Perspectives on the forces shaping health
Reservoir Health experts share analysis and ideas on the dynamics shaping health care decisions.
Reservoir Health experts share analysis and ideas on the dynamics shaping health care decisions.
Health care decisions are shaped by policy, evidence, trust, market dynamics, public debate, and individual experiences of patients and stakeholders. We share our perspectives to help leaders make sense of those forces and identify what to do next.
Clarity in Complexity: Effective Communications Across the Product Lifecycle
Innovation in the life sciences is constantly evolving. But every major stakeholder — patients, caregivers, advocates, investors, clinicians, policymakers, payers — continues to ask some version of the same questions:
What does this innovation mean, why does it matter, and what should we do with it?
Answering those questions is a corporate imperative, particularly in today’s health care environment defined by scrutiny, fragmentation, and competition. A company’s ability to effectively define and position its innovation can ultimately help shape whether that innovation is trusted, valued, accessible, and adopted.
Every company operates within a complex stakeholder ecosystem that includes distinct audiences with different needs:
Against these demands, the strongest communications approach is translatable across audiences, grounded in science, and calibrated for the market dynamics that shape patient access.
Life sciences companies generate enormous amounts of information: preclinical and clinical data, lived experience data, patient preferences, clinician behaviors, health economics analyses, real-world evidence, market research, commercial adoption, and more.
The communications challenge is to turn this information into meaning so that it can be understood, contextualized, and acted upon. The strongest communications functions often position themselves as a “translator” across the enterprise — aligning every function around a clear, resonant story of unmet need, clinical benefit and value to patients, families, and society.
Crafting an effective, cohesive story across this complexity is the core challenge for an enterprise. And this is where communications can be the difference between innovation that is promising and innovation that is trusted, valued, and accessible to the people it is designed to serve.
Every stage of the product life cycle comes with different communications challenges. Communications must be an enterprise integrator connecting diverse perspectives a coherent narrative that proactively address these challenges:
Product lifecycle stages present new questions, new audiences, and new decisions. Effective communications connect the evidence, the narrative, and the stakeholder experience — from early development through commercialization and beyond. Organizations that approach communications as an integrated, end-to-end capability are better positioned to translate complexity into clarity and create value for patients, healthcare systems, and the enterprise.
The Reservoir Advocacy & Alliance Network (RAAN) builds on Reservoir’s history of stakeholder engagement and formalizes a network of Reservoir experts and seasoned strategic partners who enable us to bring the most diverse and thoughtful viewpoints to bear for any health issue, therapy, disease state or coalition. The RAAN also plays an essential role in supporting Reservoir’s emphasis on health equity, bringing deep expertise and critical counsel as we advance programs and policies that reduce health disparities and ensure equal opportunity for health.
This year, we are pleased to announce the addition of Tammy Boyd, Jeanette Contreras and Susan Hassmiller to this esteemed group. Together, they bring decades of expertise across health policy, nursing and health equity, and will further the RAAN’s ability to serve as key advisors in support of clients’ business, advocacy and reputation objectives.
Learn more about each of these experts below:
Tammy Boyd is a strategic advisor, relationship builder, and government affairs expert with extensive experience in building high-impact coalitions, shaping transformative policies, and championing legislative initiatives that address systemic inequities. Throughout her career, Tammy has worked tirelessly to close health disparities, advance health equity, and empower underserved and under-resourced communities. As Senior Vice President of Government Affairs & Strategic Alliances for the Association of Black Cardiologists, Tammy leads efforts to improve cardiovascular and cancer outcomes in underserved populations. Her career includes leadership roles with the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, National Medical Association, Black Women’s Health Imperative, TKB Global Strategies, DaVita, Inc., and Johnson & Johnson.
