Communications Plan for

NCI Activities

Jean Peat, Director of Communications

The University of Kansas Cancer Center

REVISED 7-6-2012

Background

In the early 1970s, the NCI awarded The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) funding to investigate the feasibility of establishing a clinical cancer research center in Kansas. By the 1990s, The University of Kansas Cancer Center was experiencing steady growth in research funding and discoveries.

Since 2002, it has been KUMC’s goal to achieve National Cancer Institute (NCI) designation, the gold standard for cancer institutes across the country. NCI-designated Cancer Centers are recognized for their scientific excellence and are awarded federal funding through a rigorous peer review process. They are a major source of discovery and development of more effective approaches to cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. They also educate health care professionals and deliver medical advances to patients and their families.

In 2004, KUMC renamed its cancer research organization the Kansas Masonic Cancer Research Institute, reflecting a commitment of $20 million by the Kansas Masonic Foundation to support cancer research on the KUMC campus. The gift allowed KUMC to recruit the cancer center’s first full-time director, Roy A. Jensen, MD, a nationally recognized breast cancer researcher and pathologist from the NCI-designated Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center.

In 2005, attaining NCI designation was named the university’s top research priority. Since then, The University of Kansas Cancer Center has become a leader in research and patient care, while generating significant economic development.

Objectives

Internal

To mark milestone occasions coinciding with the cancer center’s progress toward achieving NCI designation, it is important to let the employees and staff of The University of Kansas Medical Center and The University of Kansas Hospital know what the cancer center has achieved to date, thank them for their roles in helping the cancer center reach its goals so far, and share with them the next steps in our quest for NCI designation.

External

Keeping our external audiences informed of the cancer center’s progress will continue to be a top priority. Their support, endorsement, contributions and participation in the cancer center’s quest for NCI designation will remain a critical component in our future success.

Per the cancer center’s overall communications plan, the specific objectives include:

1)Increase awareness of the cancer center’s goals, events and achievements among internal stakeholders at both the hospital and medical center

Desired Result: A shared vision and top-of-mind knowledge of cancer center objectives and the role each person plays in its success

2)Enhance interest, understanding and collaboration of cancer center activities among cancer center stakeholders both internally and through community partnerships

Desired Result: Engaged, informed stakeholders who can communicate accurately and passionately about the cancer center

3)Encourage active participation in sharing news among colleagues at the cancer center

Desired Result: Taking part in action-oriented opportunities to foster open, two-way communication

This plan will be implemented between September 25, 2011, and the month following the date on which the cancer center hears whether NCI designation has been granted in mid 2012.

Strategies

  • Provide consistent message points that internal and external audiences will familiarize themselves with and use in their personal and business interactions
  • Inform internal and external audiencesabout the latest cancer center news regarding our goal of NCI designationthrough a variety of communications vehicles
  • Develop new message points in anticipation of the NCI’s decision in mid-2012 and communicate these to internal and external audiences as soon as possible following notification

Tactics

Internal

  • Present message points in an internal video following the week of the NCI grant submission (9-19-11 week)(CJ Janovy/Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Campus-wide e-mail from Dr. Atkinson, Dr. Jensen and Bob Page (9-19-11 week) (CJ Janovy/Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Internal video for hospital’s 24/7 intranet site (Jay Senter) COMPLETE
  • Articles in various publications and internal websites, including: (ongoing through mid-2012)COMPLETE
  • Hospital: 24/7 (Mike Glynn), Insider(Jay Senter)
  • University: Checking In (Donna Peck)
  • Joint communications: Synergy (Jean Peat), Center Express (Mike Glynn)
  • Include link to new NCI Accomplishments brochure with appropriate communications (10-3-11 week) (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Direct employees/staff to kucancercenter.org for up-to-date cancer center news (ongoing) (Jean Peat/Amy Metcalf)COMPLETE
  • Letters to Advancement Board members following the grant submission and the NCI’s site visit on Feb. 22, 2012 (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Email messages from Roy Jensen and Barbara Atkinson following the NCI’s site visit on Feb. 22, 2012, utilizing the above vehicles (2-27-2012 week) (Jean Peat/CJ Janovy) COMPLETE
  • Drug Discovery Continuum video for NCI site visit (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Institutional Commitment Message Points for Gov. Brownback, Sen. Moran, Dr. Atkinson, Bob Page (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Institutional Commitment scripts/videos of Bob Page, Dr. Atkinson (Jean Peat/Chris Deffenbaugh/CJ Janovy/Dennis McCullough) COMPLETE
  • Video announcement to university and hospital employee/staff from Dr. Jensen (Jean Peat/Chris Deffenbaugh) COMPLETE
  • E-mail to all hospital/medical center employees to watch live webcast of press conference (Jean Peat/CJ Janovy/Angie Olson) COMPLETE
  • Center Express/24/7 articles on NCI announcement (Mike Glynn/Kimm Fromm-Foster) COMPLETE
  • Cancer Center jointemployee thank you event – combined with community event (Jenny Inghram/Jean Peat/Barb Petersen)COMPLETE

