Media 101: Becoming a Spokesperson
Calling all spokespersons and those interested in becoming one!
Telling the community health center story is critical now more than ever. News media provides an opportunity to highlight the lifesaving care health centers provide to their patients and the role they play in the wellbeing of our communities. Join this four-part training series to learn the basics of speaking with the media and to build confidence as a spokesperson. Each session will focus on specific skills that every public health care advocate and spokesperson needs. Training is open to all; providers, patients and patient board members are encouraged to attend.
The training series is issue-neutral and tailored to health centers, using evergreen health center issues as examples. Attendees are welcome to join individual sessions or all four (recommended). Participants who complete all four sessions will receive a certificate of completion.
Training is complimentary and open to members of Alameda Health Consortium, the Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County.
Training 1 – Media 101: Introduction to Becoming a Spokesperson on August 20, 2026 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Media 101: Introduction to Becoming a Spokesperson is the first training in the series. Attendees will learn the steps to take before agreeing to any interview, how to prepare for an interview and the basics of crafting key messages. Attendees will also have an opportunity to practice the skills they’ve just learned with the instructors.
Learning objectives
- Understand the role of a spokesperson
- Understand how to vet a media request before agreeing to participate
- Understand how to prepare for an interview
- Understand how to develop and deliver key messages
Training has passed
Training 2 – Media 101: Preparing for Different Media Formats on October 14, 2026 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Health centers have more opportunities than ever to showcase their impact, highlight their work, and connect with their communities and audiences through a constantly growing media landscape. In this session, attendees will learn how to navigate different media formats effectively and use body language and speech to project confidence and credibility.
At the end of this training, attendees will:
- Understand different media formats (print, video/broadcast, audio, content creators/social media influencers)
- Know how to prepare for an interview in response to each media format
- Know how to project confidence through body language and speech
Presented by Jay Geer, President, Miller Geer & Associates, and James Chisum, Vice President, Miller Geer & Associates.
Training is complimentary.
Training 3 – Media 101: Navigating the Unexpected During an Interview on December 10, 2026 from 12:00pm – 1:30pm
Amplifying the community health center movement and the issues that impact our work through news media requires a strong relationship between health centers and reporters. Most journalists have honest intentions and are invested in maintaining positive relationships with the people they interview. Regardless, spokespeople must be prepared in case an interview veers off course to navigate difficult or sometimes hostile questions (this rarely happens!). In this session, attendees will learn how to pivot, bridge, and redirect conversations during an interview while staying calm, professional, and focused on their key messages.
Learning objectives
- Know how to respond to negative, or even hostile, questions
- Know how to redirect responses back to your key messages
- Know how to refocus an interview if the interviewer tries to steer towards an unrelated direction
Presented by Jay Geer, President, Miller Geer & Associates, and James Chisum, Vice President, Miller Geer & Associates.
Training is complimentary.
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 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
- Identify and examine opportunities beyond media to apply speaking skills to advocacy
- Leverage storytelling to demonstrate the value community health centers bring to their communities and the impact of policies on patient care
- Understand how to draw upon personal experience to deliver stories that resonate and influence
- Identify opportunities to include calls to action in storytelling
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.
This training is a collaboration of Alameda Health Consortium, Coalition of Orange County Community Health Centers (Coalition OC), and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC), and supported by a grant from The California Endowment.