Dear David,

Happy summer! If you are looking to get some exercise, learn some local history, and see nature at its finest, I have a place to recommend: The Blackstone Heritage Corridor, which runs from Worcester to just north of Providence. As you will see in the story below, our team has been working to tell the story of this local gem.

Visiting the Corridor may be just the distraction you need in these turbulent times. Over these last several months, we have been working with many clients whose missions are challenged by major federal policy and funding changes. The impact here in Massachusetts is particularly widespread given that our “meds and eds” economy is built on our universities, academic medical centers, and life sciences industry, all of which have been impacted.

The regional housing crisis, which at its very core is a supply problem, has also not abated. Our housing developer clients have had to struggle with persistent inflation, rising supply costs, and interest rates that remain (because of that persistent inflation) several points higher than just a few years ago.

We are living in interesting times. It is an honor to help organizations that we serve chart their best path forward.

Massachusetts is well known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, as evidenced by the recent commemorations and reenactments for the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord. But go west a bit and you will find another place with a big chapter in our nation’s history book: the birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution.

This area surrounds the Blackstone River Valley in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a region where capital, ingenuity, energy, and skill converged to power America’s industrialization in the late 18th century. The original mills that made the transformation possible may have gone still, but many have been converted to new uses as the local economy evolved along with the nation’s. The valley itself has changed from a vital river and railway system for the transport of goods and now includes a multiuse rail trail that connects people through recreation.

The story of this region – the benefits of its historic, natural and recreational resources – is kept alive in large part by a nonprofit called the Blackstone Heritage Corridor. We have worked with the Corridor’s leadership over the last half-year to make more people across New England aware of this asset.

In January, the Boston Globe’s Travel section featured the Corridor’s greenway as a cross-country skiing destination, and in April the Globe’s “Rhode Trip” reported on the volunteer-led, historic trail hikes on both sides of the border. Volunteers are a key source of support for the nonprofit, as described in this Worcester Magazine feature. Most recently, Channel 5’s "Chronicle" featured the Corridor’s greenway in a “Back to Nature” segment.

Former lieutenant governor and current Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tim Murray joined veteran broadcaster Dan Rea on WBZ NewsRadio’s “Nightside with Dan Rea” to discuss the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s vote to approve a lottery-based admissions system for vocational technical schools. Representing the Worcester Chamber and the Massachusetts Vocational Technical Coalition, Murray addressed his concerns about the policy change and emphasized the state’s need to expand voc-tech capacity rather than lower the admissions standards. The Coalition also recently held a forum on the same topic, co-hosted by the Chamber and Pioneer Institute, which was featured in the Boston Herald, MassLive, and Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Dr. Patrick McEnaney, a surgeon at UMass Memorial Health-Milford Regional Medical Center, ran the Western States Endurance Run at the end of June in memory of his brothers, who both died by suicide. His efforts in the iconic ultramarathon were in support of Riverside Community Care and SOS Signs of Suicide, an evidence-based suicide-prevention program that the nonprofit has implemented in thousands of schools across the country. His story was featured on WHDH-TV Channel 7 News, Boston Herald, People Magazine, and the Sports Illustrated Adventure site.

The Outsourcing Facilities Association filed lawsuits against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last fall in response to the agency’s sudden removal of major GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes and obesity, tirzepatide and semaglutide, from its drug shortage list. The OFA was featured in a recent article published by CNN. “What I’m afraid of happening at the end of this week when the deadline hits is that patients and providers won’t have access to the medications they need, and they will be financially impacted as they move forward because of this,” said OFA Chairman Lee Rosebush.

Among many other health care organizations, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation is sounding the alarm about federal funding cuts to Medicaid, also known as MassHealth, included in the recently enacted tax bill. President and CEO Audrey Shelto penned an opinion piece for CommonWealth Beacon titled: “Tallying the crucial impact of Medicaid in Massachusetts." The Foundation also issued a press release for its report highlighting how the “provider tax” supports MassHealth, which was cited by the Boston Globe in a story about Medicaid budget cuts.

