Fighting the Good Fight – Q3 updates from CURA!

Hi friends,

We are heavy into election season and it is a doozie. Infighting, political jockeying, hyperbole, demagoguery—watching the evening news on TV makes me want to run far away. My natural instincts to “fight,” begin to ebb into “flight.” But the next day at work, I see the earnest and important work we are doing with our clients to improve the lives of patients and my hope is renewed. I’m back in the fight. We helped our clients achieve two major victories this quarter (read on to learn more), and although the victories may not have hit the mainstream news cycle—they are contributing to better access to better care, maybe even saving lives, and that makes me feel better than Rocky knocking out Ivan Drago.

As I look out my CURA office window onto the Capitol with the news on in the background, it would be easy to think Washington is at the center of everything. But again, I know better, because so much of the important work we do with clients has nothing to do with politics. This quarter, we are thrilled to call two new organizations CURA client partners—ASTRO, an association leading the way in educating patients about radiation oncology, and Mamatoto Village, a local nonprofit meeting the maternal health needs of underserved women in DC.

Do no lose heart. Important work is happening in Washington, and beyond, by great people with noble intentions. Keep up the fight!

I leave you with these astute words most attribute to Winston Churchill: Americans can always be trusted to do the right thing, once all other possibilities have been exhausted.

Don’t forget to vote! 🇺🇸

Cheers,

CEO and Founder

Victory for Transplant Patients: Honor the Gift Coalition Restores Coverage for Non-Invasive Testing

It’s been an exciting quarter for the Honor the Gift coalition: After a 15-month patient advocacy campaign, the CMS retired proposed restrictions on non-invasive post-transplant blood tests. These diagnostics are vital tools for earlier detection of transplant damage or rejection. The Honor the Gift Coalition celebrated the announcement at a reception last month, joined by transplant patient advocates, leading physicians and CURA’s own Scott Leezer.

The CURA Strategies Team at the September Honor the Gift Joint Reception

The CURA team looks forward to ensuring patients and providers are aware of this development and return to using these lifesaving tools.

Heartfelt Win: Congenital Heart Disease Bill Clears Congress

House Sponsor Gus Bilirakis’s full floor remarks ahead of CHFRA's passage

The advocacy winning streak held strong this quarter: The Adult Congenital Heart Association’s (ACHD) flagship priority, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act (CHFRA), was passed by both the US House and Senate!

CURA worked with leading ACHD advocates and congressional partners for almost three years to craft this vital reauthorization effort.

With only 500 ACHD-certified cardiologists providing care to the growing adult patient population, addressing workforce shortages is a priority. The final bill requires the HHS Secretary to develop a report to Congress on how to address this issue.

We look forward to seeing this bill signed into law and working with Congress to ensure this program’s success.

Behind-the-Scenes at #ASTRO2024

CURA’s Erin Berst and Laura Wagner provided onsite support at the American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting in September, conducting powerful video interviews with radiation oncologists, patients and caregivers impacted by cancer.

The team interviewed nine providers who shared their perspectives on the benefits of radiation therapy, dispelling common myths and highlighting the therapy’s evolution over recent years. Patients and caregivers shared honest, raw experiences about how radiation therapy has impacted their treatment journeys.

American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Annual Meeting Exhibit Hall

These meaningful conversations were instrumental to the development of campaign messaging aimed at increasing awareness of radiation therapy as an effective, targeted option for the treatment of cancer.

Laura Wagner and Erin Berst onsite at ASTRO 2024 collecting video content for an upcoming radiation therapy awareness campaign.

The team interviewed providers, patients, and caregivers to better understand impact and value of radiation therapy to treat cancer.

Knock Knock! CURA Team Pays a Visit to Mamatoto Village

In mid-September, the CURA team held their first kick-off meeting with Mamatoto Village, where they had the opportunity to meet the Mamatoto team and tour their facility.

This behind-the-scenes experience highlighted the invaluable services Mamatoto provides to families in the community. The CURA team is energized and ready to launch programming that spotlights Mamatoto Village as the local heroes they are.

Winner Winner!

Sydney Shepherd, AS and Hanna DeVarona, AE won the prestigious Women in Government Relations’ 2024 Excellence in Communications in an Advocacy Campaign Award for their powerful work supporting the PKD Foundation.

Congrats, Erin!

Erin Berst, VP, was named a finalist for Ragan Communications and PR Daily’s 2024 Young Professionals of the Year Award! We look forward to celebrating Erin and the other nominees at the December ceremony in NYC.

Research Renaissance Podcast: The Power of Strategic Communication in Healthcare

Our CEO Anne Woodbury joined Deborah Westphal to discuss the crucial role of strategic communications in shaping health care policy and improving patient outcomes, spotlighting the impactful work of our clients—including Leapfrog Group, West Health and PBGH.

Read our latest blogs:

CURA Commentary: Partnering with Rare Disease Patient Communities: Four Best Practices for Effective Patient Engagement

What does it mean to be a patient-centric organization? Learn our tried-and-true best practices for collaborating with rare disease patient communities by building trust, tailoring to their needs and creating a two-way dialogue.

Capitol Corner: Building a Mighty Ambassador Network Using a Virtual Hub

Creating a virtual hub for advocates to connect can take your ambassador program to new heights. Explore strategies for keeping advocates engaged, prepared and motivated for action.

CURA Commentary: 6 Tips for Infusing Humanity into your Health Care Communications

At CURA, we know that health care is personal, and every communication should reflect that. Read our blog if you’re ready to bring more humanity into your communications strategy.

Have an upcoming Hill Day?

Advocacy Academy, our premier platform to train, track and communicate with your volunteer advocates all in one place, has trained more than 200 advocates since its inception. See how it can help accelerate your advocacy training!

Explore our platform here!

Packed lunches with New Hope Housing

As we approach the season of giving, the CURA team set aside time to partner with New Hope Housing, packing lunches for Arlington families impacted by homelessness. We’re always grateful for opportunities to serve our local community.

Congrats, Sydney!

Our own Sydney Shepherd was elected as Communications Director on the Society of Health Policy Young Professionals’ Leadership Team! We look forward to witnessing Sydney’s leadership in her new role.

Wedding bells are ringing...

The CURA team threw a surprise engagement party for Manager of GR Patrick Meade ahead of his upcoming nuptials on October 12^th. Congratulations to the happy couple!

Have questions? Message us!

If you need communications or advocacy support, we are here for you! We’ll work with you to develop a strategy and choose the right tools to help you achieve your organization’s goals. Send us a message!