How to open minds

[Rick Wilkinson]

Hi, I recently (couple months) heard abot NILMDTS and it was placed on my heart. Since then I have trying to talk to the local hospitals. The support personel think it wonderful but somewhere up the chain it gets stopped. I've contacted Ronald McDonald House and a couple local groups trying to get help but so far that hasn't gone far either. The local Ronald McDonald House admin thought she might get permission back next week to try and help. Have also tried local pastors. I'm open for any suggestion. Thanks for any help......

[Kirk Kief]

Do you have the brochures, and a copy of one of the slideshows that you can show to these people. I feel that a lot of the time the resistance is in the hospital not recognizing that this is not some kind of an attempt for a photographer to try and promote their business, or, to try and capitalize on a family that is in a very vulnerable position. The brochures will lend a level of professionalism to your presentation, and, the slideshow will generally expedite the attempt.
Be sure, also, that the hospital understands that they are not the ones asking us to come in, it is actually the family that is calling you and asking you for your help. So, you are actually coming to their facility as a guest of the family.

[Rick Wilkinson]

Hi,I have really stressed it was for the family and it didn't cost a thing. Checked about brochures this morning. Slideshow would be a good too, need to check on that. Think it was the "wow that sounds great" that I recieved when talking to hospital personnel (admin) and they seem to think all that would be needed was the volunteer paperwork, then when checking back later the quiet was deafening. Soooo, time to take another approach. Having read in other posts about resistance I wasn't really surprised, guess it was all the positive response and then resistance that caught me by surprise.

[Sandra Rodgers]

Rick -

Good afternoon, hope this finds you well. We (co-area coordinators for ND) are going through the same thing. I just wanted to catch you up so you don't have to learn everything the hard way - which is how I learn just about everything. :cool:

In order to get a beautiful slideshow sample, Cheryl advised to download Maddux's from the organization's homepage. (Not the one that is used to host this forum - www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org (http://www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org)) Find the box with Maddux's slideshow info (half way down, right side) and right click, "save target as" and place it on your hard drive. Then you can make a copy to use as a sample. Also, I have found the recommended proshow gold program used to create slide shows very easy, affordable, etc. I saw on a post the other day that someone has negotiated a deal (save 20%) when you mention the NILMDTS use. Also, I'm finding this to be a great addition to my senior and wedding work also, should you not already use a similiar product/do that now. Also, to log on as a user to proshow on their website to view other's work that is posted/shared, is free and easy. Gotta like that!

When we've presented, the slideshow "sealed the deal" for us. I am hoping the reluctant hospitals will get the hint when the others have already started to offer the information to their patients.

The brochures are a great tool also - keep persuing that. To save a dime or two, we simply ran ours through our printer in the studio with the area coordinators info in the appropriate box. Then, as more photogs sign up, we can update accordingly.

One last note - I've found the department heads of OB-GYN and the NICU's to be most understanding. A little homework about who that is and a brochure to their attention (drop it off at the coorelating nurses desk/pod) and ask if they would be so kind as to make sure the correct person receives the info... You know how this works.

By the way, my client who lost her son, said that the best approach that she would recommend is the nurses themselves. There has been a thread about this - after business hours seems to work best, but not during Dr. rounds.

There is a great thread going about royalty free music to use in your presentations - the xandercreations.com release of "Moments" for NILMDTS use is beautiful and appropriate (as well as many others). A simple email to Alexander to request its use is all it takes (His email address is at the bottom of the home page.)

I wish you the best of luck in getting facilities on board. Yes, for some odd reason, we've found the chaplain staff the coolest. I don't know why, I think it's simply because they don't see what we can do.

All the best -

Sandra

[Sandra Rodgers]

Rick -

I forgot to mention one thing about your post -


"that would be needed was the volunteer paperwork"

It sounds like the hospitals think you are volunteering to work at their facility. Not so. Be careful, you'll be selling magazines at the gift shop! (They're very compelling when they call for help from their volunteers! My mother has been trying to say no for years!!!) It's important to stress that you are a volunteer for the NILMDTS org, and at the families request would provide your services and skills free of charge. Therefore, once at the hospital, you would be a guest of room # whatever. Hope this helps.

