3 essential lessons from health communicators to keep you going after COVID-19

The calls came in one after the other—first in Washington, then South Carolina, then Tennessee and then from around the country. The moments we had been planning for, expecting and dreading for weeks were now happening: Our health system clients were identifying their first COVID-positive cases.

We launched the crisis plans we’d been preparing as incident response centers were set up, and employees were sent to work from home. We could feel the ground shift. This was going to be unlike any crisis we’d faced before. Our mission was of utmost importance. We had to bring clarity and calm to the COVID-19 chaos for a group of clients who were responsible for saving lives.

Making the task even more difficult, we had to do all of this in a new remote world. Many of the normal communications channels were upended and new virtual ones were introduced seemingly overnight. Health communicators across the nation had to figure how to wield these new tools and reach diverse audiences.

Now, a year later, we can contemplate stepping off the crisis rollercoaster.  The end of the pandemic seems to be inching closer, and there is hope for a return to a more normal life.