Susan DubuqueContributing Editor
Plain-English Health Care
Richmond, VA
(866) 641-4548
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Susan Dubuque, a strategist and writer specializing in health care and behavior change, was a cofounder and principal of Two Tango (formerly NDP Agency). She literally wrote the book on marketing’s role in health improvement, Gearing Up for Population Health: Marketing for Change, published by the SHSMD of the American Hospital Association. She is an adjunct instructor at VCU’s School of Health Professions. Susan serves on the editorial advisory board of Strategic Health Care Marketing and is co-chair of the 2024 eHealthcare Leadership Awards.
Susan has contributed her expertise to the articles listed below.
As health care organizations race to personalize digital experiences, UCLA Health takes a deliberate stance: Privacy isn’t a constraint on engagement; it’s the foundation of trust that enables meaningful connections. Discover how UCLA Health embeds privacy into its digital strategy to strengthen trust, improve continuity of care, and support long-term patient relationships.
// By Susan Dubuque // The Virginia Mental Health Access Program (VMAP) helps build primary care capacity from within. Working directly with hospitals and health systems, VMAP expands access to pediatric and maternal mental health care, supports providers with training and guidance, and tackles one of the state’s most pressing workforce challenges.
// By Susan Dubuque // In many organizations, marketing still operates downstream, pushed into a reactive role long after strategic decisions have been made. This series examines executive partnerships by reverse-engineering them. We begin with Tanner Health, a community health system in rural Georgia, where collaboration, candor, direct executive access, and shared metrics shape marketing performance.
// By Susan Dubuque // Hospice care remains one of the most misunderstood services in health care. Despite strong clinical outcomes, many patients delay hospice services until the final days of life. See how Gilchrist uses authentic storytelling and documentary-style videos to reposition hospice as a way to live every remaining day to its fullest.
At the University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), leaders are focused on strengthening what matters most: supporting nurses, building trust, and creating a place where people want to stay and grow. Learn more about UTMC’s approach, results achieved, and tactics you can adopt to strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts.
// By Susan Dubuque // As health care organizations race to personalize digital experiences, UCLA Health takes a deliberate stance: Privacy isn’t a constraint on engagement; it’s the foundation of trust that enables meaningful connections. Discover how UCLA Health embeds privacy into its digital strategy to strengthen trust, improve continuity of care, and support long-term patient relationships.
// By Susan Dubuque // For more than a decade, Orlando Health has been quietly perfecting a weekly video news show that keeps tens of thousands of employees informed, engaged, and genuinely connected, one 3-minute episode at a time. Discover how Orlando Health uses its news show to inform and bring together team members.
// By Susan Dubuque // At the University of Toledo Medical Center (UTMC), leaders are focused on strengthening what matters most: supporting nurses, building trust, and creating a place where people want to stay and grow. Learn more about UTMC’s approach, results achieved, and tactics you can adopt to strengthen your recruitment and retention efforts.
// By Susan Dubuque // Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU and Children’s Hospital Foundation share a marketing and fundraising story shaped by grit, creativity, and a deep sense of community ownership. See what came next: a coordinated effort between philanthropy and marketing and the ad campaign that brought their shared story to life.
Marketing leaders from Renown Health and The Christ Hospital Health Network share how their award-winning recruitment and retention strategies helped address workforce shortages. Read on to discover how authentic messaging and targeted outreach can strengthen both recruitment and retention.
// By Susan Dubuque // A recent decision by the U.S. Department of Education to classify nursing and other health positions as “non-professional” has raised concern across the health care community. Find out how health care leaders are responding to this decision and how marketers can help safeguard future talent pipelines.
// By Susan Dubuque // Across a global network of medical centers, The Michael J. Fox Foundation leads a research initiative reshaping how we study, detect, and hope to stop Parkinson’s disease. Discover how a thoughtful marketing strategy helped build the study that’s changing what we know about Parkinson’s.
In an era of shrinking reimbursements and rising costs, philanthropy has become an essential lifeline for hospitals and health systems, with donors contributing more than $20 billion to U.S. hospitals each year. Discover how philanthropy mobilizes communities and provides millions of dollars in essential funding for cancer research and patient care.
// By Susan Dubuque // Few things connect more directly to human emotion than sound. In marketing, that connection is powerful: Audio cues can reinforce brand recognition up to 96 percent faster than visuals alone. Discover how Northwell’s sonic brand amplifies emotion, strengthens trust, and helps the organization break through the clutter in a fiercely competitive marketplace.
By transforming annual specialty updates into dynamic digital impact reports, Cincinnati Children’s builds awareness, strengthens its national reputation, and fosters connections across the physician community. Read on to explore the making of Cincinnati Children’s Accomplishment Reports and the lessons they offer for organizations looking to boost physician engagement.
Banner Health is charting a bold new course. The system needed a brand platform that could keep pace. Read the full article to learn how Banner Health transformed its name into a powerful brand asset, plus insights for shaping your own brand story.
// By Susan Dubuque // UCSF Health brings empathy and clarity to bariatric surgery marketing, helping patients see that this transformative care is within their reach. Discover how UCSF Health’s award-winning campaign built trust, educated the community, and achieved measurable impact.
// By Susan Dubuque // Winners of the 2025 eHealthcare Leadership Awards were announced on November 9 at an awards presentation held during the Healthcare Internet Conference. More than 270 organizations were recognized for their outstanding work. Winners of Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Distinction awards represent 18 industry classifications, from hospitals and health systems to pharmaceutical firms.
// By Susan Dubuque // In an era of shrinking reimbursements and rising costs, philanthropy has become an essential lifeline for hospitals and health systems, with donors contributing more than $20 billion to U.S. hospitals each year. Discover how philanthropy mobilizes communities and provides millions of dollars in essential funding for cancer research and patient care.
As consumer expectations rise and attention spans shrink, traditional messaging about excellence and empathy is no longer enough. Today’s audiences are tuning out institutional voices and tuning in to brands that feel authentic, emotionally relevant, and boldly human. Here, industry leader Stephanie Wierwille offers insights into creating a compelling brand story.
Community Health Centers are bracing for major Medicaid cuts. Community Health Centers, including Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), have been the backbone of health care access since 1965. Hospitals and health systems have a vested interest in supporting their sustainability. Read on to see how health systems benefit by partnering with FQHCs.
// By Susan Dubuque // By transforming annual specialty updates into dynamic digital impact reports, Cincinnati Children’s builds awareness, strengthens its national reputation, and fosters connections across the physician community. Read on to explore the making of Cincinnati Children’s Accomplishment Reports and the lessons they offer for organizations looking to boost physician engagement.
Onvida Health reinvented itself with a renewed purpose and values — and then wrapped the package with a new name, brand identity, and smart positioning. Learn how Onvida Health introduced its brand internally and externally, launched a multichannel campaign, and created a platform for long-term connection and growth.
// By Susan Dubuque // Industry expert Shannon Curran offers insights on why authenticity is no longer optional. In today’s competitive hiring market, health care organizations must align their brands and culture to attract — and keep — the right talent. Discover five tips on how to create recruitment and retention campaigns that truly connect — and keep talent engaged.
// By Susan Dubuque // Marketing leaders from Renown Health and The Christ Hospital Health Network share how their award-winning recruitment and retention strategies helped address workforce shortages. Read on to discover how authentic messaging and targeted outreach can strengthen both recruitment and retention.