Protect our Land, Ascend with Us!

Ascension LLC seeks an experienced journalist and communications writer to tell the stories of medical innovation, patient care, military service, and staff achievement at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The writer develops accurate, engaging print and digital content that helps patients, families, staff, military leaders, and the public understand the medical center’s mission and accomplishments.

The ideal candidate combines strong reporting, sensitive interviewing, narrative writing, and editorial project management with experience in healthcare communications, military public affairs, or another regulated, high-visibility environment. This position is well suited to a self-directed professional who builds trust with diverse sources, translates complex medical information into understandable language, and manages multiple deadlines without compromising accuracy, privacy, or editorial judgment.

Summary of the Contractor Role

The writer manages stories from initial pitch through research, interviews, drafting, revisions, multimedia coordination, and submission for government approval. Work includes feature articles, news releases, patient and staff stories, research and clinical innovation coverage, leadership speeches and briefings, internal and external messaging, website content, social media copy, and communications reports.

The role supports a proactive news-gathering operation and coordinates with the Public Affairs Office, medical subject matter experts, the editor, designers, and video production staff. The writer anticipates information gaps, validates sources, resolves conflicting inputs, adapts to urgent priorities, and submits products to the PAO for review before release. The writer supports approved crisis messaging and media engagement while government officials retain release authority.

Core processes include Associated Press (AP) Style, editorial calendars, story planning, source verification, deadline tracking, document version control, patient privacy safeguards, and PAO review workflows. Practical tools may include Microsoft Word with Track Changes, spreadsheets or shared task trackers, collaboration tools, and government-approved website and social publishing systems. Specific software platforms are subject to the customer’s environment; the PWS does not prescribe these particular products for this role.

Expected Activities and Responsibilities

Develop and maintain an editorial calendar aligned with hospital priorities, command themes, publication schedules, and audience needs.

Generate and refine story pitches with the lead PAO, including the PWS target of two to three editorial ideas each month.

Research clinical advancements, medical research, patient experiences, staff accomplishments, and military medical initiatives using reliable sources.

Schedule and conduct sensitive interviews with patients, families, clinicians, researchers, military and civilian staff, and senior leaders; coordinate SME interviews through approved government channels.

Write balanced, well-sourced news releases, feature articles, special publication content, and long-form digital stories using AP Style, active sentences, clear leads, bridges, and transitions.

Verify names, ranks, titles, quotations, statistics, medical claims, and supporting sources with appropriate subject matter experts.

Protect patient information and coordinate applicable consent, authorization, and privacy review steps before including patient details in content.

Coordinate photographs, graphics, video, captions, and layout requirements to produce cohesive multimedia story packages.

Revise drafts in response to editorial, clinical, leadership, and PAO feedback and track versions through final approval.

Prepare speeches, briefings, talking points, and internal and external messages that consistently communicate approved themes.

Update approved website and social media content as required by mission priorities, including multiple daily updates when needed.

Compile weekly external communications reports and support the PWS expectation of an average of two communications reports per week.

Monitor media coverage and summarize campaign effectiveness, emerging concerns, and opportunities for additional coverage.

Assist visitors and callers, receive and route media queries, and coordinate or moderate approved press interviews and media visits.

Support press conferences, media briefings, community engagement activities, and distinguished visitor visits; the PWS anticipates an average of ten callers per day and four distinguished visitor visits per month.

Support leadership’s crisis communications planning and prepare timely draft content for government review during urgent events.

Meet daily, weekly, and ad hoc deadlines, maintain production records, and escalate approval delays or conflicting priorities promptly.