Jeanette Contreras has a strong track record of enhancing healthcare access and equity through strategic patient advocacy. She has held leadership roles in prominent non-profits, including the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), UnidosUS (formerly the National Council of La Raza), the National Consumers League, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Jeanette serves on the Board of Directors for the Society of Hispanic Rare Diseases (Sociedad Hispana de Enfermedades Raras) and Mom Congress. She began her career in the legislative office of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health, dedicating over a decade to public service at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Dr. Susan Hassmiller is the Co-Founder and Principal for Sulu Coaching and Consulting with a focus on health care leaders. Hassmiller has devoted her career to strengthening the nursing profession, improving population health, and advancing health equity. She is a Professor of Nursing at Florida State University and adjunct faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and serves on numerous boards. During her quarter century at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, she served as the Senior Adviser for Nursing and led the effort to advance the landmark National Academy of Medicine recommendations for both Future of Nursing reports. Hassmiller has held numerous leadership positions at the American Red Cross, receiving the Florence Nightingale Medal from the International Red Cross for her courageous contributions to the profession. She is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and holds the Living Legend status at the American Academy of Nursing.
Our existing network includes other leaders with robust expertise in serving specialized populations and communities:
If you would like to learn more about Reservoir’s offerings surrounding alliance development and stakeholder engagement, please reach out to Lee Lynch or Michelle Nealy.
Washington, D.C. and Chicago, IL – Reservoir Communications Group, a Washington D.C.-based health care consultancy, announced a new investment partnership with Periscope Equity, a Chicago-based private equity firm that partners with founder-owned, technology-enabled business services companies.
The partnership between Reservoir and Periscope is designed to accelerate Reservoir’s growth and scale. Since Reservoir’s founding in 2014, the firm has continued to expand its issue and skill-based expertise across advocacy, corporate communications and market readiness, particularly among innovative health care brands, trade associations and non-profit organizations.
As part of this next phase of growth, Reservoir and Periscope will capitalize on opportunities to bring enhanced technology, infrastructure, and staffing support to continue meeting the complex and pressing public affairs, business and policy needs of Reservoir’s clients.
“The Periscope team shares our mission and vision in delivering best-in-class strategy, counsel and execution to our clients. They also embody the Reservoir culture and believe in the value of bringing our purpose-driven work to scale. They are the ideal partners for this next exciting chapter,” said Robert Schooling, Reservoir’s Founder and President.
“Reservoir’s growth is a testament to the differentiated value proposition it offers to clients facing the most challenging issues in health care. We’re excited to be working with Robert and the full team to expand the firm’s reach and trajectory as Reservoir continues to grow,” said John Findlay, Periscope Partner.
As part of the investment process, Clearsight Advisors served as the exclusive financial advisor, and Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP served as legal counsel, to Reservoir.
Reservoir Communications Group is a leading health care consultancy focused on helping clients address their most important business, advocacy, policy and reputation challenges and opportunities. Learn more at https://reservoircg.com/.
Periscope Equity is a Chicago-based private equity firm that partners with founder-owned, technology-enabled business services companies. Since its founding in 2012, Periscope has a track record of investing in businesses with mission-critical service offerings, a history of sustainable profitability, and known avenues to accelerate growth. In alignment with management teams, Periscope seeks to provide operational and commercial support to drive investment returns. Learn more at www.periscopeequity.com.
Yes, believe it or not, Reservoir turned 10 this year and I’m told that decade anniversaries call for some reflection.
From our earliest days working in a WeWork (contact us for fun stories), to our migration to a small office where everyone’s lunch menu was known to all, to our current much more refined office space, it’s been a fun journey.
Throughout our ten years we’ve been guided by a few core values:
Our vision throughout the decade of our existence has been constant – address the biggest challenges and opportunities facing our clients in advocacy, corporate communications and market readiness. But our ability to deliver on that vision grows with each new person we bring to the team. Today, at around 60 people, our abilities far exceed what they were in our WeWork era, and we are excited to continue to expand on our capabilities and do more to fulfill our vision for what we can do for our clients.
Central to all of that will be investing in and enhancing the culture that has made our growth possible. I don’t believe in “maintaining” culture because culture is a living thing that grows with an organization. And while the core elements of our culture will remain, there will always be room to grow and improve.
There’s a quote from management guru Peter Drucker that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” – meaning that it is really your culture that defines your success. A strategy without a culture that supports it won’t work. We’re proud of the culture we’ve created and look forward to continuing to strengthen it in support of our clients and team.
