Those entrusted with communicating clear messages during crises know that such communication is successful only if people believe what is said is true. But the time to build that trust is not when a crisis hits. That’s too late. Trust must be built through years of candid, timely, frequent, and honest communication. The same can Read More
Political, social, and marketplace trends crisscrossing the health care landscape going into 2024 present actionable strategic and operational challenges — and opportunities. Overall, the 2024 forecast for the health care sector is “fasten your seat belts.” Investments in technology adoption or replacement, labor costs, spending on infrastructure, and a volatile economy translate into higher insurance Read More
About 1 in 5 people living in the U.S. are Hispanic, an increase of 23 percent from 2010 and 2020. By 2060, it is estimated that 1 in 4 Americans will be Hispanic. How well does your health system understand this population’s needs? If you and your doctor speak the same language, communication is easier. Read More
Trust in the health care system continues to be low, so how do you get people to believe your advertising? // By Ross K. Goldberg // Editor’s Note: This article kicks off our Q1 series on Advertising — and what better place to begin than with the ingredient most essential for successful advertising: TRUST. Those Read More
Political, social, and marketplace trends crisscrossing the health care landscape going into 2024 present actionable strategic and operational challenges — and opportunities. // By Lindsay Resnick, MHA // Overall, the 2024 forecast for the health care sector is “fasten your seat belts.” Investments in technology adoption or replacement, labor costs, spending on infrastructure, and a Read More
About 1 in 5 people living in the U.S. are Hispanic, an increase of 23 percent from 2010 and 2020. By 2060, it is estimated that 1 in 4 Americans will be Hispanic. How well does your health system understand this population’s needs? // By Jane Weber Brubaker // If you and your doctor speak Read More
What is the greater challenge: identifying challenges that health care public relations will face in 2024 or limiting those truths to a 1,200-word article? The answer is clearly the latter. Year after year health care public relations professionals see unanticipated new challenges pile up on those left over from the year prior until the hill Read More
Senior-level public relations expert predicts communication challenges that health care organizations may experience as we gear up for the coming year. // By Ross K. Goldberg // What is the greater challenge: identifying challenges that health care public relations will face in 2024 or limiting those truths to a 1,200-word article? The answer is clearly Read More
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
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
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
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
Health care marketers are sometimes on the defensive when proposing budgets to their CEOs and CFOs, feeling the pressure to justify the expense and project the expected return on investment — especially for “softer” initiatives like brand building. So, it was refreshing to hear a different perspective from Bill Robertson, CEO of MultiCare, a 12-hospital Read More
MultiCare’s CEO believes brand-building is the key to sustainable growth, and that it supports acquisition. It’s not either-or; it’s both-and. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Health care marketers are sometimes on the defensive when proposing budgets to their CEOs and CFOs, feeling the pressure to justify the expense and project the expected return on Read More
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
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
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
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
As health care costs in the U.S. continue to rise, hospitals haven taken a disproportionate share of the blame in the media. While they bear some responsibility, current news coverage pins most of the blame on them. So how can your health system take control of the health care cost narrative? The cost of health Read More
Health care costs in the U.S. continue to rise. Who’s responsible? There are many contributors, but hospitals are taking a disproportionate share of the blame in the media. While they bear some responsibility, current news coverage pins most of the blame on them. How can health systems take charge of the narrative? // By John Read More
More than 20 years ago, Brenda Reiss-Brennan, PhD, APRN, recalls being invited by Intermountain Healthcare (IH) primary care doctors to help improve the quality of mental health care for their patients and families. She recalls the doctors’ challenge: “Our biggest burden is stress, substance use, domestic violence, and depression our families are coming in with,” Read More
// By Cheryl L. Serra // Fragmentation and lack of coordination in health care are still rampant. Intermountain Healthcare has proven that a team-based, holistic approach to mental health, rooted in primary care and enabled through technology, improves outcomes and reduces cost. More than 20 years ago, Brenda Reiss-Brennan, PhD, APRN, recalls being invited by Read More
COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has become the new challenge in conquering the pandemic. Getting vaccines into the arms of vulnerable populations, including underserved communities of color, is a priority despite systemic distrust of the medical field resulting from generations of disparities in health care. “Medical institutions really have to find a way to speak the language Read More
// By Marcia Simon, APR // Who wants to be part of a herd anyway? So why not call “herd immunity” “community immunity” instead? Hip Hop Public Health promotes Community Immunity as the ultimate act of love. Who doesn’t want more of that? COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy has become the new challenge in conquering the pandemic. Getting Read More
// By Paula Serios // In Part 1 of this two-part series, we looked at surprising results from a proprietary national study. Two cohorts — Innovators and Early Adopters — have the potential to consume more health services and generate higher revenues than any other. The key is to understand what makes them tick, and Read More