A new task force has been formed in the region to help guide companies to continue to reopen and operate safely, advise them should there be a closure, and provide overall rapid response protocols and communication, all in the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic’s effect on commerce.
The Conroy Martinez Group, a full-service, bilingual public relations, marketing and social media agency, has teamed with KIDZ Medical Services, a
Florida-wide group of 200 doctors, including infectious disease specialists and veteran healthcare executives to create the COVID-19 Business Recovery & Continuity Task Force.
“Now that businesses are reopening, they need continuity planning. We realized that we needed medical expertise as part of the equation for advising our existing and future clients,” says C.L. Conroy, APR, President of the firm. “What do they do if there is a flare up in their company, how do you handle sick employees, what new policies do you need to add to your company? These are the kind of questions we are seeing,” she said.
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Conroy contacted Wayne Brackin, the CEO of KIDZ Medical Services, who she knew from the many years he spent at Baptist Health South Florida. After reconnecting, Conroy and Brackin had a discussion about joining forces to help Florida and U.S. companies safely reopen and continue to operate with the input of professional infectious disease physicians.“We were already doing many consultations as well as handling requests from the media for opinion and commentary around the infectious disease process,” says Brackin. “Partly due to that media exposure we started to get requests from business associates who were curious and worried about what they should be doing next. They were confused by the mixed signals coming from the local, state and federal governments; specifically, confusion over which guidelines to follow.”
Fortunately, Brackin notes, they had four well-trained, board certified infectious disease physicians on staff.
“We were consulting as a professional courtesy to our colleagues on one hand, and we were also performing a good community service by having these physicians with credibility talk about the coronavirus to the media and public in a way that was reassuring,” he adds.
The task force includes these four experienced infectious disease doctors and top level health care executives from KIDZ Medical Services who will provide medical and scientific advice on business recovery plans along with the Conroy Martinez Group communications experts who can provide strategic planning: counsel, media relations management, internal and external communications and much more.
“We are pleased to be able to offer our clients and businesses across the country this comprehensive team to help corporations with their continuity planning post COVID-19,” says Conroy.
The task force will provide short and long-term strategic communications counsel, medical strategy and expertise and business direction related to COVID-19, and prepare business leaders for questions from employees, customers, investors and other audiences around:
Keeping employees safe and healthy
• Implementing new health screening processes
• Supporting mental health concerns
Ensuring workplace safety
• Adapting day-to-day work habits, workspaces, and cleanliness/sanitation
• Establishing strategies for re-opening after receiving government and medical clearance (safely doing so for employees, customers, patients, students, clients, vendors, subcontractors)
Effective internal and external communications around new protocols and precautionary measures, health regulations, and workforce and workplace changes.
“Some of the main questions that we’ve been hearing from local businesses are what are all the precautions they need to take and the protocols to follow,” says Conroy. “The leadership of the companies will have one hour of access per week to an infectious disease physician who will counsel them on their specific needs.”
Depending on the scope of the company, they may also need some help with amending their HR policy or assistance with their emergency preparedness planning, according to Brackin. “The fact that we’re about to go into hurricane season at the same time that this is going on requires an additional level of consideration.”
The task force will offer customized business recovery COVID-19 Programs, offered in three and six-month packages, which are built on fact-based, accurate, and reliable medical and communications expertise and experience managing short- and long-term risk across industries.
Companies that are interested will receive a team of medical and communications specialists to help them plan for a successful continuity plan.
“We’re pretty unique in being able to offer this and our desire is to sincerely help companies continue to operate safely for the sake of their employees and customers, now and in the future,” says Conroy. “That is game changing in light of this ongoing pandemic.”
