Here's a presentation I did for statewide and national public health conferences. It shows how local public health agencies can efficiently collect personal stories that demonstrate the success of their efforts to promote and protect community health or demonstrate the need for more resources. You'll also learn about my work in creating a statewide story bank on the effects of tobacco use.

2.  Learn value, concept of story banking
 Consider individual story components
 View examples
 Examine one program’s experience after
one year

3.  Real-life demonstration of success
 Poignant way of expressing need

4.  Each audience is different.
 Your message or call to action (CTA) may
be different for each audience.
 The story you use to make your point
could make all the difference.

5.  Say you want to reduce traffic related
injuries and deaths in a community….

6.  Policymaker (audience)
 Strengthen traffic regulation devices. (message, CTA)
 Your constituent, Jim Smith, was badly injured at this
intersection. (story)

7.  School administrators
 Consider possible solutions.
 A neighboring school district bought a 5 gallon bucket of
paint and reduced parking lot accidents by 20%.

8.  Amish community stakeholder
 A small change could save your life.
 Jacob and Mary Miller were married last June. Two
months later, they were killed when an SUV struck their
buggy, which didn’t have a slow-moving vehicle sign.

9. But
I’m
not a
writer!

10.  Time investment is minimal.
 Information is stored, not developed.
 Content is systematically obtained.
 Entries are organized according to need.
 Stories are developed when the need
arises.
 Strength lies in volume, volume, volume.

11.  Character(s)
 (who this happened to)
 Setting
 (where and when this took place)
 Conflict
 (obstacle, barrier or problem)
 Action
 (who did what)
 Outcome(s)
 (measurable/concrete evidence of change)
 Relevance
 (connect the dots to the big picture, including how the outcome relates
to the way you measure success or determine need)
 Contact info and additional resources

12.  Charlie started smoking at age 15 and smoked at
work. The Iowa Smokefree Air Act made this difficult
for him…
 Iowa is one of only three states without a mandatory
motorcycle helmet law for adults. Prevented from
creating a local policy stricter than state law, Jane
found an unlikely partner at her local Harley-
Davidson dealership…

13.  In Iowa, more than 40 percent of eligible adult
Iowans have not been screened for colorectal
cancer. Sonja Gonzalez was among them. One day,
she found blood in her stool…
 Despite her nursing background, Janet Goldsmith
didn’t recognize that she was having a heart attack.
Unfortunately, this is common. In fact, women are
actually more likely to call 911 for their husband
rather than for themselves…

14.  Last year, each local tobacco prevention
and control partnership (CP) was required
to collect stories to support local and
state communication efforts.
 Quota: one story per county per quarter
 91/99 Iowa counties are served by CP’s
 All CP’s received training and a template

18.  “Can I hide identities?”
 Using real names and details makes the story
authentic and helps your credibility.
 “But my organization has privacy requirements.”
 IDPH employees are also bound by confidentiality
policies. We’ll help you address the issue if the story is
developed. Just bank it for now.
 “When do I get consent?”
 Not until the story is developed. (Once you have
something to show the subject.)

20. County Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total
Adair 1 1 1 3
Adams 1 1 1 3
Allamakee 1 1 1 1 4
Appanoose 1 1 1 1 4
Audubon 1 1 1 1 4
Benton 1 1 1 1 4
Black Hawk 1 1 1 1 4
Boone 1 1 1 1 4
Bremer 1 1 1 1 4
Buchanan 1 1 1 1 4
Buena Vista 1 0 0 1 2
Butler 1 1 1 1 4
Calhoun 0
Carroll 1 1 1 1 4
Cass 1 1 1 1 4
Cedar 1 1
Cerro Gordo 1 1 1 1 4
Cherokee 1 1 1 0 3
Chickasaw 1 1 1 3
Clarke 1 1
Clay 1 1 1 1 4
Clayton 1 1 1 1 4
Clinton 1 1 0 1 3
Crawford 1 1 1 1 4
Dallas 1 1 2 1 5
Davis 1 1 1 1 4
Decatur 1 1 3 5
Delaware 1 1 1 1 4
Des Moines 1 1 1 3
Dickinson 1 1 1 1 4
Dubuque 1 1 2
Emmet 0
Fayette 1 1 1 1 4
Floyd 0
Franklin 0
Fremont 1 1 2
Greene 1 1 1 1 4
Grundy 0
Guthrie 1 1 1 1 4
Hamilton 0 0 0 0 0
Hancock 1 1 1 3
Hardin 0 0 0 0 0
Harrison 1 1 1 1 4
Henry 1 1 1 3
Howard 1 1 1 1 4
Humboldt 0 0 0 0 0
Ida 0
Iowa 0
Jackson 1 1 1 1 4
Jasper 1 1 1 1 4
Jefferson 1 1 1 1 4
Johnson 1 1 1 3
Jones 1 2 2 4 9
Keokuk 1 1 1 3
Kossuth 0
Lee 1 1 1 1 4
Linn 1 1 1 1 4
Louisa 1 1 1 1 4
Lucas 1 1 1 1 4
Lyon 0 1 1 1 3
Madison 1 1 1 1 4
Mahaska 1 1 1 1 4
Marion 1 1 1 1 4
Marshall 1 1 1 1 4
Mills 1 1 1 1 4
Mitchell 0
Monona 1 1 1 1 4
Monroe 1 1 1 1 4
Montgomery 1 1 1 1 4
Muscatine 1 1 1 1 4
O'Brien 0 1 1 1 3
Osceola 0 1 1 1 3
Page 1 1 1 1 4
Palo Alto 0
Plymouth 1 1 1 1 4
Pocahontas 0 0 0 0 0
Polk 1 2 2 1 6
Pottawattamie 1 1
Poweshiek 0
Ringgold 1 2 1 1 5
Sac 1 1 1 1 4
Scott 1 1 1 1 4
Shelby 1 1 1 1 4
Sioux 2 1 1 1 5
Story 1 1 1 1 4
Tama 0
Taylor 1 1 2
Union 1 1 2
Van Buren 1 1 1 0 3
Wapello 1 1 1 1 4
Warren 1 1 1 1 4
Washington 1 1 1 3
Wayne 1 1 1 3
Webster 1 1 1 3
Winnebago 0
Winneshiek 1 1 1 1 4
Woodbury 1 1 1 1 4
Worth 1 1 2
Wright 1 1 1 3
300

21.  Stories are submitted to IDPH from each CP.
 CPs manage and use their local banks or
request stories from the central bank at IDPH.
 We’re developing a solution that will allow all
CPs to access banked stories securely
online.

23. http://www.whotv.com/videobeta/da529afb-665f-4996-8919-b8191954d25f/News/It-s-Your-Money-Quit-Smoking

25.  Meeting requirement?
 88%
 What kind of stories are being banked?
 45% say all or most of their stories highlight
success
 23% say all or most of their stories
demonstrate need
 32% report a balance of each

26.  65% of CPs are including personal details or
contact info for follow up
 54% are already using their own banked
stories to communicate to local audiences
such as policy makers, fellow advocates,
coalition members.

27.  Continue quarterly reporting
 Provide increased support for working
with local media outlets
 Create a central online bank with security
features for all CPs