Thank you for a great 10 years to our clients who have trusted us to help them and to the team that has made it all possible! Looking forward to another update at 20!
Washington, DC – Reservoir Communications Group recently welcomed five new team members, including Lauren Cohen as Senior Vice President and Allison DeBattista as Vice President. Their distinct backgrounds in corporate communications and advocacy expand the firm’s existing expertise in these areas.
Lauren joins Reservoir as a Senior Vice President following her most recent role at Mission North. There, she led the Life Sciences & Health practice, supporting both established and early-stage biotech and biopharma clients. Previously, Lauren served as a director in APCO’s Public Affairs practice, leading the firm’s work with some of its largest global clients across the health and technology sectors, as well as major industry coalitions. Before APCO, Lauren led communications at the Natural Products Association, the trade association representing vitamins and dietary supplements. Lauren holds a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Maryland.
Allison joins Reservoir as a Vice President, bringing 15 years of experience in coalition building, advocacy, and strategic communications to the team. Prior to coming to DC, Allison was a Director at The Moore Agency, where she focused on state and federal policy issues throughout the Gulf Coast, including leading the development of the largest healthcare coalition in Louisiana, skillfully navigating complex issues through strategic grassroots and grasstops engagement and effective media relations. She also served as the Executive Director of Epilepsy Alliance Louisiana, where she co-founded and launched Epilepsy Alliance America. Allison holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Mississippi.
Reservoir also announced the additions of Marlowe Galbraith, Olivia Anderson, and Sofia Kohl.
Marlowe joins Reservoir as a Senior Associate from Applied Policy, a health policy and reimbursement consulting firm. There, she helped clients understand the business implications of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ regulations and specialized in coding, coverage, and reimbursement. Prior to this role, Marlowe worked at the Vermont Department of Health’s Infectious Disease Department, where she conducted state-level health surveillance and research. Marlowe graduated from Penn State University with a B.A. in Political Science and minors in both Health Policy & Administration and Business.
Olivia joins Reservoir as an Associate with a background in public health advocacy, policy research, and strategic communications. Previously, Olivia worked with grassroots stakeholders and Congressional offices to expand adolescent health policy and equity. She has also worked as a research assistant at the Fitzhugh Mullan Institute for Workforce Equity, where she conducted research on provider specialty within the Medicaid provider population. Olivia holds B.A.s in both History and Communication and Media Studies from the University of Michigan and her M.P.H. from George Washington University.
Sofia also joins Reservoir as an Associate with prior experiences in both health advocacy and communications. Most recently, Sofia interned at Petkanas Strategies, where she worked with clients to advocate for state-paid family and medical leave laws. Prior, she interned with Friends of the Global Fight, the US advocacy arm for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Sofia holds a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Public Health from American University.
About Reservoir Communications Group
Reservoir Communications Group is a leading health care consultancy focused on helping clients address their most important business, advocacy, policy and reputation challenges and opportunities. Learn more at https://reservoircg.com/.
Washington, DC – Reservoir Communications Group today announced the formation of its new advisory board, bringing together leading experts in health policy, strategic communications, and commercial strategy.
Robert Schooling, founder and President of Reservoir said, “Our advisory board is composed of some of the most experienced and respected voices in health care. We look forward to tapping into their insights and experience on behalf of our clients.”
Each of the advisory board members brings experience in executive leadership at leading companies, trade associations, and patient advocacy organizations.
Advisory board members include:
Mark Booth is a biopharmaceutical executive and commercial leader with experience in product marketing, commercial strategy and operations, management consulting, and market research. He is currently Head of Commercial at Verastem Oncology.
Jenny Bryant is a leading expert in federal health policy and strategy. She most recently led the development and implementation of legislative, regulatory, and political advocacy strategies as Executive Vice President of Policy, Research, and Membership at PhRMA.
Laureen Cassidy is a corporate communications leader with more than 25 years of strategic communications experience in the health sector. She is currently President at Outcomes Communication Group, and previously served as Chief Communications Officer for Baxter International.
Donna Cryer is an award-winning, published patient advocate and social impact entrepreneur. A 27-year liver transplant recipient herself, she is the Founder, President, and CEO of the Global Liver Institute as well as Founder of consulting firm CryerHealth.
Mike Kelly is an executive leader with more than 30 years of life science experience, spanning leadership roles in manufacturing, marketing, and research. Mike was formerly President and COO of Kantar Health – now Cerner Enviza, Oracle Life Science’s research and consulting group.
David Palombi is a communications executive with extensive experience developing and implementing corporate communications strategies. He is currently Executive Vice President and Chief Global Communications and Public Affairs Officer at US Bank and was formerly Chief Communications Officer at CVS Health.
Orriel Richardson is an attorney and health law and financing policy expert. She currently serves as the Head of Health Equity and Policy at Morgan Health, JPMorganChase, and was previously health counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means.
Paul Rittman is a biopharmaceutical executive with more than 35 years of industry experience across multiple therapeutic areas. Most recently, he served as President, CEO, and Board Member of Helsinn Therapeutics, and previously led the U.S. oncology and hematology branded business at Teva Pharmaceuticals.
Learn more about the Reservoir Communications Group Advisory Board here.
Reservoir Communications Group is a leading health care consultancy focused on helping clients address their most important challenges and opportunities across reputation, advocacy, and business outcomes. Learn more at www.reservoircg.com.
Value is one of the most widely used terms in health care and yet it is something that companies rarely associate with their reputation.
Reservoir recently built a new reputation framework (Reservoir Value GPS) predicated on value that measures how various stakeholders assess value. The model can be applied to an enterprise, a franchise or business unit, or even a product.
Value is at the center of the work done across the entire enterprise of any health care company: Commercial leaders are laser-focused on telling the value story of products and services, “brand value” is one of the most important metrics for marketers, and the C-Suite is concentrated on communicating and delivering shareholder value. And yet, it has been unusual to think about value across the full spectrum of the enterprise as something that is the very essence of reputation.
So, why assess value rather than admiration or trust or some other measure more commonly associated with reputation? From our perspective, these metrics tend to measure subconscious, ephemeral perceptions that are influenced by factors well beyond our control, and therefore, are difficult to influence through communications. That isn’t to say that we shouldn’t seek admiration or trust with our audiences – of course we should. But if we are looking for specific things we can do that force rational reassessments, then value is a much more actionable construct.
Exploring value inherently leads to better insights because it is intuitive and more common to the way we already interact with and evaluate companies. Every day, each of us assesses the value of something – the things we buy, the people and organizations we deal with. That assessment is fundamentally a set of tradeoffs. For any given thing or activity, there are costs and benefits. The assessment of value is the weighing of those costs and benefits. Understanding what goes into that process can also help us to better understand how a given stakeholder constituency assesses value of a company, as well as a product or service.
Value is a more rational assessment which provides a more constructive way to engage with our stakeholders. Strategy can be built to maximize perceived benefits and minimize perceived costs. The beauty of a strategy based on value is that it is tangible and understandable throughout the enterprise. The question of why reputation matters is baked into the methodology. We are doing this so that we understand and respond to what our stakeholders value.
There is an old saying that you “get what you measure.” That’s true, as long as what you are measuring is something you can meaningfully influence. We would reframe and say that you need to “measure what you can get” and focus on creating an understanding of what is actionable.
If you are interested in learning more about how we think about value, feel free to reach out.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology wrapped its 2024 Annual Meeting earlier this month. This 40,000+ attendee event is the forum for oncology stakeholders to discuss research, practice, quality of care, technology and policy, all with an eye toward the future of oncology care. What can companies looking to bring new and transformative treatments to market learn from this year’s ASCO? A few trends jump out:
The field of oncology has never been this innovative. However, companies hoping to navigate this complex space and successfully launch a product will have to consider the interplay of multiple technology, research, policy, and practice issues. The Reservoir team can help you identify hurdles, develop a strategic plan to minimize those hurdles, and smooth the path from treatment to patient.
The digital revolution has shifted the way we consume information, giving us instantaneous access to real-time developments happening near and far, right at our fingertips. Simultaneously, we’ve become increasingly divided when it comes to who we trust and where we get our news.
With the election season in full swing, it’s important to understand how the media landscape is changing and what it means for advocacy leaders.
Three things to know:
In an ever-changing media environment, how can advocacy leaders redefine the landscape to maximize the reach of their content while ensuring it is perceived as trustworthy and accurate?
Modern-day advocacy starts with one individual, one community, one story. Taking that one “thing” to local audiences and using a personal network to amplify it can lead to a successful advocacy campaign that breaks through all the noise.
In a world where politics and politicians seem more polarizing than ever, finding common ground between both sides of the aisle can feel impossible. With a slew of competing policy priorities and slow-to-move legislative and regulatory processes, it can often feel like we’re screaming into the void — especially as communicators trying to move the needle.
Politics has recently undergone a significant transformation, marked by a surge in populist beliefs across the political spectrum and a sense of political exhaustion and division. By painting the picture of a divisive nation, this complex environment has forced us to adapt and rethink how we approach and engage in advocacy.
Enter local advocacy: an antidote to this gridlock. In today’s landscape, effective advocacy increasingly hinges on local engagement, emphasizing the importance of humanizing communications.
Partisan shifts and splintering within both major U.S. parties have coincided with a rise in populist, anti-establishment sentiment — often overshadowing the nuanced perspectives of moderate voters. However, populism can be a positive, powerful catalyst, propelling us into the future. Just think back to the 19th-century populist era in the U.S., which saw deeply rooted local movements drive national change. Channeling this energy through communities can connect complex issues to their real-life impact — helping make the case for change.
Local advocacy offers a unique platform to elevate relatable experiences, as exemplified by Sen. Patty Murray’s campaign to showcase everyday threats to women’s reproductive rights. Rooted in populist concerns, these personal narratives underscored the need for over-the-counter birth control options, marching the voices and faces of everyday citizens through the halls of Congress. Directed through the lens of local advocacy, populist momentum can turn widespread community sentiments into tangible, impactful outcomes for all.
Think about where you got your news just a few decades ago. More likely than not, it was from traditional outlets on print, television, or the radio. Fast forward, and we’re in a whole new digital ballgame, filled with up-and-coming social media channels, podcasts, and news platforms competing for our attention. It’s gradually ushered in a shifting paradigm, where traditional media establishments have seen their relevance and authority wane while influential media personalities themselves are thriving as brands across more channels than ever before.
In this evolving landscape, the individual influencer’s impact is emerging. It’s not just about TikTok stars — it includes local creatives, entrepreneurs, and community leaders who can resonate with different audiences using new platforms. These influencers often have direct stakes in the very decisions they’re advocating for, lending authenticity and urgency to their causes. As pervasive issues continue to affect communities differently, leveraging these unexpected messengers as third-party validators broadens the reach of a particular cause. This accessibility enables everyday citizens and communities to play pivotal roles in shaping policies — truly democratizing influence.
Even with this emphasis on local efforts, federal engagement remains a key piece of the pie. Local initiatives should be seen as a tool to shape national outcomes, underscoring the people’s power in a comprehensive and responsive policy landscape. Coupled with regular federal engagement, local efforts can galvanize support and contribute to incremental policy shifts.
Building relationships with aligned policymakers, identifying champions for various causes, and maintaining a presence on the Hill are all crucial for seamlessly integrating local actions into a national policy framework. This interplay gives the voices and concerns of local communities a well-deserved seat at the table, seamlessly integrating to maintain momentum toward change.
As we navigate a dynamic and polarized political climate, using local advocacy as a lever for national change has never been more critical. Injecting local stories into the national lens brings life and relevance to broader issues while equipping policymakers with the tools to advocate for meaningful change.
While there is no silver bullet to navigating political contention, a steady cadence of strategic federal engagement with local perspectives can shape a more inclusive policy landscape. Flipping the script from national to local isn’t just effective — it’s essential.
