Transparency

The Future of Health Care Won’t Wait for Stagnant Leadership

// By Allison Minutillo // Success in health care involves not only managing current demands but also anticipating future trends and preparing accordingly. The greatest challenges facing our health care clients aren’t just managing finite resources or navigating complex systems — it’s how their leaders lead through transformation. This article explores essential strategies for modern health care leaders.

Gen Z’s Wellness Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities for Health Care Brands

Amanda Williams is Parallel Path’s senior director

The tweens, teens, and 20-somethings who make up Gen Z have different health and wellness priorities than older generations. How can health care organizations meet them where they are? Here, we examine some challenges this generation faces, how it defines health and well-being, and how health care brands can resonate with it.

Most Wellness Brands Don’t Connect with Gen Z Women. What’s the Cure?

// By Amanda Williams // The tweens, teens, and 20-somethings who make up Gen Z have different health and wellness priorities than older generations. How can health care organizations meet them where they are? Here, we examine some challenges this generation faces, how it defines health and well-being, and how health care brands can resonate with it.

The Critical Importance of Transparency in an Age of Misinformation

Paul Gadd, director of internal communications, University of Utah Health

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

Healthcare PR: Strategies for Navigating Today’s Complex Media Landscape

Bryan Kawasaki, director, national communications, Providence

Public relations, or PR, is first and foremost about building and maintaining trusted relationships externally, with consumers and patients, providers, the media, and the larger community. We spoke with two healthcare PR leaders about how they forge those connections and raise the profile of their organizations to key audiences. Their work requires a multifaceted approach Read More

A Tale of Two Health System Public Relations Teams

Sean Couch, executive director, communications & consumer strategy, Northeast Georgia Health System

No matter how large or small or rural or urban a health care organization is, there are certain universal truths that apply when it comes to being the guardian of its reputation in the community. But the way public relations and communications teams approach things may vary greatly depending on how they are structured, the Read More

How Health Care Organizations Can Effectively Respond to Negative Online Patient Reviews and Social Media Feedback

Jenny Sundberg, senior marketing specialist and operations manager, Bryan Health

// By Brian Griffin // A proactive approach to responding to negative online comments is a winning service recovery strategy. Patients think it’s important for health care providers to answer negative reviews; when complaints are addressed, the rate of patient satisfaction roughly doubles, according to one survey. With more patients using online reviews and social Read More

Walking the Talk with Price Transparency

Kathy Delis, administrative director of revenue cycle support, University of Utah Health

A 2017 price transparency study published in the journal Hospital Pediatrics found 30 out of 45 pediatric hospitals contacted provided price estimates. Only 12 of the 30 that provided estimates had online price calculators. A new price transparency guideline from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which went into effect in January, is Read More

How Much Does It Cost? Addressing Price Transparency

Althea Fung

// By Althea Fung // Health care is in the midst of a shift toward a consumer-centric model — empowering patients to have a greater role in how their health care dollars are spent. But there’s a problem. It’s hard to shop around if no one can tell you how much services cost. A 2017 Read More

Ambulatory Pricing: Transform Your Pricing Strategy to Protect and Grow Market Share

Craig Ahrens, managing director, health solutions, Ankura

// By Craig Allan Ahrens and Sarah Hull // Hospital systems will be required to publish their chargemaster “list pricing” online by January 1, 2019, with the finalization of the Fiscal Year 2019 Medicare Hospital Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) and Long-Term Acute Care Hospital (LTCH) Prospective Payment System Final Rule (CMS-1694-F). Many states have Read More

How To Navigate The New World of Health Care Cost Transparency

Daniel Weinbach, president and CEO of Weinbach Group; Richard Klass, co-founder of KCI Partners; and Justin Irizarry, co-founder and CFO of OrthoNOW

You probably wouldn’t buy an appliance or book a cruise without knowing what it will cost. Yet historically, health care systems have expected patients to undergo various diagnostic tests, procedures, and treatments without any idea of what they will be charged. But times are changing quickly. While most patients are not yet comparison-shopping based on Read More

Don’t Let Media Visits Trigger a HIPAA Violation

Jennifer Perry

Health care marketers today face many conflicting priorities, such as: Promote your organization widely. Protect patient privacy. Develop strong relationships with the media. Prevent journalists from coming into protected areas. Personalize your service lines. Don’t share patient names and details. Can all of these goals happen simultaneously without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Read More

Social Media Rules: Think Before You Share — or Risk a HIPAA Violation

Jay Hodes, founder and president of Colington Consulting

Recent Case with Financial Payout Underscores Risks of Noncompliance // By Lisa D. Ellis // How can you make sure your organization’s formal social media sharing doesn’t violate HIPAA regulations? A privacy expert offers advice on how to avoid shooting yourself in the foot when marketing via social channels. He also points to a new Read More