Housing Assistance has expanded Rent 365, a program it created to encourage property owners on Cape Cod to convert their rental homes from seasonal to year-round rentals as a way of easing the region’s housing crisis. As announced in a press release, the Hyannis-based nonprofit organization received a Cape & Islands license plate grant through the Barnstable County Commissioners to increase annual cash incentives provided to homeowners who rent year-round to local families.

The nonprofit HopeHealth President & CEO Diana Franchitto and her colleague, Dr. Jennifer Ritzau, joined the Public Health Out Loud podcast for an episode about the differences between palliative and hospice care and how they can have a major influence on quality of life in the case of serious illness.

VOAMASS issued its 2024 annual report, highlighting significant progress in transforming its approach to service delivery and expanding its reach, enabling the nonprofit to serve thousands of Massachusetts residents in need. Charles Gagnon, President and CEO, attributed the organization’s growth to the unwavering compassion of the VOAMASS team, the generosity of donors, and the strength of its partnerships.

Ken Bates, Open Sky Community Services President and CEO, authored a piece featured in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette outlining the detrimental effects of federal Medicaid cuts for the thousands of Worcester Country residents reliant on the program. Bates also commented on the mental health crisis in Central Massachusetts and offered solutions to support the health care system in a story by the Worcester Business Journal.

In a piece published by Becker’s Hospital Review, Emerson Health President & CEO Christine Schuster wrote about how community hospitals can incorporate emerging AI technology into their processes. She notes, “Our human touch must remain central – AI should enhance care, not replace it.”

Brockton Post Acute Care, which recently joined the Marquis Health Consulting Services family, hosted a “Senior Prom” for its long-term care residents and short-term rehabilitation patients. Photos of the special event – including the smiling prom “king” and queen” – were featured on The Enterprise newspaper’s website.

Efforts to improve the safety of drinking water from private wells in Massachusetts gained momentum with the filing of legislation to develop minimum statewide quality standards. The bill was recently heard by the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. A grassroots coalition led by RCAP Solutions and supported by The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts has been advocating for the legislation, which was reported on by the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Greenfield Recorder, WWLP and other local media outlets. Senator James B. Eldridge (D-Marlborough) and RCAP Solutions President & CEO Brian Scales also co-authored this guest column that recently appeared in the Worcester Telegram & Gazette.

Ball Consulting Takes Home the Gold

Ball Consulting Group was honored to receive a Gold Bell Ringer Award in the health care campaign division at the PR Club’s 57th annual event celebrating the outstanding work done in New England by public relations, communications and marketing professionals in the region.

The award recognized our results on behalf of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, as the campaign brought awareness to the clinical and public safety concerns that psychiatrists raised around the ballot question proposed last fall to legalize psychedelics in Massachusetts. The measure was defeated by a 13-point margin.

Ball Consulting Group also received a Gold Lamplighter Award from the New England Society for Healthcare Communications (NESHCo) for an op-ed placed in CommonWealth Beacon. The piece by Heywood Healthcare President and CEO Rozanna Penney describes the challenges facing local health systems and what it takes to preserve access to care amid financial pressures.



Ball Attends Global Boutique Agency

Leader Convening in Toronto

David Ball attended the Annual General Meeting of PR Boutiques International, held in April in Toronto, where a group of agency owners gathered to discuss the latest communications trends and new opportunities created by emerging technologies.

“The communications space, like just about every other industry, is rapidly evolving and AI is redefining the field,” Ball said. “Having the chance to process this with colleagues, share best practices, and exchange new ideas made for a great conference, and getting to discover the beautiful city of Toronto was a wonderful bonus.”

Ball Consulting Group has been a member of PRBI – a global association of independently-owned and founder-led boutique PR firms – since 2017. David Ball currently serves on the organization's board.

HELP FOR HOUSING

Ball Consulting Group has represented housing clients and worked on housing policy issues throughout its 21-year history. The firm created HousingLab to better coordinate the efforts of disparate but allied organizations into a singular voice that can enable the development of new housing, overcome the paralysis of NIMBYism, and counter rampant stealth disinformation campaigns that kill worthy projects all too often.

Building on our experience in housing development and policy, HousingLab is designed to advance the work of nonprofit and for-profit developers, the design profession, the building trades, and academic programs focused on housing creation and housing policy.