U.S. Department of Labor
The Challenge
Nahigian Strategies, LLC was hired in the summer of 2002 to assist in communications efforts for the Secretary of Labor, Elaine L. Chao in the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL fosters and promotes a variety of workplace issues including improving working conditions and helping employers find workers.
The Strategy
With the support of DOL’s Office of Public Affairs, Nahigian Strategies began to identify workforce issues that required Secretary Chao’s attention. Research confirmed the compound problem of an aging population and a lack of nursing professionals, highlighting a severe labor shortage. Upon recognizing the nursing shortage, we worked closely with the Office of the Secretary to develop a strategy highlighting key messages regarding the nursing shortage to inform the public. The campaign, entitled “Call to Care”, included the following main messages:
- The nursing crisis is a labor shortage.
- Nursing is answering a patriotic calling.
- Nursing is a prestigious vocation directly impacting quality patient care around the world.
We successfully framed the issue by combining the nursing shortage message with a follow up story on the separation of the conjoined twins from Guatemala. As Secretary Chao visited the twins in California, she was given a platform to discuss her “Call to Care” messages.
The Results
The media coverage of the “Call to Care” message is compelling. Secretary Chao appeared on numerous television stations reaching approximately 14 million people in addition to 3 million radio station hits. She was also quoted in the following national and local newspapers: LA Times, Mercury News, San Francisco Gate, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Deseret News. The Associated Press covered the story on the wire, and Internet sites hosted stories such as ABC 7's “Twins Get Most Optimistic Report Yet.” Secretary Chao plans to continue her crusade to alleviate the nursing shortage through the remainder of this year.