In an era of hospital consolidations, heightened regulatory scrutiny, culture wars, and public distrust of large institutions, even well-intentioned board members can become strategic liabilities. A tweet, an unsanctioned public comment, or even silence during a crisis can quickly spiral into reputational risk—not just for the board member, but for the entire organization.
While most health system boards are made up of experienced professionals, their public and political actions don’t always align with organizational messaging. That’s why it’s critical to ensure your board is aligned, trained, and prepared to act as ambassadors—not outliers.
“The fastest way to erode trust in a healthcare system is when the public hears two different messages: one from the CEO and another from a board member on social media,” says Mandy Arnold, GAVIN’s Senior Vice President of Strategy. “It’s not malice—it’s a training gap.”
The High-Stakes Role of Board Advocacy
Board members represent the mission, values, and long-term vision of the health system. But when the political landscape is charged—as it is now with healthcare regulations, gender care, reproductive health, and programming under fire—advocacy must be approached with strategy, not assumption.
In our work with healthcare organizations across the country, we’ve identified several recurring blind spots that board members fall into—often without realizing the risks they pose.
The Top 5 Advocacy Blind Spots That Can Trip Up Boards
1. Personal Political Advocacy Masquerading as Organizational Endorsement
Board members often have strong personal opinions—but when they publicly comment on healthcare-related legislation without clarifying they are speaking as individuals, the public and media assume they speak on behalf of the system.
“We’ve had to field media calls when a board member commented on public health policies from their personal social accounts,” shares Amanda Peterson Martin, Senior Advisor, GAVIN Crisis & Risk Communications. “We had to jump in quickly to affirm roles and take a course correction that could’ve been avoided with pre-emptive training.”
2. Lack of Clarity on Crisis Roles
During high-stakes issues—like a ransomware attack, a medical error, or controversial hiring decisions—board members sometimes speak to stakeholders, donors or even the media before aligning with leadership.
Solution: Develop a board-specific version of your crisis communications plan with clear protocols: who speaks, when, and how. Even if it’s, send all inquiries to your Chief of Staff or head of comms, you still want to prep your board members on how to manage the redirection conversation itself.
3. Overstepping Into Operational Messaging
Board members may be tempted to comment on day-to-day operations, particularly on hot-button topics like workforce mandates, employee programs, or union negotiations. Keeping your board informed of potential issues under fire or that may trigger media inquiries helps to prepare them on how to navigate an inquiry or even a comment from a community influencer.
Why it matters: These comments can undermine leadership, signal internal discord, and confuse employees and the public.
4. Not Using Their Voices When It Matters
Silence from the board can be just as damaging as misstatements—particularly when a system is under attack from political groups, misinformation, market confusion or media narratives.
Fix: Train board members on how and when to engage and equip them with advocacy messaging that aligns with your system’s values. Conduct these on an ongoing basis, keeping it simple and accessible. And always have a public relations advisor on call to support them if needed.
5. Lack of Understanding of Social Media Risk
Most health systems lack a clear social media policy for board members. An offhand repost or sarcastic comment can go viral—and suddenly the organization is forced to take a position. Review your board training programs to ensure such call outs are made and affirmed in their understanding. Provide a resource and reminders ongoing.
How to Train and Empower Your Board for Effective Advocacy
At GAVIN, we’ve helped dozens of health systems avoid or recover from board-level missteps. Based on that experience, here’s our framework for proactive board advocacy training:
1. Conduct a Board Comms Audit
Assess how board members currently represent the organization online and in public forums. Identify risks before they escalate.
2. Launch an Annual Advocacy Briefing
Hold a yearly board retreat or webinar focused on timely issues and how the organization is planning to address the issues, and what their role should be in the plan:
- Regulatory updates and communication priorities
- Political landscape awareness
- Role-specific advocacy strategies
- Community misinformation or issues of trust
3. Provide “In the Moment” Talking Points
Equip board members with regularly updated talking points aligned with current organizational initiatives, legislation, or crises, and store them easily in a central location on your board portal.
4. Include Board Scenarios in Crisis Simulations
Most crisis drills exclude the board. Bring them in. Run mock media inquiries, internal backlash scenarios, and public meetings so they know their role.
5. Formalize a Board Social Media Policy
Define do’s and don’ts, disclosure requirements, and approval protocols for digital engagement.
“When we align board members as strategic communicators—not just fiduciaries—we unlock one of the most powerful assets in brand trust,” says Amanda Peterson Martin, Director of Public Relations at GAVIN. “But it takes intentionality.”
Final Thoughts: Your Board Is Either a Risk or a Resource
In today’s polarized landscape, boards can no longer afford to be passive stakeholders. They are your system’s public face, policy advocates, and crisis amplifiers—for better or worse.
Investing in board communication training isn’t just risk mitigation—it’s strategy activation.
Get started today, we can help. Contact us now for an introduction.
