We all read about it and Illinois’ public health leaders lived the nightmare! When I began helping public health administrators and directors many years ago, Illinois was one of the early states that showed an open mind to improving their marketing. Many of their county health departments adopted our cross-selling programs.

It was a golden age of secure funding streams and lots of walk-in traffic. This was before grocery stores, Walmart’s and pharmacies started chipping away at their immunization clients and the Affordable Care Act forced a segment to buy health insurance.

Then came the what can only be described as a two-year nightmare of epic proportions that nobody could awake from! Illinois legislators took two years to pass a budget which resulted in lost funding, lost public health services and worse of all, the loss of many experienced and dedicated public health employees.   

Fast forward to fall 2017.

One day I received a call from the incoming president of the Illinois Association of Public Health Administrators who shared he was “tasked” with reading my book, “Selling Public Health – The no B.S. sales and marketing guide for local health departments struggling to stay relevant I today’s world of slashed budgets and epic competition.”

It seems that someone had picked up a copy of the book when it debuted at the annual NACCHO conference in Pittsburgh. They ultimately purchased a copy for every administrator in the association.

Over the years I have taught countless classes and given many seminars but I wanted to give Illinois something more as they clearly deserved not only a standing ovation (having come through the abyss), they also showed a hunger for the new thinking that will take them through and make them almost immune to the next budgetary swing of the pendulum. There were plenty of lightbulb moments when attendee’s realized how much lost opportunity was right under their noses, many they can address immediately without spending a penny.

72 motivated public health leaders and employees attended my day long Marketing Bootcamp. You get a sense from the front of the room when you look into the eyes of the audience. You can almost sense who is open minded and eager to learn and who is closed minded and skeptical. By the looks on their faces and their undivided attention it was clear that once again Illinois’ public health departments are making a comeback. There was a wide range in tenure as there were those that have served for over 20 years as well as the less experienced fresh out of school attendee.

The interaction and nodding heads tell of a dedicated group who are more focused and stronger than ever. The kind of strength and fortitude that comes from weathering the storm and not only surviving but thriving.

Bravo Illinois!