Taking the Chaos Out of Change
Change can be arduous, risky, norm-crushing. But to face today’s challenges, whether financial, operational, or other, change is often necessary.
// By Cheryl L. Serra //
Change happens. And it should, as internal and external forces inevitably alter an organization and the constructs it operates in.
Health care is in a constant state of flux. New technologies, best practices, staffing structures, and financing all contribute to new ways of doing business. But managing change is an ongoing challenge for health care organizations.
Speaking of clinical innovation, Louise Keogh Weeds, a practice transformation specialist at the Harvard Medical School Center for Primary Care, says, “We are great at coming up with the ‘next big thing’: We have brilliant people who are at the frontlines of innovation. Where we fall short is actually implementing it, because it’s a different skill set, and fewer people want to do it.” (Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health)
Marketers in health care organizations face similar challenges. More than half of those surveyed in Greystone.Net/Klein & Partners’ State of Digital Marketing in Healthcare report said that “managing change in our organization is difficult.”
What does it take to overcome the barriers to change?
In 2022 we spoke to several health care professionals who embraced change to improve their organizations:
- Amanda Todorovich, executive director of content marketing at Cleveland Clinic
- Pamela Landis, senior vice president of digital engagement at Hackensack Meridian Health
- Marcia Nelson, MD, chief medical officer at Enloe Medical Center.
Here’s a sample of what they said and how their insights can guide health care marketers in 2023.