Brand Differentiation for Health Systems: How to Stand Out in a Crowded Market and Drive Business Results

Gain control of the health care cost narrative, combat the tsunami of negativity, communicate the value your organization provides, and protect your brand.

A new Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar for healthcare marketers and strategists

Presented on August 9, 2023

Your Presenters:

• Amy Comeau, Vice President, Marketing, Emory Healthcare
• Shannon Curran, President, SPM Marketing & Communications

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Digital Wayfinding and Visual Communication Enhance the Patient Experience and Save Money

Health care facilities estimate losing $200,000 per year due to scheduling conflicts directly caused by patient navigation challenges. // By Clay Anderson // First impressions are crucial. Those early moments can make or break a positive experience, especially when seeking to build long-lasting relationships with new patients and customers. Even before an appointment begins, new Read More

Focus on Physician Relations: Strategic Insights on Today’s Physician Relations Landscape

In this exclusive report from Strategic Health Care Marketing, we take a closer look at today’s physician relations landscape to find out what it takes to succeed and what industry leaders are doing to maximize their results.

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Bringing a Disruptive — but Incremental — Mindset to Improving Patient Experience

Improving patient experience is an ongoing challenge for health systems. Leadership buy-in and actionable data are essential to driving meaningful change. // By Ron Shinkman // When Matt Gove entered health care marketing, first with Grady Health and then Piedmont Health in Atlanta, he considered it “the ultimate consumer business because everyone has to interact Read More

Is Nonprofit Status Still an Advantage for Hospitals? 3 Experts Weigh In

One of the oldest and truest axioms in consumer advertising is that the most successful and persuasive messaging finds a way to turn a feature into a benefit. Nowhere is this on greater display than in health care, and smart public relations professionals have known this for years. The fact that your hospital operates a Read More

Hospitals Step Up Efforts to Curb Workplace Violence: What You Need to Know

U.S. hospitals are seeing a dramatic rise in workplace violence. While some organizations are taking active steps to address the issue — including developing internal and external campaigns — more is needed: Only 43 percent of workers believe their organization’s policies against workplace violence are effective. In most hospitals today, electronic medical records and patient Read More

What Does It Even Mean to Be a “Nonprofit” Hospital Anymore?

While traditional wisdom once held that nonprofit hospitals maintain a firm advantage over for-profit hospitals, the tides seem to be turning. // By Ross K. Goldberg // One of the oldest and truest axioms in consumer advertising is that the most successful and persuasive messaging finds a way to turn a feature into a benefit. Read More

How to Navigate Today’s Fragmented Health Care Media Landscape

Today’s health care media landscape is drastically different from the era of print magazine ads and TV spots. It is now characterized by a fragmented array of channels and diverse media formats, which has made media planning more complex than ever. Do you recall what media buys looked like five, 10, or even 20 years Read More

Measures to Curb Workforce Violence Ramp Up in Hospitals Across America

U.S. hospitals are seeing a dramatic rise in workplace violence. While some organizations are taking active steps to address the issue — including developing internal and external campaigns — more is needed: Only 43 percent of workers believe their organization’s policies against workplace violence are effective. // By John Marzano // In most hospitals today, Read More

Empathy in the C-suite: The Role of the CXO in Patient-Centric Healthcare

As hospital systems have merged and grown over the years, so have the number of executives occupying their C-suites. The chief information officer (CIO) was a creation of the 1990s, as hospitals began relying on electronic medical records. A more recent admittee to the C-suite is the CXO, or chief experience officer. So, what is Read More

Meeting the Right People at the Right Time in a Fragmented Media Universe

Today’s media landscape is a far cry from the days of print magazine ads and TV spots. It’s fragmented across countless channels and media formats, making media planning more complex than ever. We sat down with Kara Rozek, VP, media at SPM Marketing & Communications, to learn how health care marketers can adapt to today’s Read More

Improving Health Equity: A Framework for Sustainable Change

Getting access to care has been difficult in many parts of the country for years. Even in densely populated urban areas, a shortage of physicians and clinicians often made setting appointments for primary and specialty care a frustrating experience. And then 2020 hit. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the staffing shortage and further restricted access. Today, Read More

What The Chief Experience Officer Brings to Hospital Systems

While some are clinicians, many come from marketing/communications backgrounds. // By Ron Shinkman // As hospital systems have merged and grown over the years, so have the number of executives occupying their C-suites. The chief information officer (CIO) was a creation of the 1990s, as hospitals began relying on electronic medical records. A more recent Read More

Cleveland Clinic Reshapes Patient Access Through Process Improvement

Continuous improvement of patient access is an enterprise-wide initiative, deeply embedded in and supported by the culture, and now reflected in every patient touchpoint, beginning with how patients start looking for care. Providing start-to-finish patient care — whether it’s scheduling a patient’s appointment with the right provider, providing directions to the care facility, or determining Read More

