OUR Community Engagement Strategy
Tap Telehealth employs a layered, ongoing outreach strategy that begins the day the contract is signed and never stops. Instead of a single announcement, it’s a continuous campaign hitting all community touchpoints to drive awareness and trust.
sustaining awareness
Official Kickoff & Endorsements
As soon as the partnership is official, local leaders (mayor, county officials, council members) publicly announce and endorse Tap Telehealth.
Elected officials send out messages emphasizing the no-copays, no-insurance nature of the service, helping lend credibility.
Week 1 / ongoing
School System Outreach
Schools are leveraged as a primary channel from day one. School nurses, administrators, and teachers are briefed on Tap Telehealth and help spread the word to families.
Colorful flyers go home in students’ backpacks explaining how parents can use the text service for kids’ minor illnesses.
School nurses incorporate Tap Telehealth into referral workflows, texting a Tap provider for advice or referring parents to use it instead of sending children home.
month 1
Utility Bill Inserts AND Mailers
To reach every household, Tap Telehealth inserts informational brochures in water bills and city mailings. When residents open their utility bill, they find a simple pamphlet: “Text to reach a doctor in under 60 seconds – Provided by Your City/County.” This ties the service to something tangible (their city utilities) and ensures even those who don’t use social media or have kids in school hear about it.
month 1-2
Local Businesses & Chamber of Commerce
Tap Telehealth engages the local Chamber of Commerce and small businesses to spread awareness.
Businesses receive posters and countertop flyers saying “We care about our community – Ask us about telehealth by text!”
Popular spots like grocery stores, diners, barbershops, and libraries display information. Chamber meetings and newsletters highlight the program as a new community benefit.
Small businesses are encouraged to tell their employees and customers.
month 1-3
Faith and Community Leaders
Trusted figures like pastors, church elders, and nonprofit leaders are brought into the fold early.
Tap Telehealth representatives (or the local champion, see below) visit ministerial alliance meetings and community groups to explain the service.
Pastors announce it from the pulpit during services and include reminders in church bulletins. Because churches are highly trusted in many communities, this endorsement is gold.
Beyond churches, outreach extends to civic clubs (Rotary, Lions, senior centers) and any local gathering places.
month 2-4
EmergencIES AND Local Media
Many communities use mass notification systems, text alert systems, or radio for important updates.
Tap Telehealth coordinates with the county/city to send out a one-time mass notification messaging (SMS or automated call) introducing the service.
Local newspapers and radio stations are given human-interest stories: for instance, a piece featuring a resident or paramedic talking about how Tap Telehealth helped avoid an unnecessary ambulance call. These media stories and PSAs reinforce that the service is official and newsworthy.
month 6 and beyond
Ongoing Engagement & Local Champion
In every community of ~40,000 or more, a local Tap Telehealth “champion” is hired – essentially a community liaison whose job is to promote the program indefinitely. This person is often a well-connected local resident.
They attend health fairs, school events, church picnics, county fairs – any gathering – setting up a booth or passing out info. They might host Q&A sessions at the library or record a segment on local public access TV.
Importantly, they continuously gather feedback, address concerns, and personalize outreach to sub-groups (for example, ensuring materials are bilingual for Spanish-speaking residents, or collaborating with the local migrant farmworker clinic, etc.).
The local champion approach means there is always a friendly face in town whose mission is to keep telehealth usage growing.
“Tap Telehealth is our most‑utilized municipal service—ahead of police, fire, and parks. Over 50 % of Ferris residents have used it at least once, and most multiple times.”