There were two major stories from our northern New England neighboring states last week. One should fill us with hope and one with dread.

First, the dread: Major flooding brought loss of life and caused major property damage in Vermont, one of our most picturesque states. What we once called 100-year storms are becoming a regular event due to climate change. They will wreak havoc on all of our lives.

On this very subject, in this newsletter you will read about a new MIT and Wentworth report commissioned by the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Mass. that makes recommendations on addressing two urgent needs: climate and housing affordability. What we know from reports like this one and many others is that solutions will be costly and complex.

The second major news from the north came from Maine, where most of that state's daily and weekly newspapers were bought by a nonprofit that pledges to continue providing comprehensive news coverage to local residents. As the media landscape evolves, leaving communities without a local newspaper, it is very encouraging to see mission-driven organizations stepping forward to protect local news.

As major -- existential -- challenges confront us, good news is always welcome.

The Autism Alliance has been teaching businesses and individuals how to create a welcoming and accessible community for people with autism through its Autism Welcoming Initiative.

At the outset, the Autism Welcoming Initiative was working with businesses in MetroWest, where the Autism Alliance and its parent organization, the nonprofit human services agency Advocates, are based. The growth of the program, now available statewide, was the subject of an extended feature story in The Boston Globe in March.

The Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts, seeking solutions to the dual crises of climate and housing affordability, engaged MIT and Wentworth Institute of Technology to conduct a study of the relationship between “net zero” building codes adopted by some Massachusetts cities and town and housing prices. Based on actual costs submitted by builders, the study found a 2 to 3 percent cost increase associated with the code, enough of a margin in a high-cost market to make homebuying unaffordable to many, and even worse, to prevent the construction of new multi-family homes. The report contained a series of important recommendations for mitigating the cost increase to enable the construction of greener homes. The report received extensive news coverage both in this region and nationally. This CBS Boston story provides an excellent summary. You can read the full report here.

Emerson Health CEO Christine Schuster co-authored an op-ed piece with Mass. Health and Hospital Association President and CEO Steve Walsh with new ideas for ending the health workforce crisis. The Boston Business Journal published the piece late last month.

With a new senior center in the works in Newton, Carroll Center for the Blind President and CEO Greg Donnelly issued a call to action in Fig City News to ensure that the facility is accessible to all older adults, including those who are visually impaired. Donnelly also had the opportunity to remember the late disability rights pioneer Judy Heumann with a moving tribute published by Mass. Nonprofit News. And WBZ NewsRadio (1030 AM) talk show host Dan Rea invited Donnelly to discuss the center’s annual Braille Challenge event on “Nightside with Dan Rea.”

Focused on keeping as many people as possible from losing their health insurance as the state’s Medicaid program resumed its redetermination process, Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts President and CEO Amie Shei teamed up with Health Law Advocates Executive Director Matt Selig for an op-ed in the Boston Business Journal. “Those of us outside of government who work with MassHealth members have an important role to play,” they wrote.

In the wake of a liquidity crisis that undermined confidence in banks, Joan McGrath, Executive Director of PLAN of Massachusetts and Rhode Island, wrote an op-ed in the Providence Business News assuring readers that special needs trusts are safe. These trusts are used to ensure Medicaid eligibility for older adults and people with disabilities by allowing them to place assets over the eligibility limit in a pooled trust. In addition to Medicaid eligibility, the individuals benefit from a guardian who oversees their care and well-being. Upon an individual's death, their remaining funds held in trust are used to reimburse the state for care.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation issued a research report focused on closing the remaining gaps in health insurance accessibility that have persisted despite the state’s near-universal coverage. Along with GBH News and WBUR radio reports, State House News Service reported the findings in a story that was published in multiple outlets statewide.

Lincolnwood Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center, a skilled nursing facility in North Providence, R.I., affiliated with Marquis Health Consulting Services, showed off its newly renovated digs with a community open house in March. The Providence Business News covered the event attended by residents, Marquis leaders and special invited guests.

Just hours after the FDA announced it had approved naloxone spray for over-the-counter use, RIZE Massachusetts Foundation Executive Director Julie Burns issued a statement applauding the move while noting affordability concerns. Burns’ statement was included in stories published from Boston to the Berkshires, as RIZE continues to be recognized as an expert source on issues related to opioid overdose prevention and harm reduction. The statement was included in coverage by the Boston Globe, Western Mass. News, WBZ NewsRadio and the Boston Business Journal. Burns was also quoted last month in The Boston Globe when newly released state data showed a continued, alarming upward trend in the number of overdoses.

As the state prepared to open community behavioral health centers – a key milestone in the Massachusetts Roadmap for Behavioral Healthcare overhauling community-based mental health and addiction services – North Suffolk Community Services was selected to host the launch for the entire network. The grand opening featured keynote remarks from then-Gov. Charlie Baker and provided visibility for the organization’s new brand and logo. No fewer than 10 media outlets reported on the center’s launch in East Boston, including NBC10, MassLive, WWLP-TV (Springfield), WBZ NewsRadio and the Worcester Business Journal.

Thrive Support & Advocacy President & CEO Sean Rose and his team at the nonprofit provider of services for youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities have seen firsthand the effects of food insecurity on the people they serve. It was front and center this spring as the COVID-19 national emergency protections expired, along with enhanced funding for SNAP benefits. Facing cuts of up to $200 to their monthly food allocation, thousands of Worcester families were headed toward a “hunger cliff,” inspiring Rose to issue a call to action in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Ball Consulting Group received its third consecutive Gold Lamplighter Award from NESHCo, the New England Society for Healthcare Communications.

NESHCo judges honored the firm and our client, the Association for Behavioral Healthcare, in the Excellence in Writing category for an op-ed piece published by the Boston Globe that advocated for fairer funding for the state’s behavioral health clinics.

Days later, the firm garnered bronze honors in the PR Club of New England’s 2023 Bellringer Awards, for an opinion piece in the Globe in collaboration with the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts on the need for more starter homes.

Ball Consulting Group is featured in the annual crisis communications issue of O’Dwyer’s, the top publication for public relations and marketing communications professionals.

The magazine published an opinion piece by President & Founder David Ball about how to handle a crisis situation when an employee’s action threatens the company’s reputation.

“We live in an age where information travels at the speed of light. In a single post, social media can make or break a person,” Ball writes. “It’s okay to lament this situation, but communicators must absolutely own it.”

Click here to read the article on O’Dwyer’s website. The full crisis communications issue can be found here.

David Ball was also quoted in a New York Times story chronicling the operational nightmare suffered by Southwest Airlines last winter.

“When you have the secretary of transportation going on network television and saying that your company is in a meltdown, that’s pretty much the definition of a crisis,” Ball told the Times, adding that the airline will need to rebuild their brand reputation over many years.

Click here to read the full article.

So How Do You Work With a PR Firm?

It is a question that we often get asked. We tried to provide an answer in this “Know How” column published last month in the Worcester Business Journal.

Check out Ball Consulting Group’s capabilities presentation for an overview of our services and examples of the high-impact results that we have generated for our clients.