms of what the actual assisted living the administration, the frontline workers there, Is there a particular way that you would recommend that they reach out to the press or family members outside of the community? >> Well there's a couple of things there first, you really only have one story with the press with families with your colleagues. So the first thing to recognize is that you have one story and in the pandemic, your one story is about quality care and what you're doing to save and protect lives. So everything comes from what is your one story? What steps are you taking to save and protect lives? And that that's the story you share in a proactive, timely May way with your team, with families, with residents with patients and with the media on day and time and time again, that's what we've done it h time. I think we issued our first alert on the coronavirus. I think it was January 29th eso we were alerting the sector very early on and very frankly, the reason why we alerted the sector very, very early on was that we learned from physicians that was this was going to a big to be a big deal. So again getting back to communication. The secret of success on communication is you only have one story. It's about people in quality. You have various audiences that need to hear that story along various timelines. But that's the story and you have to be proactive in getting it out. >> That is so important. And I think probably so helpful for a lot of the communities that are going through this. And as you know, long term care facilities have not gotten great media attention. During this pandemic, have you seen any assisted living facilities or nursing home struggle with some of this negative media attention? And how have they overcome that struggle? >> So listen, I am incredibly thankful for media during the pandemic. I think media is important. I think media tells the story. Eso I don't have a grudge against media telling the story. I do think that it's important that when media tells those stories that they include data points that Tellem or full picture. And so what we have helped assisted living campuses and nursing homes to do is to share and to share context that will tell aim or full story with regard to how we're fighting this pandemic. So again I think the media plays an important role. I personally appreciate reporting, but what's important is that assisted living campuses, nursing homes and associations share the broader context of the story. And not just one fact point. >> Yeah, absolutely. So that they can understand some of, especially in the beginning. A lot of the communities were struggling with resources and there were so many challenges. And sometimes that whole picture isn't shown. >> No exactly right. Go ahead. >> Besides the media, what other stakeholders do you think are really important for assisted living administration toe establish regular lines of communication went to keep up this sort of proactive a story that they're telling. >> I think number one absolutely number one. Our residents, patients and families. So that's the number one constituency patients, residents and families. I think then regulators both federal and state, are very, very important. Sometimes we have to view one another as having conflicting roles, but certainly in the middle of a pandemic. We've been trying to get everybody to realize that this is not a time to have a conflicting role. This is the time to work in partnership. So I would say that the number one constituencies again, our residents, families, patients on the assisted living campus Number two is regulatory partners. I would say that right up there with them. If you have form a triangle, are your employees team and do you just have to do that constantly? So we really did advise assisted living campuses toe look at their communications protocol as a triangle with regulators, team and families and residents in there. And then I think if you were to draw a dot in the middle of that triangle and right, right, draw lines to it, then you would include the external constituencies like media, state and federal government leaders. >> That's great. Actually, that's such a wonderful visual representation. And I totally agree with you. I think that is the way to keep these communities working together and making sure that everybody has the real time information. So thank you so much for being here with us, Mr DeMattos. And I can't tell you how much I know many of the communities and the facilities in Maryland have really benefited from your leadership. We really appreciate your time. >> Thank you, Dr Katz.
