Five Ways to Get Involved in the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Simple Tasks Campaign

Last September, the ACR launched its first public relations campaign, called Simple Tasks. The campaign is aimed at lawmakers, referring physicians, and other influential people and groups that regularly make decisions that affect people with inflammatory rheumatic diseases—and the rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals who treat them.

The campaign is making great strides, and many ACR members have expressed an eagerness to support and promote the campaign. Because Simple Tasks is a campaign created by and for the members of the ACR, member engagement is critical, and becoming involved in Simple Tasks is quite…simple.

Here are five ways you can become a part of this important campaign.

Make Introductions

The base of this campaign is people—ACR members, patients, and the people who champion the rheumatology community. The Communications and Marketing Committee (the committee that oversees the ACR’s public relations efforts) welcomes introductions to people who have stories that might be a good fit for this campaign. Currently, the CMC would like to hear from:

• Members who have a good referral relationship with a physician in their area. The ACR is working to create a “Why I Refer” video that looks at the positive benefits of early and appropriate referrals, and is planning to work with members and referring physicians to explore this relationship.
• Members who have patients who have particularly inspiring stories about overcoming obstacles and benefiting from early and appropriate treatment from a rheumatologist. From case studies to videos to social media to public speaking, hearing a person with a rheumatic disease tell his or her story is powerful. These stories become even more powerful when someone talks about the unique and highly important relationship they have with their rheumatologist. The ACR is currently looking for patients who are able to articulate their stories and who are willing to talk about some of the simple tasks that are no longer simple due to their diseases.

Write or Videotape Your Story

Do you tweet or blog? Are you a fledgling YouTube sensation? Your story might be a good fit for the campaign.

The ACR is using the tag #SimpleTasks to discuss the campaign on Twitter; your Facebook page is a great place to tell the Simple Tasks story; and the ACR is always looking for people who would like to write for the campaign’s monthly online column.

Additionally, YouTube is a very effective tool to put your story, and the stories of your patients, into motion. The ACR is currently seeking video submissions that would highlight the messages of the Simple Tasks campaign for its YouTube channel.

Volunteer for the Regional Speakers Bureau

The campaign has a national speakers bureau, which is prepared to participate in national media interviews and public speaking opportunities. In addition to this bureau, the ACR is currently assembling several regional speakers bureaus that will focus on local opportunities.

If you are comfortable pitching story ideas and responding to media requests from your local media, you might be a good fit for this opportunity. Also, if you have opportunities for public speaking in your area, the ACR can help you work the messages of the Simple Tasks campaign into your presentations.

Stay Informed and Inform Others

It takes a while for a public relations campaign to gain traction, and staying informed on the most current activities of Simple Tasks will help you identify the best ways for you to get involved as well as the best ways to share the campaign with people in your community.

From www.rheumatology.org, you can log in and access a members-only campaign page that will keep you updated on the campaign’s activities. You can also visit www.SimpleTasks.org to see how the campaign is currently being presented to its audiences.

As the campaign moves along, the members-only page will include materials that you can utilize in your community. Right now, you have access to the following materials:

• The campaign’s first video: This award-winning video is a great way to put the Simple Tasks story into motion. Use this on your practice’s or institution’s website, share it via social media, or use in training/mentoring sessions.
• Campaign articles: Each month, the ACR adds a new article to the campaign website. These articles cover a number of topics ranging from what the campaign audience should know about rheumatic disease to the importance of the window of opportunity. Not only can you volunteer to author one of these articles, but you can also share these with referring physicians, lawmakers, patients, medical students, and media in your area.
• Campaign overview, Q&A, and press releases: Not sure you can answer all the questions about the campaign? Want to tell your local media about Simple Tasks, but not sure where to start? These materials will prepare you to answer questions and introduce the campaign to people in your community.

Congressman David McKinley (right) with ACR President James R. O’Dell, MD.

Participate in the ACR’s Legislative Activities

Simple Tasks supports a number of the ACR’s ongoing efforts—including advocacy. Educating lawmakers on the severity of the diseases, the expertise of rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals, and the importance of access, research funding, and fair reimbursement is all critical to ensuring patients receive early and appropriate care from a rheumatologist.

There are several ways you can support the campaign through the ACR’s established advocacy efforts, including:

• Contact your members of Congress: You can call your members of Congress using the AMA Grassroots Hotline: (800) 833-6354 or send an e-mail through the ACR Legislative Action Center at www.rheumatology.org/advocacy.
• Get your patients involved: They are constituents too. Encourage them to call or write their members of Congress.
• Attend the ACR’s Advocates for Arthritis and invite patients to join you: Each year the ACR brings rheumatology professionals and patients to Capitol Hill to meet with their legislators. The ACR will provide training and a schedule of Hill visits and cover the cost of participation for accepted applicants. Advocates for Arthritis will be September 10–11, 2012, and the application period opens June 4.

As Simple Tasks continues to grow and accelerate, there will be many other ways for members to become involved. If you are interested in any of the above activities, or have other suggestions for how you can help promote the campaign, contact the ACR’s Director of Public Relations, Erin Latimer, at [email protected].