Public Hearings

Preparing the Community for Public Hearings

If a public hearing is held on a proposed conversion it is important that you mobilize the community to attend and generate media attention. It is critical that there be strong attendance to show the importance of this conversion and to provide the regulator with information that s/he may not know about the impacts this proposed transaction will have on the community. A large turnout can make a huge difference.

What You Can Do:

• Work with someone who is reviewing the transaction documents.
• Present the research you conducted in a compelling format, perhaps by using graphs and posters.
• Write your comments out and practice them several times so you are comfortable when you are providing your testimony.
• Take copies of your testimony to hand out to regulators and the media.
• Mobilize the community to attend, including medical staff, health officials, emergency medical technicians, and elected officials.
• If your coalition has t-shirts or pins, wear them to show community support for your position.