Nurses, physicians, pharmacists, and other health professionals are among the most trusted voices in American society. Yet across a wide range of urgent health challenges—from healthcare access and reproductive rights to immigration and health, climate change, and other threats to population health—the lived experiences of clinicians and patients are often missing from public debate and policy decision-making.
Many of today’s most pressing health issues require collective action and policy solutions. Effectively communicating why these issues matter, who is affected, and what must be done requires more than data alone—it requires compelling, values-based storytelling that connects personal experience to shared purpose and urgent action.
This educational activity introduces participants to narrative leadership, grounded in the organizing framework developed by Marshall Ganz: story of self, story of us, and story of now. This approach equips health professionals to translate their frontline experiences into clear, ethical, and motivating narratives that resonate with the public, policymakers, and the media—especially in polarized or high-stakes environments.
Health professionals routinely witness how policy decisions shape patient outcomes, health system capacity, and community well-being. Learning how to communicate these realities through narrative practice can help elevate the health voice, strengthen public understanding, and build support for equitable, evidence-based solutions.
In this educational activity, Stanford University, People Power Health, and Climate Health Now will teach participants to:
Develop narrative leadership skills using the “story of self, us, and now” framework to connect personal clinical experience to shared values and urgent calls to action
Translate frontline health experiences into compelling narratives that illuminate the human stakes of complex health and policy issues
Strengthen the role of health professionals as trusted messengers in public discourse, media engagement, and policy advocacy across a range of health challenges
Apply narrative practice to advance collective action and policy solutions that promote health, equity, and community well-being