Most of her colleagues, clients and acquaintances know Rosemary Plorin as a veteran communications professional with more than two decades of experience in the rough-and-tumble healthcare field. They know her as the woman who has worked with virtually every major news media outlet over the course of her career: CNN, Reuters, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, Newsweek, Bloomberg, US News — the list goes on.
And that’s why they know her, simply, as the person to trust with your institutional reputation during moments of crisis — and everyday conversations, too.
But Plorin’s strategic communications expertise is only part of her story. Plorin is also one of her industry’s most prolific public speakers and presenters. In fact, she’s probably one of the most prolific non-professional speakers and presenters in the Mid-South.
Since the early 2000s, Rosemary Plorin has spoken on a wide range of topics germane to her clients, colleagues and professional niche. Since becoming president and CEO of Lovell Communications in 2014, she has dialed back her speaking and presenting schedule somewhat — more out of necessity than any personal preference. Still, she has an impressive body of work to her name. Here’s a representative sample of Plorin’s speeches and presentations:
Social Media
Social media is a top-of-mind issue for communications professionals and their clients. Plorin was among the first healthcare-focused practitioners to “get” social media’s power and potential, and she’s been evangelizing on it ever since. Noteworthy presentations and speeches on the topic include:
- Social Media in Regulated Industries: A presentation to the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. Plorin discussed the challenges and opportunities inherent in social media, along with its “rapid evolution” and “the very real legal, ethical and professional pitfalls that it presents.”
- Social Networking and Regulatory Boards: A presentation to the Federation of Associations of Regulatory Boards. Rosemary Plorin examined social media use by consumers, providers, regulators, investigators, and attorneys.
- Social Media and the Implications of Social Networking: A presentation to the Federation of State Medical Boards. Rosemary Plorin discussed the rapid adoption of social media by physicians and their staffs, with requisite attention paid to the ethical and legal implications thereof.
- To Tweet or Not to Tweet (Is That Really the Question?): A presentation to the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy. Plorin highlighted major trends and issues in social media use by pharmacy professionals.
Rosemary Plorin: Partnerships & Executive Communications
Plorin is a fierce advocate for the value of intra- and inter-organizational partnerships. She also knows, from firsthand experience, the importance of effective executive communications — and the salutary effect a strong executive communicator can have on his or her leadership team, not to mention public perceptions of his or her organization. Recent engagements in these arenas include:
- Communicating for the C-Suite: A presentation to the International Association of Business Communicators. Plorin discussed effective strategies for communicating with (and to) corner office dwellers who tend to be “strong minded, fast thinking, hard driving professionals” with limited time and even less patience.
- Words Matter: A presentation to regional healthcare operations and development professionals. Plorin outlined situation- and audience-specific communications strategies for enhanced engagement and improved public perceptions.
- The Role of the Hospital Board Member in the Community: In this webinar for Quorum Health Resources, Rosemary Plorin expounded on the duties of hospital board members, who must serve as “two-way conduit[s] between the hospital and community.”
Crisis Communications
Fortunately (for Lovell’s clients), crisis communications is Plorin’s bread and butter. Plorin has spoken at length on the importance of effective crisis planning and steady, measured execution when the rubber hits the road:
- How to Communicate When the News Is Not Good: In a Quorum Health Resources presentation, Plorin discussed the importance of pre-cultivated media relationships in shaping and delivering bad news during a crisis situation.
- A Course in Crisis Communications for Healthcare Attorneys: Plorin partnered with healthcare attorney Mark Goldstone to “discuss how mutual respect and cooperation between legal and PR counsel can make for the most productive outcomes when a healthcare suit becomes public.”
Rosemary Plorin’s Work with the Media
It’s no surprise that a seasoned media liaison would have lots to say about working with the media. Plorin has delighted audiences with frank, no-nonsense primers on media relations:
- The Ups & Downs of Working with the Media: A presentation to the Tennessee Association of Homes and Services for the Aging. Plorin recounted useful strategies and tricks for dealing with the media in good times and bad.
- Understanding the Media:
- In a presentation to Quorum Health Resources, Plorin revealed that “understanding how reporters work and what motivates them is more than half the preparation required for having productive interaction — and positive outcomes — with the media.”
Higher Education
A firm believer in the promise of higher education, Plorin has shared her expertise with college classes at Belmont University and Vanderbilt University Owen School of Management, both in Nashville. Her curriculum focuses on general communications and business management.
These days, running Lovell Communications is a full-time job for Plorin. (For many of her peers, it’d likely be a more-than-full-time gig.) Though she doesn’t speak and present at nearly the same pace as in the past, she’s no less passionate about conveying her life and career experiences to anyone who’ll listen. If she can impart even one nugget of actionable intelligence to a receptive audience of one or many, she’s done her job.