Corporator Involvement Committee Update

Phone Calls Translate into Increased Meeting Attendance

In an effort to keep Emerson’s corporators informed and engaged, the Corporator Involvement Committee’s three members have been making strategically timed phone calls: prior to the Emerson Health System Annual Meeting in January and in advance of the Corporator Annual Meeting in April.  With the next meeting coming up on Tuesday, April 9, at 5:45 pm, corporators who have not responded to the invitation may be hearing their phones ring.

Bruce Osterling, committee chair, along with committee members Nancy Carapezza and Laurel Millette, conduct the twice-a-year phone contact campaign, which is proving to be effective.  First, corporators say they appreciate the peer-to-peer conversations, reminders and general effort to stay in touch.  Second, there has been a positive impact on meeting attendance.  At the January health care system meeting, 53 percent of all corporators attended; 45 percent attended last year’s meeting.  Corporators represented the largest group at the meeting—44 percent of all attendees.

The round of phone calls prior to the last Corporator Annual Meeting, along with other ongoing contact, appears to have had an impact: 60 percent of all corporators attended, vs. 46 percent the year before.  “We’re convinced it’s valuable,” says Janine Papesh, stewardship officer.  “I think people respond to a call from a peer as opposed to someone from the hospital calling.  Some people want to chat about what’s going on at Emerson, upcoming events or volunteer opportunities.”

The committee takes a methodical approach to the phone calls, notes Mr. Osterling.  “We typically place the first call and hope to connect,” he says.  “If we don’t, we place a second call and, if necessary, leave a message.  Nancy, Laurel and I get the impression that corporators appreciate the call.”  New corporators are contacted by their mentors, who agree to maintain regular contact with them during year one.

The phone calls made by the Corporator Involvement Committee are part of an increased general effort to communicate on a regular basis, which includes emailing a list of upcoming events to corporators every few months.  “The other committees also are reaching out more,” says Mr. Osterling.  “Our goal is to steadily improve communication with corporators.”