AFMC TV Maximizes Digital Outreach

AFMC TV: A NEW WAY TO REACH THE COMMUNITY

By Michelle Rupp

“Twenty inches of snow is great brainstorming weather!” During the snowstorm of 2021, the communications team at the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC) worked diligently from remote offices, brainstorming and creating the industry’s first internet-based health care show of this kind. “Television and creating content with viewer benefit is in my blood,” said Michelle Rupp, Vice President of Communications and Strategy at AFMC. “The team worked exceptionally hard in the spring. We launched AFMC TV in July.” AFMC TV provides health care and lifestyle content on a weekly basis. AFMC is a health care nonprofit leader. While most of the company’s contracts are with Arkansas state agencies, AFMC conducts business in nearly all 50 states and Puerto Rico. AFMC TV positions the company as a thought leader, both locally and nationally. Episodes are released every Wednesday morning. You can watch on AFMC.TV as well as AFMCs social media channels. The fall episodes featured an eight-week segment series, “Catch Up on Your Check-Up,” where different physicians came into the studio or were interviewed virtually to discuss the importance of checkups. “This series was of particular importance, since 4 in 10 adults in the U.S. avoided medical care due to the pandemic. It

AFMC TV's Michelle Rupp interviews Dr. Jeanne Wei of UAMS (top) and Dr. Stacy Smith-Foley of CARTI (bottom).

was important to highlight how critical these appointments are, now more than ever.” Some specialties featured included men’s health, women’s health, cardiology, dermatology, vision, hearing and dental.

“AFMC TV allows us visibility beyond the Medicare/Medicaid sector,” said Ray Hanley, President and CEO. “One week, guests are discussing the escalated role of digital in health care visits, and the next week they have a hunter on talking about hunting season. They explore mental health and aging adult topics and occasionally provide recipes,” Hanley said. “You never know what you might learn with each episode.”

AFMC TV is quickly becoming a trusted hub for health care information and resources that keeps our community informed in a convenient, meaningful, and virtual way. Guests include AFMC leadership and employees, community leaders, and experts in the areas of lifestyle, health, and wellness.

The show is recorded and produced out of a brand new, state of the art studio located at the AFMC office in Little Rock. “Guests generally are surprised when they step into the studio for the first time. I don’t think they are expecting this caliber of production,” Rupp said. “We do not want to be boring. We talk to experts about life issues, and we have fun during the conversations.” Guests from UAMS, CARTI, Unity Health – White River Medical Center and other hospitals were featured in the first three months of production.

“When we first approached Mr. Hanley with this innovative idea, we realized we could not find any organization in our industry communicating externally this way. To set AFMC apart, AFMC TV needed to happen. If we didn’t do it, someone else would.” Rupp said.

Each episode provides viewers about 18 minutes of content. Some episodes have three guests, while others have one. “The pandemic escalated the need for video, video production, live streaming, and internet-based programming. If a business isn’t regularly active on YouTube, they will play catch up to

Endnotes

From CDC Report: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ volumes/69/wr/mm6936a4.htm

Michelle Rupp serves as Vice President of Communications and Strategy for the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care (AFMC).

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