External

  • News conference/thank you event for key legislators, donors, community leaders and staff during week of grant submission COMPLETE
  • Website articles on kucancercenter.org (Jean Peat) and kumed.com (Angie Olson)COMEPLTE
  • Facebook postings on kucancercenter(Jean Peat) and kuhospital (Angie Olson)COMPLETE
  • BeWell Community Newsletter articles (Jennifer Wertheim)
  • e-Connections newsletter articles (Angie Olson/Frank Siraguso)
  • Community Events: NCIcollateral distribution (Jenny Ingrahm) COMPLETE
  • Network Development: Messaging and NCI collateral distributionat referring physician offices (Pam Crawford) COMPLETE
  • Quest e-newsletter articles (Jean Peat)COMPLETE
  • NCI Designation brochure (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • NCI Designation Report (CJ Janovy) COMPLETE
  • Dr. Fabian and IAMI/CMH videos for website (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Cancer Center Leadership bios for website (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Dr. Jensen’s community speaking engagements/collateral distribution (Jean Peat) COMPLETE
  • Letter to legislative constituents following announcement from NCI (CJ Janovy/Kathy Damron) COMPLETE
  • Letter to MCA members (Jean Peat/Hope Krebil/Cori Ast) COMPLETE
  • Letter to KU Endowment major donors/board members following announcement from NCI (Becky Schieber) COMPLETE
  • Letter to KU Alumni (Jack Martin) COMPLETE
  • Press conference (Dennis McCullough/CJ Janovy/Jack Martin) COMEPLTE
  • Speeches for press conference (Jean Peat/CJ Janovy/Jack Martin/Dennis McCullough) COMPLETE
  • Community celebration event – combined with employee event (Jenny Ingrahm/Jean Peat/Barb Petersen) COMPLETE
  • MCA celebration activities at respective hospitals across the state (Hope Krebil)
  • Marketing Program materials (CJ Janovy/Jean Peat/Jack Martin/Todd Cohen/Amy Metcalf)
  • Cancer Center website banners with link to NCI timeline, article and press release (Jean Peat/CJ Janovy/Jenny Inghram) COMPLETE
  • KUMC website cancer articles (CJ Janovy/Lisa Scheller/David Martin/AlissaPoh) COMPLETE
  • Kumed.com cancer articles (Dennis McCullough/Jill Chadwick) COMPLETE
  • Facebook postings (Jean Peat/Julie Adam/Kristin Wark/Hope Krebil) COMPLETE

Evaluation

  • Measurement of web traffic to articles on cancer center’s website/hospital’s website/medical center’s website
  • Measurement of web traffic to articles on hospital’s 24/7 intranet site
  • Facebook analytics
  • Quest e-newsletter analytics
  • Community/employee attendance at celebration events
  • Media coverage containing priority message points regarding NCI activities
  • Direct feedback via email/phone call/personal conversation after receiving communications vehicles
  • Follow-up discussions from word-of-mouth responses at Integrated Cancer Communications Team meetings