Health Care “Sherpas” Guide Patients Through Complex Care at Cleveland Clinic

Continuous improvement of patient access is an enterprise-wide initiative, deeply embedded in and supported by the culture, and now reflected in every patient touchpoint, beginning with how patients start looking for care. // By Cheryl L. Serra // Providing start-to-finish patient care — whether it’s scheduling a patient’s appointment with the right provider, providing directions Read More

Hospital Billing Overhaul: Northern Light Health’s Reputation Rescue

Hospital billing practices have a direct and significant impact on a health care system’s brand reputation. Take this first-hand account shared by Suzanne Spruce and Vince Galloro in a new article: “In August 2022, the Portland Press Herald — the paper with the highest circulation in the state of Maine — published a long article Read More

How to Manage the Reputation Risks of Hospital Billing

Focus on what you can control and create patient-friendly bill pay web pages with clear financial assistance information. // By Suzanne R. Spruce and Vince Galloro // In August 2022, the Portland Press Herald — the paper with the highest circulation in the state of Maine — published a long article on unexpected medical bills. Read More

Healthcare Equality Index: How Does Your Health System Measure Up?

The Healthcare Equality Index defines industry best practices for LGBTQ inclusion and recognizes progress achieved by health care organizations to reach their health equity goals. How does your health system measure up? Health care is a necessity. But not everyone has equal access to medical services, which can negatively impact a person’s long-term health outcomes. Read More

Health Equity and Access: Addressing a Challenge That Too Many People Don’t See

Providence commits significant financial resources and maps out specific actions to address health inequities. // By Alan Shoebridge // Getting access to care has been difficult in many parts of the country for years. Even in densely populated urban areas, a shortage of physicians and clinicians often made setting appointments for primary and specialty care Read More

A New Approach to Growing Patient Volume

// Sponsored Post //

Whether it’s a brand refresh or brand overhaul, having the right strategic focus can make or break your ability to rise above the competition, align audiences (internal and external), and connect more meaningfully with the communities you serve.

Download this case study and discover how UT Health San Antonio successfully launched a brand image campaign – that drove 9% growth in overall patient volume year over year.

Learn how UT Health San Antonio:

1. Overcame brand confusion and established a unique market position of excellence in the region.
2. Shifted the perception of patient care by capturing the passion behind UT Health San Antonio providers’ work.
3. Developed an omnichannel plan to allow for authentic, human connections and increasingly sticky engagements.
4. Improved the digital consumer experience, leveraging technology as a catalyst for change.

Get the guidance and confidence you need to lead a powerful brand initiative for your organization.

Download now »

Expand Your Virtual Care Options to Improve Access and Attract New Patients

There are many ways to expand health care access through virtual care. When CHRISTUS Health launched its “On Demand Care” urgent care service in May 2022, some clinicians were concerned about visit erosion from the primary care provider patient base. That didn’t happen. “Our primary care physicians who were initially skeptical, as you can imagine, Read More

Virtual Care Stays True to the Brand at CHRISTUS Health

There are many options for expanding access through virtual care. CHRISTUS Health’s thoughtful approach is guided by its mission, and its recognized brand attracts new patients. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // When CHRISTUS Health launched its “On Demand Care” urgent care service in May 2022, some clinicians were concerned about visit erosion from the Read More

Successful Online Scheduling in 5 Steps

// Sponsored Post //

Today’s healthcare organizations are not only challenged with staffing shortages and budget cuts, but also rising consumer demands that make it more important than ever to implement new solutions that both increase organizational efficiencies as well as digital innovation. Online scheduling is no longer a “nice to have,” but instead an essential investment for organizations to meet the needs of patients, providers, and staff alike.

To launch a successful online scheduling program, organizations can follow these 5 steps:

1. Establish a single source of truth for provider, service, and location data.
2. Engage cross-functional stakeholders across your organization.
3. Create a standardized, repeatable launch plan.
4. Broaden booking options across specialties, appointment types, and services.
5. Optimize and expand upon self-service capabilities.

For more in-depth detail on best practices for launching online scheduling — plus a vendor evaluation checklist — download the full guide.

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Acute Care Telehealth: A Lifeline for Struggling Hospitals?

Acute care telehealth expands access to care by connecting community hospitals with specialized experts, which helps to close gaps in knowledge and keep care local. When patients in a rural community get sick and need access to intensive care or specialized care, the typical small community hospital — if there is one — doesn’t have Read More

Expanding Access to Health Care in the Face of Provider Shortages

By using technology and expanding the care team, Renown Health is increasing capacity and giving patients more ways to access health care. // By Cheryl L. Serra // Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada is a 650-bed facility and the region’s only Level II Trauma Center. Renown serves over a million people across 100,000 Read More