Challenges Facing A Medical Board Public Information Officer

Abstract

Media interest in the Arizona Medical Board can run hot or cold. When a physician is accused of doing something seriously wrong, or if the board is under fire for what it did or did not do, the phone rings. News department managers and editors feed on controversy because it engages audiences. At other times, they ignore the board. The challenges for a public information officer (PIO) at this or any other health care regulatory board fluctuate with the editorial temperature.