Spokesperson as Advocate: Leveraging Speaking Skills for Advocacy

Training 4 – Spokesperson as Advocate: Leveraging Speaking Skills for Advocacy on February 4, 2027 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm

Amid deep funding cuts and harmful policy changes, advocacy for community health centers isn’t optional; it’s a must. Media is one of many forums to advocate for clinics and patients. Whether speaking to elected officials and policymakers, hosting a community townhall, or leading an internal conversation with the board of directors or the staff, every opportunity requires a key skill: storytelling. In this session, attendees will build upon the skills presented in the first three trainings and learn how to leverage the power of storytelling in their advocacy.

Learning objectives

• Apply lessons learned to effectively advocate for policy priorities
• Leverage storytelling to demonstrate the value community health centers bring to their communities and the impact of policies on patient care
• Communicate with empathy while maintaining act-based approach
• Engage strategically by using personal stories and patient experiences

Presented by Jay Geer, President, Miller Geer & Associates, and James Chisum, Vice President, Miller Geer & Associates.

Training is complimentary. 

Instructor Biographies:

Jay Geer, President, Miller Geer & Associates

With almost 30 years of consumer and trade healthcare public relations experience, Miller Geer & Associates, Inc. (MGA) is one of Los Angeles’ only public relations/marketing communications firms that specializes in the healthcare industry, providing communications services for hospital systems, medical groups (IPAs, MSOs and PPOs), Research and Development entities, medical device companies and healthcare associations.  

President of the agency, Jay Geer manages the firm’s accounts, specializing in client programming and media relations. Some current clients and projects include AltaMed Health Services, CalOptima Health, L.A. Care Health Plan, Hoag Orthopedic Institute and more.  

Jay is an accredited member of the Public Relations Society of America and is the recipient of several awards presented by the Publicity Club of Los Angeles. Jay was recently recognized as one of the top 50 healthcare public relations executives in the United States by PR Week Magazine. He holds a degree in Journalism from California State University, Dominguez Hills and is a frequent lecturer on the subject of public relations. 

James Chisum, Vice President, Miller Geer & Associates

James Chisum is a healthcare public relations and marketing professional with nearly two decades of experience at a boutique, health-focused marketing consultation and media relations firm in Southern California. His career has centered on working with healthcare-related clients, including hospitals, health plans, clinics, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, behavioral health, wellness services, physicians, and advocacy organizations.  

 He has managed multiple clients simultaneously and regularly oversees several multi-million-dollar organizations at once. His responsibilities have included increasing awareness, managing crises, driving sales, engaging target markets, and generating new campaign initiatives. He has also helped introduce medical devices to the marketplace, managed brand awareness campaigns for major health institutions, and directed public relations programs from conception to completion.  

His specialties include media relations, strategic message development, media training, public relations, social media management, and the creation of collateral materials. He has strong experience in healthcare and wellness communications and has worked extensively on behalf of hospitals, medical groups, payors, physicians, privately owned companies, CEOs, and other key personnel.