Governance Models That Work: How 3 Leading Health Systems Align Marketing with Strategic Goals

Without a unified governance framework to guide marketing, organizations risk sending mixed messages, squandering resources, and failing to engage patients and employees and fulfill the organizational mission. Explore how three health systems use tailored governance models to align marketing efforts with strategic goals, ensuring consistent brand messaging and effective return on investments.

Unified Marketing Governance: Lessons from Leading Health Systems

// By Marcos Irigaray // Without a unified governance framework to guide marketing, organizations risk sending mixed messages, squandering resources, and failing to engage patients and employees and fulfill the organizational mission. Explore how three health systems use tailored governance models to align marketing efforts with strategic goals, ensuring consistent brand messaging and effective return on investments.

Strategic Growth Planning in the Age of Advanced Data Analytics

Data analytics is more important than ever, given industry pressures tightening health system budgets. Fortunately, expanding data resources provide planners with additional analytical tools they need to identify and capitalize on the most promising strategic growth opportunities. Discover how planners can leverage these information sources to develop effective growth plans.

Centralized Governance Enhances Digital Strategy at UCI Health and Stanford Health Care

Alignment is hard to come by in complex organizations like hospitals and health systems. But progress is possible when stakeholders come together and make decisions collaboratively. Find out how governance groups function in two organizations, how they work through conflicts and set priorities, and improve conversions.

Leveraging Data Analytics to Drive Strategic Growth

// By Brian Griffin // Data analytics is more important than ever, given industry pressures tightening health system budgets. Fortunately, expanding data resources provide planners with additional analytical tools they need to identify and capitalize on the most promising strategic growth opportunities. Discover how planners can leverage these information sources to develop effective growth plans.

Advancing a Unified, Centralized Strategic Approach to Patient-Centered Communication at UCI Health and Stanford Health Care

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Alignment is hard to come by in complex organizations like hospitals and health systems. But progress is possible when stakeholders come together and make decisions collaboratively. Find out how governance groups function in two organizations, how they work through conflicts and set priorities, and improve conversions.

Focus on Public Relations: How to Protect Your Health System’s Image, Build Trust, and Navigate the Complexities of Public Opinion

In this new report from Strategic Health Care Marketing, you’ll get critical insights on the current PR landscape in health care. Through case studies and expert insights, you’ll discover what health care organizations around the country are doing to step up their PR efforts and protect their brands.

Download now »

Strategies to Turn Your Health System’s Executives Into Effective Thought Leaders

Among the most important currencies in health care is trust. Meanwhile, trust in leadership today is at an all-time low. According to PwC’s 2022 Consumer Intelligence Series on Trust, 87 percent of executives think customers highly trust their companies. In reality, it’s roughly 30 percent. That makes thought leadership from hospital executives a key method Read More

Transform Even Reluctant Speakers Into Stars: Proven Strategies and Tactics to Use with Hospital Leaders

How UNC Health’s communications team prepares hospital executives for thought leadership. // By Wendy Margolin // Among the most important currencies in health care is trust. Meanwhile, trust in leadership today is at an all-time low. According to PwC’s 2022 Consumer Intelligence Series on Trust, 87 percent of executives think customers highly trust their companies. Read More

Beyond the Headlines: Health System Leaders Share Their Crisis Communication Strategies

Health systems rely on their communications teams to keep all stakeholders informed during a crisis and help to bring healing to the community in the aftermath, through empathetic messaging. At SHSMD Connections in September, three health system communications leaders shared their experiences following a crisis in their respective communities. “Sometimes the strength of the people Read More

Lessons from a Crisis: When You’re in the Eye of the Storm

You don’t know what you don’t know until you’re faced with leading your organization through a crisis. Here are three stories from leaders whose best advice is to expect that, sooner or later, a crisis will come. It’s not if – it’s when. // By Susan Dubuque // Health systems rely on their communications teams Read More

