Crafting messages tailored to a highly specialized audience, particularly within sectors like healthcare, can yield substantial benefits. When you speak directly to your target audience, you ensure your message reaches deeply engaged and influential industry decision-makers, showcasing your expertise and building trust. Thought leadership plays a pivotal role in this process, as individuals often rely on trusted publications within their field. For many healthcare professionals, the name “McKnight’s” is synonymous with post-acute care.
Meet Liza Berger, editor of McKnight’s Home Care, a publication covering in-home personal care, home health, hospice and palliative care. With a readership of 66,000 per month, including owners, executives, clinical directors and other key stakeholders, McKnight’s Home Care holds a strong place within the industry. Liza brings over two decades of journalism experience to the table, offering invaluable insights into the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. Join us as we explore Liza’s expertise and uncover the latest trends shaping the healthcare space!
Tell us about yourself.
I am editor of McKnight’s Home Care, a business-to-business media brand that provides news, information and content to owners, operators and other decision-makers in the home care field. Our brand considers “home care” to be an umbrella term for the segments of home health, personal care (or companionship care) and hospice.
What initially drew you to a career in healthcare journalism and, more importantly, what keeps you motivated to remain in the field?
Healthcare journalism is endlessly interesting and intellectually challenging. There is so much to learn and unpack when it comes to the business and policy of healthcare. You never know everything and are constantly surprised at how much more you know today than yesterday or last year.
What industry developments are capturing your attention?
I’m quite interested in the growth of value-based care and how that is transforming the field of home care. As part of this, the expansion of Medicare Advantage is dramatically affecting the landscape and changing the incentives of home care operators and how they perform to be part of risk-sharing relationships. I’m also following the development of personal care, which is largely funded by private pay and Medicaid, and how that is becoming a bigger piece of the home care pie. And I’m wondering how home health operators and the industry will weather continuous and painful Medicare cuts, which are related to the onset of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM), a home health payment model that took effect in 2020.
What makes a good story or pitch?
A pitch that directly affects my readership — home care owners, operators and other stakeholders — gets my attention, along with a clear and well-developed idea or storyline.
With so many AI and health tech companies in the healthcare space, what strategies can a company use to stand out amidst the chatter?
A company that offers a product that is somewhat unique and tailored to a particular editor’s audience will stand above the crowd. Also, if the company is able to show its results and how it is making a positive difference — particularly in a study or whitepaper — that could draw the attention of editors.
What makes someone an ideal source for stories?
A person who knows their area of expertise, is not afraid to talk, and has some personality or sense of humor makes for a great source.
What has been your favorite story you have covered over the past six months?
I really enjoyed covering the home health industry’s push against Medicare home health cuts last fall. In September, home health providers voiced their views and arguments against Medicare home health payment reductions before the Senate Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Health. Senators voiced their empathy with home health leaders at the hearing. Unfortunately, the hearing wasn’t enough to stop the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from including a cut in the home health final rule in November. Still, it was exciting to see advocacy in action and watch the momentum build in anticipation of the rule.
Are there specific topics or themes within the healthcare space that you haven’t covered that you would like to get more perspective on?
I’d like to learn more about the extent to which smaller home health companies are interacting and developing relationships with Medicare Advantage plans. And I’d like to know more about how family caregivers of older adults continue to be affected by the expiration of COVID-19 waivers and how states may be changing the rules to help family caregivers.
In your experience, are pitch follow-ups helpful? If so, when and what makes it helpful?
Yes, pitch follow-ups are helpful. More often than not, I may not see the initial pitch with the deluge of emails I receive daily. It does not bother me at all when a PR representative virtually taps me on the shoulder and says, hey, just wanted to let you know again about this development. I’d say two follow-ups would be the max, though. If I haven’t responded to the pitch by then, there’s a good chance I may not be interested.
What key advice would you offer to PR professionals looking to get their clients covered in McKnight’s?
McKnight’s Home Care is one of three McKnight’s brands so I’d suggest getting to know the three McKnight’s markets — home care, nursing homes and senior living — and then developing pitches that most serve the particular brand and audience. All of us McKnight’s editors like pitches that are really tailored to the issues that keep our respective owners and operators up at night.
Liza – Thank you for being our guest and sharing your seasoned insights!
Interested in learning how we can leverage our connections to help your brand tell smart stories? Reach out today!
