II. The Crisis Team

Pro-Active Planning

Of course preventing a crisis from occurring is best. The state society's Executive Committee should identify potential and/or developing controversial topics that may fuel media interest. Call the Academy's Public and Media Relations Department (see page 15 for phone numbers) because what happens with a state orthopaedic society can impact upon orthopaedics as a whole.

Assessing vulnerabilities that might attract the attention of media or other target audiences should be a regular part of the state orthopaedic society Executive Committee's meeting agenda. If, for some reason a society member offsite learns of a potential crisis issue/incident, that party should immediately call the state orthopaedic society office and the Academy's Public and Media Relations Department before talking to anyone else. Pro-active planning can help to prevent issues/situations from escalating without warning.

Crisis Management

No one person can fully and effectively handle a crisis situation. Due to the uncertainty surrounding any crisis, and the potential for it to alter or escalate, each crisis must be handled by a team of experts, supported as necessary by individuals with special skills/knowledge. Be aware that the public and the media will remember the state orthopaedic society's first response.

The primary Crisis Team should include all Executive Committee members of the state orthopaedic society, the society's director and executive staff. One will function as the Crisis Team Coordinator, administering and managing all communications with Crisis Team Members and other appropriate audiences during the crisis.

Crisis Team Responsibilities

In the event of a crisis, the team will:

• Notify the Academy's Department of Public and Media Relations.
• Talk (conference call) or meet within 4 hours of notification of a crisis.
• Identify issue/problem and define the extent of the crisis.
• Instruct all possible points of entry to society (switchboard operator, receptionist) on the proper handling of phone calls/inquiries
• Designate additional appropriate team members. Put on standby alert outside public relations/legal counsel.
• Designate a spokesperson.
• Determine when, and how to notify society members and other appropriate audiences.
• Determine most appropriate and effective means for ongoing communications among Crisis Team Members throughout crisis (i.e., via phone, voice-mail, confidential fax or secure e-mail).
• Handle all crisis inquiries. Respond within 30 minutes to media calls, and on an as-soon-as-possible basis to all other inquiries. Refer to Telephone Inquiry Response and Sample Media Log.
• Monitor events surrounding the crisis.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of the crisis communications plan and team activity after the crisis has passed.

In addition, dependent upon the crisis situation, the Crisis Team may require additional resources:

• outside legal counsel
• outside public relations counsel

The Crisis Team Coordinator should notify the AAOS Director Of Public and Media Relations of the crisis so that the AAOS Crisis Communications Plan can be implemented, if necessary.

CRISIS TEAM COORDINATOR

It is unlikely that all Crisis Team Members will be available for consultation at the time of an incident. At the minimum, three members of the society's leadership (including the executive director/society liaison, if applicable) should be involved in developing strategy, providing counsel and monitoring the crisis throughout its duration. Given this, the Crisis Team Coordinator plays a pivotal role in initiating the crisis response.

The Crisis Team Coordinator is responsible for:

• Arranging media-training.
• Convening the crisis team. Drafting, with outside public relations or legal counsel if necessary, the initial media response statement. (Refer to any pertinent AAOS Position or Advisory Statements.)
• Developing, with outside public relations counsel if necessary, internal and/or external materials.
• Securing the necessary review and approvals of the leadership.
• Briefing, with outside public relations or legal counsel if necessary, the crisis spokesperson. Providing him/her with written material to be used in interviews.
• Establishing proper handling of phone calls/inquiries.
• Monitoring and coordinating all external communications.
• Notifying, as appropriate, other state and medical orthopaedic societies, regional orthopaedic associations, specialty societies and AAOS.
• Developing updates, as appropriate.

We recommend that, regardless of the nature of the crisis, the Crisis Team Coordinator be a member of the Executive Committee, preferably the Executive Director/Staff Liaison, if applicable.

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Media

• 2009 Annual Meeting Online Press Kit
• Media Resources