Rhoda Weiss

Rhoda Weiss

President
Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group, Inc.
Los Angeles, CA

Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D. is President of Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group Inc, a national consultancy based in Los Angeles. Pioneer and innovator in healthcare strategy, marketing, branding, communications, coalition building and advising executives and boards, during her career she has traveled over 6 million miles speaking and consulting to 700+ organizations in 49 states and globally.

A decade ago Rhoda formed and continues to chair AMA Executive Summit for CMOs from the nation’s 80 largest health systems meeting twice annually to share expertise, perspectives and insights. As the pandemic widened in March, she started twice weekly calls for the group to tackle challenges, find solutions, share hundreds of resources and hear from system CEOs. Also in March, learning of people delaying or going without critical care for other illnesses and injuries and fearful of facing a “silent epidemic” in a county of 10 million, Rhoda engaged Summit members from Los Angeles’ six largest, most competitive health systems to form BetterTogether.Health Each pivoted resources for a multimedia public service campaign encouraging people to put health first and access care when needed.

Rhoda also co-chairs Becker’s Healthcare Spring and Fall Conferences and is a U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force Chief of Staff National Civic Leader. Past leadership includes AHA Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) Founding Chair, PRSA National Chair & CEO, Women in Health Administration (WHA) Founder and President, AHA Society for Healthcare Marketing & Public Relations President and Healthcare Public Relations & Marketing Association President. Honors include PRSA Gold Anvil Lifetime Achievement Award, Health Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, Educators Academy Ferguson Award for Contributions to Education, PRSA-Los Angeles Professional of the Year, SHSMD Professional Excellence Inaugural Award, Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award—its highest civilian honor, UCLA Extension Distinguished Faculty Award, Legends in Public Relations honoree, 24 U.S. Women to Know in Healthcare, WHA Woman of the Year, among others.

A prolific writer, she was Marketing Health Services editor and columnist, Health Progress columnist; authored the book Managing Health Care Reform: Ideas for Leaders and has taught marketing, public relations and fund raising. Kellogg Foundation Fellow, National Security Forum Mentor, she’s been quoted extensively by national media in outlets like Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Crain’s Business, Modern Healthcare, Reuters, AP, Corporate Counsel, CFO, Washington Times, Baltimore Sun, Detroit Free Press, Inc, Reuters, HealthLeaders, Public Radio and more.

Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group’s client list is a who’s who of health systems, academic medical centers, hospitals, health plans, post-acute programs, medical groups and associations. Her dissertation and extensive database on healthcare provider name changes led to extensive work on rebranding and leading name change activities for many health organizations. Additionally, Rhoda has also led government initiatives, including public diplomacy programs for Congressional members partnering with the U.S. State Department and led workshops for FEMA, Homeland Security, other agencies and the military.

Her extensive board service includes UHA Health Insurance of Hawaii, Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communications Management, Donate Life America (organ/tissue donation), Easter Seals, Juvenile Justice Connection Project, U.S. Air Force Entertainment Industry Advisory Board, Santa Monica History Museum, St. Francis Hospice and as the Air Force Association (AFA) Communications Task Force Chair and AFA James Doolittle Vice President. Kellogg Foundation Fellow, she’s served on UCLA Extension boards for Transformational Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Strategic Planning, Healthcare Leadership, Marketing-Public Relations and Diversity, Inclusion and Access. Rhoda is also part of Detroit Homecoming expats dedicated to helping revitalize their beloved hometown.

She holds a BA in journalism from Michigan State University, where she was class valedictorian; MA in psychology; Ph.D. in Leadership and Change from Antioch University; and completed University of California, Berkeley Network for Healthcare Executives and University of Michigan Executive Leadership Institute. Accredited in public relations, she is a member of PRSA College of Fellows.

Rhoda has contributed her expertise to the articles listed below.

Industry Leaders Reflect on the Unique Challenges of 2021

Mark Klein, senior vice president, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs, Dignity Health

“For two years, marketing and communication professionals have faced the excruciating crisis of a pandemic nothing fully prepared us for,” says Rhoda Weiss, president of the Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group. “We’re changing how and from where we work, balancing dichotomies of layoffs and staff shortages, experiencing colleague and personal burnout, dealing with new and conflicting Read More

Looking Toward the Future by “Unscaling” Health Care

Jefferson Health

Things are changing when the CEO of a major health system comprising 14 hospitals — soon to be 18 — tosses around phrases like “health care at any address” and says things like, “We want to be the partner for those people who want to thrive without health care getting in the way.” The definition Read More

The Key That May Finally Unlock the Door to Health Care Transformation

Steve Klasko, MD, MBA, CEO of Jefferson Health and president of Thomas Jefferson University

View from the C-Suite: Stephen K. Klasko, MD, MBA, President, Thomas Jefferson University and CEO, Jefferson Health // By Jane Weber Brubaker // There are two words Steve Klasko uses a lot: “What if…?” Like other visionary health system leaders, he’s scaling up to meet the reality of health care today, while at the same Read More

Providence CEO Discusses Current Issues and Future Challenges for Health Care

Providence

Rod Hochman, MD, president and CEO of Providence, kicked off the Becker’s Healthcare 11th Annual Meeting Virtual Experience in May with a discussion of issues of greatest concern to health care leaders. The conversation between Hochman and Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., conference co-chair and president of Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group, provided insight into strategies employed by Read More

New Campaign Features Health Care Workers Encouraging Mask Use

The coronavirus continues its rampage throughout the country, sickening people, taking lives, devastating the economy, and overwhelming our health systems. Even if we are not sick, COVID-19 wears down our will to keep fighting until vaccines are widely available. That includes abiding by public health guidance: avoiding large group gatherings, social distancing, handwashing, and wearing Read More

Wearing Is Caring: Inspiring a National Movement to #MaskUp

#MaskUp

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // If marketing is about influencing people to change behaviors, then a new public service campaign launched just before the Thanksgiving holiday — #MaskUp — is marketing at its best. The coronavirus continues its rampage throughout the country as of this writing in early December, sickening people, taking lives, devastating Read More

Los Angeles Archrivals Team Up for the Greater Good

Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., president of Rhoda Weiss Consulting Group, and co-chair, Becker’s Healthcare 11th Annual Meeting Virtual Experience

Los Angeles is home to many world-class health care organizations, and they compete vigorously for the same patients. But even in a competitive market, joining together for the greater good may be the best way to get an important message across to the community. “It became apparent early on that people were not accessing health Read More