New Communications & Marketing Committee Chair Gears Up to Amplify ACR’s Important Work

The ACR’s Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) is the organization’s megaphone. It spreads the word about new research and new standards of care and guidelines; helps deliver quality patient education materials; amplifies the ACR’s advocacy efforts for policies that impact patient care and physician fees (among other things); and highlights the specialty and rheumatic conditions through media outreach and our annual public relations campaign, Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month. and draws attention to upcoming studies to boost patient recruitment.

Dr. Yang

And that’s not all, says new CMC Chair Howard Yang, MD, RhMSUS, practicing rheumatologist at UCLA Health’s Santa Monica and Ronald Reagan Medical Centers and assistant professor in UCLA’s Division of Rheumatology. Dr. Yang began a three-year term as chair of the CMC last November. “Our job is to amplify these and all of the College’s efforts to reach as many ACR/ARP members as possible, as well as those rheumatology professionals who aren’t yet members so that we can do the most good for our patients,” he says.

The Rheumatologist (TR) asked Dr. Yang to describe the CMC and its important role in ensuring that clear, concise and important information gets into the hands of the the diverse audiences who need it.

TR: Why is an outreach committee needed today?

Dr. Yang: Information channels have changed. It’s no longer just about how many newspapers or magazines we can get to carry ACR stories. Today, it’s also about how we can get our messages amplified through many different forms of communication. For instance, we’re using things like Facebook and other social media platforms to boost ACR messaging; we’re working with what we call ACR ambassadors—social-media influencers—who are providing rheumatology information to their followers; and we use other mediums like podcasts, webinars, and email marketing to reach our audiences. Communication has changed, and we are adapting accordingly.

TR: How does the CMC go about that?

Dr. Yang: We introduce ourselves to the different ACR committees, including the education, quality of care, research, government affairs, workforce solutions and other committees, and invite them to use the CMC as a sounding board for how to get new information to the audiences they want to reach. Then we help by providing options. For instance, some members of the CMC serve as spokespersons and experts for media interviews; some use their connections with other organizations to inform the rheumatology community about the latest advances in treatments and research; and others share valuable feedback as first-line reviewers and testers for new product marketing. Our committee also manages the development and  refinement of the ACR’s patient education library so that the materials are current, accurate, science-based and easy to understand and digest.