All the best -

Sandra

[Catherine Colgan]

As a bereaved parent, I attend a Loss Support Group at the hospital. There was some resistance to the idea of this service. My husband and I noted a few things...

First, the nurses don't "know" the people who are involved and are reluctant to "push" someone on a family during a "private" time.

Second, sort of an off-shoot of the first observation, the nurses have a sort of "protective instinct" about their patients and the photography of the children.

Third, the staff is completely uninformed about the service itself and that there is no cost involved.

My husband and I were talking and we think the best way to "get a foot in the door" is to make the personal contact. Make an appointment...don't just drop off materials to be read and digested. Talk to the people...let them get to know you...present material when you meet them to "sell" the service. And a BIG selling point is to explain to them the feelings of many of the bereaved parents out there...I WISH I had had this kind of service available to me when our son was stillborn. The three polaroids are nice...but they don't compare to the memories that this service can be created.

Hope that helps some.

[Jennifer Turner]

Hi All, we encountered many of these issues with the hospitals in Austin. One big help was being able to give a presentation to their "perinatal Loss Department", most hospitals have one. Also they usually have a grief support group to that may be of help. The PLD presentation allowed me to present the entire program to the headso f the departments, from the clergy to the nursing staff. The watched the slideshow and saw pictures..it was very very helpful. We still have "red tape" we are going thru as far as ditributing the brochures, but once they saw the images and the difference in the quality that the parents were receiving, they got on board much faster.

[Andrea Hillis]

Go directly to the nurses or a nurse director...introduce yourself, and what you are offering. Don't go to hospital officials, you may not get through them. I went directly to the nursing staff. We are fortunate, our hospital does everything they possibly can for bereaved parents, and welcomed NILMDTS with opened arms.

We actually had a lunch meeting on Monday with our affiliate photographers and caseworkers at the hospital. They designated parking for us and sent memo's to all of the nurse staff regarding a few minute details we worked out.

I read about these hospitals that are reluctant to let NILMDTS in...they should contact our caseworkers at Memorial. I'm sure they would be more than happy to talk with them.

A.

[Martin Comiskey]

Andrea,
You are correct in saying go to the nurses and floor supervisors. We started doing that instead of trying to go through the Hospitals officials. We just did a presentation yesterday for one of the local Hospitals and have an appt. to do another next Wens. with a hospital that tried to give us the bums rush the first time we went there. Now they called us and asked if we could come do the presentation. Hopefully more hospitals and photographers alike will want to take part in this wonderful organization.
Martin

[Lindzy Foster]

i just wanted to kind of reopen this thread as i accidently came across it and its so helpful as i am gathering my materials and things to go speak with my local hospitals about NILMDTS, Kaydence was born and passed in Omaha so we benefited from NILMDTS there but it is not offered right now in our hometown....i have my slideshow of Kaydence and an album with all her photos, im hoping i dont meet to much resistance, i've spoken with some members of hospice who run our support group and they gave me names of specific people to speak with to get a foot in the door so that should help! my local OB doc has also said he's interested in the services and one of our best friends mom is the head nurse in OB department at one hospital.....hopefully it will help that i am a bereaved parent coming in so they see firsthand how much it has helped Darin and I and that we arent trying to sell anything in any way...i have brochures also with my label, anything else anyone can contribute for advice would be great! Thanks!

[Denise Clark]

Lindzy,

Thanks for re-opening this thread. For anyone of our photographers that are actively pursuing meetings at the hospitals and such, please consider registering yourself as an Area Coordinator for particular hospitals and/or a geographical area. You are basically doing the work, so why not take advantage of the additional support. Becoming officially the Area Coordinator gives you access to a private area on this forum "The Watercooler", which addresses many of these issues of building networks of photographers and working with the hospitals. Area Coordinators are given the password to order brochures directly through Marathon.

If you are interested, please post your information at the following link:

http://www.nowisleep.com/showthread.php?t=724