By Jenny Graves, Senior Health Communications Writer and Editor
SDI-Deloitte support to Defense Health Agency
As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps the nation, our military health care professionals are answering the call for guidance and care. The Military Health System and the Defense Health Agency serve a vast military and retiree community. As a contractor, it’s an honor to help them communicate with clarity to this population.
The SDI-Deloitte communications team at the Defense Health Agency is accustomed to pivoting quickly. Whether interpreting policy and educating beneficiaries or developing strategic plans for health campaigns, the only constant seems to be change. In March, the ultimate communications challenge landed in our laps with COVID-19.
Clear and measured communications during a global pandemic are vital. Our team is providing that service for the 9.5 million people who are eligible for TRICARE health and dental benefits. This number includes all active duty service members and their families, worldwide.
Early on, the DHA adopted updates to policy to support social distancing, like more robust telemedicine services and greater access to prescriptions through home delivery. Beneficiaries needed this information and much more: Where should I go for urgent or emergency care? How can I get a COVID-19 test? Is it safe to go to my military hospital or clinic for routine care or elective surgery? Should I still donate blood to the Armed Services Blood Program?
Our team is producing quality content daily, ranging from web to social media to online newsletters. The customer service team helps beneficiaries get their pressing benefit questions answered, and the analytics team tracks and assesses our reach.
Our COVID-19 resource page is updated daily with web articles, FAQs, and critical information. As of May 24, we’ve recorded 873,000 pageviews on COVID-19 articles, 16,000 pageviews of the toolkit landing page, and 5.1 million impressions on social media messages. Our three Military Health System Minute videos play on screens at military hospitals and clinics across the globe and have been viewed online 65,000 times.
Today offers a challenge, tomorrow will offer another. We will be there to meet them.