The Critical Importance of Transparency in an Age of Misinformation

How University of Utah Health intentionally becomes the voice of authority for internal and external audiences. // By Wendy Margolin // In March 2020 Paul Gadd, director of internal communications at University of Utah Health, answered a call from the emergency management director. Senior leadership decided to set up BLU-MED tents — emergency management tents Read More

How Marketing and PR Collaboration Can Help Address Staffing Shortages

According to a recent report in Becker’s Health IT, health care marketing budgets have declined by 8 percent over the past year — down markedly from 2019 when budgets peaked. Marketing leaders also indicate that they are experiencing increased pressure to quantify results and demonstrate a return on investment. Aligning marketing and public relations efforts Read More

Geisinger Unifies Efforts to Establish a New Brand Platform

In the aftermath of COVID-19, hospitals and health systems are pressured to do more with less. The 2023 Healthcare Marketers Trend Report reveals that marketing and advertising budgets have shrunk by 8 percent. At the same time, marketing departments are being asked to produce measurable results and contribute to business objectives. One strategy to make Read More

Renown’s Integrated Marketing and Communications Strategy Enhances Impact and Effectiveness

The chief marketing and customer officer for Renown Health shares how collaboration between marketing and PR enhances effectiveness and improves efficiency. // By Susan Dubuque // According to a recent report in Becker’s Health IT, health care marketing budgets have declined by 8 percent over the past year — down markedly from 2019 when budgets Read More

Geisinger Maximizes Budgets by Aligning PR and Marketing

The chief marketing and communications officer for Geisinger shares how collaboration between marketing and public relations enhances effectiveness and efficiency. // By Susan Dubuque // In the aftermath of COVID-19, hospitals and health systems are pressured to do more with less. The 2023 Healthcare Marketers Trend Report reveals that marketing and advertising budgets have shrunk 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

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

Advancing Racial Justice and Health Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (HEDI) in Times of Turmoil

// By Brian Griffin // Two tragic events sparked Johns Hopkins Medicine to strengthen its commitment to racial justice and HEDI through microsites and community outreach. In May 2020, the killing of George Floyd rocked the nation and sparked civil unrest and cries for racial justice that continue to reverberate today. At Johns Hopkins Medicine Read More

Turnkey Podcasting Offers Engagement and Ready-Made Content

Podcasts have shown remarkable growth in listenership over the past decade and have quickly become a mainstream marketing tool and an effective way to educate and connect with your target audience. The content you create for a podcast also fills the pipeline for all of your other channels. Health care marketers face common challenges, from Read More

Podcasts: The Engine Filling Your Content Pipeline

// By Marlene Kurban // Podcasting is a fundamental part of the communications arsenal at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital.  Podcasts have shown remarkable growth in listenership over the past decade and have quickly become a mainstream marketing tool and an effective way to educate and connect with your target audience. The content you create for Read More

Industry Leaders Reflect on the Unique Challenges of 2021

“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

View from the C-Suite: A Look Back at the Challenges and Opportunities of 2021 from Five Industry Leaders

// By Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D. // As we approach the two-year mark of the pandemic, it’s clear that the crisis has forged strong alliances across the industry. Leaders have come together to share best practices and help one another address challenges common to all. For two years, marketing and communication professionals have faced the excruciating Read More

Creating a Strong, Unified Brand Across a Large Network

How do you connect the dots between a health system, hospital, and its other programs and services throughout the community, and ensure consumers know they will continue receiving the same high-quality, personalized care throughout the network? Recently, Providence successfully navigated this situation and launched a new brand. Unifying the brand was among the initiatives Jigar Read More

52 Hospitals; 1,025 Clinics; 7 States — and One Unified Brand Architecture

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Providence’s family of organizations embarked on a multi-year brand journey — right before the pandemic. Despite the many challenges brought on by the pandemic, the system launched a strong new brand that is energizing its 125,000 caregivers and the communities they serve. We’ve heard the familiar adage: All health Read More