Children’s Hospitals

Navigating Executive Communications in a Politically Charged Health Care Landscape

Althea Fung

// By Althea Fung // Public trust in institutions is eroding, and health policy debates are increasingly polarized. Health care leaders face growing pressure to speak publicly on issues that blend medicine, politics, and public perception. For executive communications teams, the question is not whether to engage, but how and when to do so for maximum credibility.

AI vs. Human Insight: Who Wins in Creative Strategy Decisions?

Deb Pappas, Connecticut Children’s

// By Deb Pappas // Is AI ready to accurately predict creative strategy choices? To explore this question, Connecticut Children’s undertook a side-by-side test during the development of the next phase of creative for a brand campaign surrounding the December 2025 opening of a new patient tower. Read on to see how AI-generated research measured up.

Cincinnati Children’s Elevates Physician Engagement with Specialty Impact Reports

Amy Okin, manager, marketing and insights, Cincinnati Children’s

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.

Advertising Showcase: Deploying Research and Innovation to Enhance National Reputation and Physician Engagement

Cincinnati Children's logo

// 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.

Competing for Fewer Patients: How Pediatric Hospitals Adapt Amid U.S. Population Decline

Althea Fung

// By Althea Fung // U.S. birth rates just hit a record low, and pediatric hospitals are fighting for fewer patients. The ripple effects are felt across industries, but for pediatric hospitals, the demographic shift raises a pressing question: How do you compete for fewer children? Here are three trends that are shaping children’s hospital strategies.

What Parents Value Most in Pediatric Care—and How Providers Are Responding

Rob Klein, founder and CEO, Klein & Partners

Trustworthiness is the quality Americans value most, according to national consumer studies from Klein & Partners. During a Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar in May, Rob Klein presented results from the company’s latest National Consumer Insight Study. Here, we discuss some of the larger themes that emerged from the conversation.

Letting Kids Be Kids: CHAP Transforms Hospital Stays at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Rob Wedlake, Program Manager, OHSU Visitors and Volunteers

// By Susan Dubuque // The Children’s Healing Art Project has spent the past 19 years transforming pediatric playrooms and hospital rooms into vibrant, imaginative spaces where creativity can flourish. Read on for a clearer picture of the role of art in patient experience and actionable strategies for healthcare marketers to engage families and strengthen community ties.

How MUSC Health Uses Animal Therapy to Enhance Patient Experience

Cathy Bennett, Therapy Animal Program Coordinator, MUSC Health

Furry caregivers contribute to the health care experience by reducing anxiety, boosting spirits, and even improving medical outcomes. Today, it is common for hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers to incorporate animal-assisted interventions. Read on to learn more about how therapy animals can enrich the health care experience and improve outcomes.

Above and Beyond: Sharing Stories About Acts of Kindness from Staff

AdventHealth for Women logo

// By Melissa Sher // One of the most powerful ways to demonstrate compassionate care is by sharing stories that reveal the tangible heart behind your hospital’s work through acts of kindness and compassion. In honor of National Nurses Week, here are seven powerful stories about care teams that showed compassion for patients — and one another.

Paws and Patients: Therapy Animals Contribute to Comfort and Healing at MUSC Health

Annie Peters, President & CEO, Pet Partners

// By Susan Dubuque // Furry caregivers contribute to the health care experience by reducing anxiety, boosting spirits, and even improving medical outcomes. Today, it is common for hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers to incorporate animal-assisted interventions. Read on to learn more about how therapy animals can enrich the health care experience and improve outcomes.

How 12 Children’s Hospitals Are Expanding Mental Health Care to Meet Growing Demand

Boston Children’s Hospital logo

The United States is facing a national crisis in child and teen mental health. Children’s hospitals across the country are responding by building upon the care they already provide. Read on to explore 12 notable initiatives at children’s hospitals across the country working to tackle the growing challenges in adolescent mental health.

10 Feel-Good Valentine’s Day Stories from Children’s Hospitals

childrens-hospital-richmond-vcu-logo

Valentine’s Day stories offer a brief escape from doomscrolling and heavy headlines. For your health care organization, Valentine’s Day is an ideal opportunity to highlight the compassion of your staff and the important role your hospital plays in the community. Discover 10 ways that children’s hospitals around the country celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Feel the Love: Sharing a Sweet Side of Children’s Hospitals with the Media

Children's Memorial Hermann logo

// By Melissa Sher // Valentine’s Day stories offer a brief escape from doomscrolling and heavy headlines. For your health care organization, Valentine’s Day is an ideal opportunity to highlight the compassion of your staff and the important role your hospital plays in the community. Discover 10 ways that children’s hospitals around the country celebrate Valentine’s Day.

Children’s Hospitals Expand Care to Confront Adolescent Mental Health Crisis

Cincinnati Children's logo

// By Melissa Sher // The United States is facing a national crisis in child and teen mental health. Children’s hospitals across the country are responding by building upon the care they already provide. Read on to explore 12 notable initiatives at children’s hospitals across the country working to tackle the growing challenges in adolescent mental health.

Advertising Showcase: UNC Health Championship Campaign Drives Impact

Brian Krusoe, tournament director for the UNC Health Championship

// By Susan Dubuque // The UNC Health Championship golf tournament isn’t just about perfect swings and scenic fairways — it’s a game changer for health care across North Carolina. Discover how UNC Health’s omnichannel marketing campaign achieved and surpassed its goals through strategic thinking, innovative media tactics, and impactful creative executions.

Leveraging the Power of Tight-Knit Groups for Hospital Fundraising

Melissa Sher is CEO and cofounder of Kinser

// By Melissa Sher // Marketing expert Seth Godin has long championed the idea that small, passionate communities — what he calls tribes — are a powerful force that can drive marketing and business success through their collective energy. Learn about fundraisers run by dedicated, passionate communities that came together to make a big difference at children’s hospitals.

Soles That Raised $40 Million for OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Melissa Sher is CEO and cofounder of Kinser

// By Melissa Sher // The Nike Doernbecher Freestyle Program was born during a conversation between a father and his son over dinner. What if patients could design their own shoes and Nike would make and auction them? Discover how this idea grew into a life-changing program that has raised millions in funds for the children’s hospital.

Advertising Showcase: UChicago Medicine Comer Children’s Hospital Brand Campaign

Comer Children's logo

// By Susan Dubuque // When the marketing team set out to make Comer Children’s a household name, it had a not-so-secret weapon to tap into: the powerhouse brand of the University of Chicago Medicine. Find out how an engaging new campaign helps position Comer Children’s as a nationally recognized brand, generating remarkable results in record time.