Economic Impact Report Communications Toolkit
Medical schools and teaching hospitals are vital economic engines at the local, state, and national levels — generating jobs, paying wages, and supporting opportunities for business and community development. According to a newly released study commissioned by the AAMC, of AAMC-member medical schools and teaching hospitals in 2019 represented approximately 3.23% of the U.S. GDP and generated more than 7.1 million jobs (equivalent to 4.4% of the labor force) nationwide.
The AAMC has prepared a toolkit to help member institutions share the vital role that medical schools and teaching hospitals play in the economic health of communities. Additionally, here are five ways you can share this message and illustrate the local economic impact of medical schools and teaching hospitals.
Post to social media
The AAMC has provided sample social media messages (PDF) and graphics to help you create your own social media content about national and state-level data. We encourage you to use #EconomicImpact to join the online conversation and expand the reach of your posts. The AAMC will also monitor and repost content shared by our members. In addition, the AAMC will be highlighting content from the Economic Impact Report and the unparalleled community benefits of medical schools and teaching hospitals, from advancing groundbreaking research to providing jobs to educating tomorrow’s doctors and researchers. Watch the AAMC’s social media accounts and simply retweet/repost/share from your institution’s accounts.
Issue a press release
The AAMC has created a template press release (PDF) for your use with local media. You can ensure the results of the report are of interest to journalists by adding a local spin with state and national data, found under the “State Profiles” tab in the report.
Share the data with policymakers
Coordinate with your institution’s government relations representatives and use the report’s state-level data in discussions with your local, state, and federal policymakers. In the “State Profiles” tab, you can create a one-page, state-specific document to share during meetings with your legislators.
Include in executive communications
Use your state-specific information from the report and employ the data to inform speeches given by your institution’s leadership to alumni, donors, community groups, or other stakeholders. Connect the data to your institution’s larger economic impact in the community, city, and state. Are you the largest employer in the county? How do you help minority- and women-owned business enterprises? Tout this in your executive communications.
Get creative
Explore the data and develop institution-specific methods of sharing it with your community, local press, and other target audiences. Consult the AAMC’s key messages (PDF) to review the report’s takeaways.