// By Wendy Stark Healy // Studies show that patients do better when they understand their health and treatments and can speak frankly with their health providers and caregivers. Patient advocacy groups encourage talking in plain language, using everyday words, and speaking in easily understandable terms. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act defines health Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // What message is your organization’s culture sending to your employees? If it doesn’t tell the people you employ that you value their input, you’re missing an important chance to get them more engaged in your day-to-day operations. You may also be losing out on a valuable differentiator in a Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // With a large and growing percentage of people turning to the internet to research their health care options, what your customers say about you publicly can be the deciding factor in whom new patients ultimately choose. This makes it essential to put customers at the center of your efforts Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // If your health system is in a geographic region experiencing rapid growth, it makes sense to capitalize on that trend and expand right along with the population. Hamilton County, a suburb of Indianapolis, is “growing by leaps and bounds,” according to Seth Warren, president and CEO of Riverview Health. Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // The term “transformation” conjures up a range of possibilities when applied to health care. It could mean technological innovation — new tools and solutions for providers and patients, or digital transformation. Is it the shift from volume to value? Or does it mean business process improvement and finding ways Read More
The answer to this question dictates success — and failure — in Norton Healthcare’s efforts. // By Lisa D. Ellis // When you take the time to develop compelling calls to action (CTAs) tied to measurable outcomes, you can effectively engage people you want to reach on a very personal level. This can be key Read More
// By Melanie Graham // The nation’s largest nonprofit health system, Ascension, has more than 153 hospitals in 22 states and 2,600 sites of care with 156,000 employees. It maintains health care services as well as a solutions division, which includes investment management, a ministry service center, and a venture capital fund. Despite its spread Read More
// By Wendy Stark Healy // One of the themes of this article is that brands evolve. We covered the Hackensack Meridian merger back in December 2016. The consolidated health system’s first-generation brand has now been replaced with a new brand, built on consumer research and a solid brand strategy. Two-and-a-half years after two large Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // The last time you went on vacation, you probably enjoyed five-star treatment from the staff at the hotels and restaurants you visited. But while customer service is paramount when it comes to dining and accommodations, most health care systems don’t think to treat their patients like valued guests. The Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // With a predicted shortage of physicians over the next several years, and increasing concern over physician burnout, a group of savvy thought leaders are focusing on improving physician satisfaction and engagement. Physicians are responsible for making most decisions related to patient care. Yet medical staff members often aren’t involved Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // In the testimonial-heavy world of hospital advertising, is there a fresh way of doing a testimonial campaign? How well can it perform for you? And what can you do to increase the impact of the advertising? Is there room in this world for yet another hospital Read More
Five Key Market Dynamics for Marketers to Manage // By Linda MacCracken // “In my ongoing conversations with industry leaders about what’s shifting in health care, five factors rose to the top of the list for 2019, as marketing moves to new dimensions, and closer to health system collaborative scaling of smart pilots.” In this Read More
// By Jane Weber Brubaker // At the 2018 SHSMD conference in Seattle, we sat down with Priya Bathija, vice president of AHA’s Value Initiative, and Brian Griffin, SHSMD’s senior editorial specialist, to learn about the program, its scope, and its goals. Launched in December 2017, the Value Initiative’s mission is to be a change Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Whether you’re a small organization with just a few marketing professionals or a large health system with an extensive marketing team — or perhaps you fall somewhere in between these two extremes — it’s worth taking the time to listen to your digital customers. The insights they provide can Read More
// By David Marlowe // In a recent SHSMD discussion board posting, one member raised the question: “Do you continue to market your specialists that are booked out for six weeks?” This posting highlights a challenge that has faced marketers in medical groups, hospitals, and health systems for many years — do we yield to Read More
// By Paul Wood // What if your hospital is suddenly the center of national media attention for all the wrong reasons? What if a catastrophic event occurs and you must respond immediately? Do you know what to do? Do you have a crisis communications plan in place? In this article, Paul Wood, vice president Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising In a hospital setting, changing employee routines and behaviors can save lives — but the change may call for altering the entire institutional culture. A memo to staff likely won’t work. What will? Signature Healthcare discovered some of the answers, involving an internal advertising campaign that began in 2015 and is Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Health care marketers have much to gain by getting up to speed on the concept of design thinking. This approach is becoming increasingly valuable in helping organizations effectively meet patients’ needs and address an array of challenges. With more people living longer and needing to manage chronic conditions, and Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // A growing number of people rely on their computers and smartphones to remotely do their shopping, pay their bills, and manage their bank accounts. Thanks to advances in telehealth offerings, many people also can access medical services they need from the convenience of their own homes. In fact, some Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // The latest marketing efforts at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts have a very important goal: to engage employees to do whatever it takes to provide the very best experience for patients. Tackling a Challenging Market While most health systems recognize the importance of internal engagement, Newton-Wellesley’s approach — which includes Read More
// By Althea Fung // At the 2018 SHSMD Connections conference in Seattle, SHSMD convened a series of presentations on value as part of its “Value Initiative.” What does value mean for health care organizations? How can they achieve it? One of the presenters, Jessica Farrar, director of strategic planning and decision support at Anne Read More
Is there a strong reason to create a hospital branding campaign that dispenses with emotional appeals to make a rational sales argument? How can you keep it visually surprising and compelling? And how can you show that you’re talking about a hospital without resorting to the visual clichés? Notable Health Care Advertising // By Read More
View from the C-Suite // By Sheryl S. Jackson // The branding and marketing communications strategies of hospitals and health systems have changed over the years as mergers with other organizations have occurred, and SCL Health is an excellent example of the evolution. Christine Woolsey began working with SCL Health — then known as Sisters Read More
// By Braden Russom // What drives consumers to look for alternatives to traditional medical care? And how can health care marketers respond? Here, Braden Russom, account planner at Smith & Jones, shares some of the factors contributing to changes in consumer behavior, particularly among millennials, and recommends proactive marketing strategies to stay relevant. 2019 Read More
// By Wendy Stark Healy // One less silo would be welcome news for any health care organization. More and more, marketing and PR are coming together with a common goal of advancing organizational objectives. In this article, we hear from three marketing and PR leaders who share their perspectives on how the landscape has Read More