Tools and Resources

Tools and Resources, Chapter 6: Using Other Communication Strategies and Tactics to Implement Your Plan

Sample Talking Points

Talking points should always be tailored to the specific presentation, media interview, or other planned communication activity you orchestrate. It also is a good idea to have general talking points prepared for responding to unexpected calls and other requests for information from the media, potential partners, and others.

Topic: Stroke Centers

Key Messages:

• The health care system in our state is not set up to rapidly diagnose and treat stroke patients.
• As a result, many patients do not receive approved treatments for acute ischemic stroke.
• Funding resources need to be allocated to create an adequate stroke center network in our state.

Stroke Center Statistics:

• There are a number of approved treatments for stroke that can dramatically reduce disability, but currently, fewer than five percent of eligible patients receive approved treatments for acute ischemic stroke.
• Patients treated quickly, either with approved emergency treatments or through a comprehensive stroke center, have better outcomes than patients who delay treatment.
• According to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Neurology, 20% of the U.S. population is without access to acute neurological services.

National Data—Stroke:

• Stroke is the number 3 killer in the United States and a leading cause of severe, long–term disability.
• Each year about 700,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke. About 500,000 are first attacks, and 200,000 are recurrent.
• In 1999, more than 1.1 million American adults reported difficulty with activities of daily living and other functional limitations resulting from stroke.
• In 2000, females accounted for 61.4% of stroke fatalities.
• From 1990 to 2000, the death rate from stroke declined 12.3%, but the actual number of stroke deaths rose 9.9%.
• The 2000 death rates per 100,000 population for stroke were 58.6 for white males and 87.1 for black males, and 57.8 for white females and 78.1 for black females.
• From the early 1970s to early 1990s, the estimated number of noninstitutionalized stroke survivors increased from 1.5 to 2.4 million.
• Stroke costs the United States $30 billion to $40 billion per year.

State Data - Stroke:

• From 1991–1998, 127 out of 100,000 African Americans died of stroke.
• From 1991–1998, 108 out of 100,000 Caucasians died of stroke.
• From 1991–1998, 102 out of 100,000 Hispanics died of stroke.

Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlas of Stroke Mortality: Racial, Ethnic, and Geographic Disparities in the United States-2003. (cited 2003 July 3). Available at http://www.cdc.gov/hdsp/library/maps/strokeatlas/atlas.htm.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Choosing Your Level of Care. 2002 Symposium Improving the Chain of Recovery for Acute Stroke Patients in Your Community. [Task force report].

Back to Top

Sample Drop–in Article*

A drop–in article is a completely prewritten news or feature story that can be published verbatim in state health department publications, organizational newsletters, community magazines, shopping guides, and other local materials that regularly fall into the hands of key audiences.

"Communities Blazing Trails for Improved Cardiovascular Health"

Four successful South Carolina efforts to create community green spaces and trails were highlighted during a workshop on March 29 at Clemson University Sandhill Research and Education Center in Columbia. The Three Rivers Alliance, the North Augusta Greenway, the Palmetto Trail, and the Town of Port Royal shared information on smart growth planning and connecting trails and communities.

The South Carolina Community Trail and Greenway Planning Workshop was designed to promote trails, paths, and walkways (green spaces) as a part of healthy communities. Teams recruited by health district staff represented communities from Anderson, Spartanburg, Rock Hill, Columbia, Florence, Charleston, Conway, and Sumter. Participants took home a greater awareness of the benefits of trails and green spaces for communities.

The workshop was sponsored by the Bureau of Community Health's Cardiovascular Health Program in collaboration with the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Tourism; the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness; Sumter County Active Lifestyle; the University of South Carolina Prevention Research Center; and the Palmetto Conservation Foundation.

The four successful trails and green space community projects include:

• Three Rivers Alliance: When completed, the Three Rivers Greenway will be a 12–mile linear park along the Broad, Saluda, and Congaree rivers near downtown Columbia. It will provide opportunities for recreation and public access to the rivers, which are now very limited.
• North Augusta Greenway: This flat, 5.2–mile paved greenway trail in North Augusta meets a growing need for outdoor activities such as walking, biking, and running. It is a converted segment of abandoned railway corridor.
• Palmetto Trail: When finished, the Palmetto Trail will be a recreational trail more than 425 miles long that traverses the state of South Carolina. The trail will connect the mountains to the sea, forming a spine for a network of trails.
• Town of Port Royal: The Town of Port Royal in Beaufort County began planning a renovation and beautification project in the early 1990s to foster and enhance community spirit and physical activity among residents. Boardwalks and walking trails have been built to increase physical activity.

For more information on these and other projects, contact Hellen Fellers-Dekle in the Cardiovascular Health Program of the Bureau of Community Health at (803) 898–0726.

*Provided by the South Carolina Cardiovascular Health Comprehensive Program, Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Date last reviewed: 05/12/2006
Content source: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion