In This Issue: Three Calls to Action with Bonus Opportunities
February 2020
Dear Ambassadors,

Welcome to the fourth Call to Action newsletter of the PCORI Ambassador Program. We have a lot of exciting news at PCORI and have developed calls to action to better engage all of you with the organizational updates.

As a reminder, this newsletter offers concrete calls to action or recommendations for Ambassadors to share valuable PCORI-funded research results, PCORI products, editorial pieces, peer-reviewed literature, and events with their unique communities. 

Below, you will find four new calls to action to focus on for the next couple months. You can also access the bonus opportunities at the end of the newsletter. 

Please complete a survey describing any completed calls to action and bonus opportunities by the end of March. 
Keep sending your completed calls to action and bonus opportunities as it shows how Ambassadors are promoting patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and PCORI in the field. This information will be especially helpful for reporting to PCORI staff and leadership, including the executive team and the Board of Governors. 
CALL TO ACTION
Promote PCORI's 10-Year Reauthorization
On December 20, 2019, Congress passed the FY2020 Appropriations Package that included language to reauthorize PCORI’s funding for 10 years. This bipartisan spending deal was worked out by leadership in both chambers of Congress and was signed by the president into law. This means PCORI can continue to fulfill our mission of funding research that helps patients make the best choices based on their values, preferences, and circumstances.

PCORI’s reauthorizing language extends our funding through September 20, 2029. The legislation also made several policy changes, including establishing research into maternal mortality and intellectual and developmental disabilities as national research priorities. It also authorized PCORI researchers to capture data on potential burdens and economic impacts, such as out-of-pocket costs, during future studies.

We are thankful for all the hard work our allies have contributed on our behalf. Together, we can continue to improve patient care and outcomes and reduce the burden that some of our country’s most pressing healthcare issues impose on individuals, their families, and the healthcare system.

We need your help with spreading the word about PCORI’s reauthorization across the nation. Here are some strategies:

Strategy #1 : If you are a constituent or work in an institution in the following states or districts and would like to thank your member of congress, please reach out to Krista Woodward ( kwoodward@pcori.org ) and you will be provided an email template that has been created for your use.

  • Rep. Don Beyer (D, VA-08)
  • Rep. Diana DeGette (D, CO-01)
  • Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)
  • Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA)
  • Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)
  • Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD)
 
Strategy #2:  Share the specific changes to PCORI’s statute when explaining reauthorization so colleagues, friends, community members, and others can better understand PCORI’s future direction using this brief .

Strategy #3: Would you like to present an update about PCORI’s reauthorization to your colleagues, organization, or others? Access the PowerPoint slides in the Network Resources section of our Yammer community here or email Krista Woodward ( kwoodward@pcori.org ).
 
Strategy #4: Share this prepared tweet on Twitter.
 
Congress has reauthorized @PCORI’s funding for 10 years and the legislation has been signed into law. Read more here .
CALL TO ACTION
Welcome PCORI’s New Executive Director, Nakela Cook, MD, MPH
PCORI announced on January 15 that Nakela Cook, MD, MPH, a cardiologist with a distinguished career leading key research initiatives engaging patients, clinicians, and other healthcare stakeholders at one of the nation’s largest public health research funders, has been named PCORI’s next Executive Director. She currently serves as Chief of Staff and a Senior Scientific Officer at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).

Dr. Cook will lead PCORI’s research, dissemination and implementation, and engagement work as the organization enters its second decade of service to the nation. She will provide strategic and day-to-day oversight of ongoing programs as well as new initiatives designed to create a healthcare system that is more efficient, effective, and patient centered.

Strategy #1: Share one or both recently published blogs about PCORI’s new Executive Director via email, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms.
 
Strategy #2: Share this prepared tweet on Twitter to welcome Dr. Cook.

Dr. Nakela Cook has been announced as @PCORI’s new executive director. Read more here. bit.ly/38apguZ
CALL TO ACTION
Engagement Award Funding Cycle April 2020
PCORI will begin accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOIs) on February 14 for three Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Awards opportunities. These awards will support patient-centered outcomes research capacity building, evidence dissemination initiatives, and stakeholder convenings. LOIs are due April 1, 2020. PCORI staff will host a town hall for prospective applicants on February 13. Find more information here .
 
Strategy #1: Do you work with an organization or group that would consider applying for an Engagement Award? Send them information about the Engagement Awards Program and this new funding announcement as a potential funding option.
 
Strategy #2: Encourage prospective applicants to dial in to the Engagement Awards LOI Town Hall: April 2020 Cycle by sharing registration information .
 
Strategy #3: Considering applying for an Engagement Award? Visit the Ambassador Center or Yammer to see if any other Ambassadors would like to be involved or can provide input in the LOI preparation process.

Strategy #4: Share this prepared tweet on Twitter.

Letters of Inquiry for three new Eugene Washington @PCORI Engagement Awards are due on April 1, 2020. Learn more about the funding opportunities and apply here.
CALL TO ACTION
Get Involved with MyPaTH Story Booth
The MyPaTH Story Booth collects stories from patients and caregivers on an ongoing basis and is developing an online searchable archive. The stories collected through the MyPaTH Story Booth can inform the development of patient-centered research questions, foster engagement in research, and bring together patients, caregivers, and health researchers who have shared interests to form partnerships as research teams.

Strategy #1:  The MyPaTH Story Booth team is developing a new website that will share a searchable archive of stories as well as facilitate more research partnerships. They are requesting feedback for the website soft launch from up to 25 Ambassadors starting on February 17. Please contact Natasha Norman for more details at NGN9@pitt.edu . Participants will be compensated.

Strategy #2: Share your story in person or by phone with the MyPaTH Story Booth. Interviews typically take between 45 and 60 minutes to complete. Visit the MyPaTH Story Booth website to sign up here and identify yourself as a PCORI Ambassador.

Strategy #3: Are you a researcher looking to connect with patients and caregivers to partner for a future research project or formulate a patient-centered research question? Listen to their currently archives stories here or contact MyPaTH Story Booth staff here .

Strategy #4: Share MyPaTH Story Booth with others who might benefit from sharing their story or hearing other patient and caregiver stories. Share Story Booth on social media, email, or other online platforms for promotion. 
BONUS CALLS TO ACTION
STA Y IN TOUCH
As always, we appreciate your feedback on the newsletter. If you would like to share any thoughts, comments, or suggest future calls to actions that might help your organization(s) or PCORI-funded projects(s), please send them to the Ambassador Program staff at ambassadors@pcori.org .