By Lisa D. Ellis A frenzy of media attention has been centered on Nebraska Medicine in Omaha recently. As one of only three hospitals in the United States to run a biocontainment unit equipped to treat highly infectious diseases, it has had an almost unprecedented opportunity to play host to a few of the nation’s Read More
How can you tell if your marketing efforts are truly successful? The best way is to let the data speak for itself, according to representatives from Laughlin Constable (LC). This integrated advertising agency recently partnered with Cadence Health in Illinois to identify and track key measures to help capture and strengthen the health system’s marketing Read More
UC Irvine Health is a California hospital system with 411 licensed beds that handles 19,243 patient admissions and 561,000 medical center visits a year—while defending against plenty of competition. There are more than 20 other hospitals in Orange and neighboring Los Angeles County, including Cedars Sinai, UCLA, USC, and City of Hope. The goal? To Read More
More people today are turning to the Internet to get their health information, making the digital world an increasingly important space for hospitals to market their services and engage with consumers. With so much opportunity for online promotion, the key to successfully navigating the array of choices is to make strategic decisions with your digital Read More
Spectrum Health Medical Group (SHMG) has grown in leaps and bounds in recent years, and so has its onboarding and communication efforts, which are essential to helping new providers acclimate to the large, multi-disciplinary system. Headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Spectrum Health is the second largest health care provider in the state, offering inpatient and Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis How can you tell if your marketing efforts are truly successful? The best way is to let the data speak for itself, according to representatives from Laughlin Constable (LC). This integrated advertising agency recently partnered with Cadence Health in Illinois to identify and track key measures to help capture and strengthen Read More
By Peter Hochstein I once knew an advertising creative director who said his constant prayer was, “Grant me the luxury of a tightly written creative strategy.” The following strategy would most certainly have answered his prayer: Position UC Irvine Health as Orange County’s top destination for cancer care. Leverage our status as Orange County’s only Read More
While many hospitals grapple with how best to use their social media efforts, Advocate Health Care in Illinois leads by example. This faith-based health delivery system has developed a comprehensive social media strategy that supports its broader communications goals on multiple levels. As the largest health system in Illinois, and one of the top five Read More
Hill Country Memorial (HCM) in Fredericksburg, TX—a nonprofit organization serving a rural area with a population of just 10,000—might seem like a long-shot for a prestigious national award. Nonetheless, HCM was one of just four organizations nationwide to receive a 2014 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for achieving excellence in its efforts. Back in 2007, Read More
by Lisa D. Ellis Hill Country Memorial (HCM) in Fredericksburg, TX, is a small community hospital that’s accomplishing big things. It was one of four organizations nationwide to receive a 2014 Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award for achieving excellence in its efforts. Now, Hill Country Memorial plans to use this national recognition as a platform Read More
In a new SHCM article, Stewart Gandolf, CEO of Healthcare Success Strategies, writes that: Clinical service department profitability is a constant challenge for hospitals. That’s nothing new. What’s changed, however, is just about everything else. He explains how patients, newly empowered, now regard medical services through the critical eyes of retail shoppers. Health care reform, Read More
by Jennifer Busick At a health care center in Florida, patients who were undergoing radiology procedures believed they were receiving injections of a narcotic painkiller, fentanyl. What they didn’t know was that a radiology technician at the clinic was injecting himself with the fentanyl and then refilling the syringes with saline solution. Although fentanyl is Read More
by Lisa D. Ellis While many hospitals are grappling with how best to use their social media efforts, Advocate Health Care in Illinois seems to be leading by example. This faith-based health delivery system has developed a comprehensive social media strategy that supports its broader communications goals on multiple levels. Better yet, it includes an Read More
by Stewart Gandolf Clinical service department profitability is a constant challenge for hospitals. That’s nothing new. What’s changed, however, is just about everything else. The newly empowered patient now regards medical services with the critical eye of a retail shopper. The dynamics of health care reform, facility mergers and acquisitions and increasingly intense competition have Read More
by Peter Hochstein Is there a best time of year for health care marketers to advertise? In light of current events, the answer may be yes. That special time is the open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. During open enrollment season, even people in good health have reason to pay extra attention to Read More
by Sheryl S. Jackson Since its humble beginnings in 1895, the 20-bed Macon (GA) Hospital has grown to become the Central Georgia Health System. It comprises the Medical Center of Central Georgia, a 637-bed, full-service, acute care hospital, along with 30 entities that include other clinics, specialty-care centers, and community hospitals. In September 2014, the Read More
by Peter Hochstein Imagine you live in Aurora, CO. One attraction in this third-most-populous city in the state is the rich availability of recreational sports activities, including soccer fields, ice hockey mountain biking, and—well, you get the idea. While taking the kids to soccer practice, you suddenly see an alarming sight. A soccer player behind Read More
by Jennifer Redmond Implementation of the Affordable Care Act has created an equal share of opportunity and difficulty for health care providers. In an evergrowing market, providers are vying for the attention of consumers in creative ways, but some, in an effort to edge out the competition, are met with vehement criticism. This pressure to Read More
by Ritch K. Eich, PhD Special events have been an integral part of health care organizations for centuries. For example, back when Catherine McAuley founded the Sisters of Mercy religious order in Dublin, Ireland, in 1831, charity functions—sermons, bazaars, and other appeals—were an integral part of social life. In his 1955 book about that period, Read More
by Ansuya Bijur In a memorable scene in the best-selling novel Cutting for Stone, a doctor asks his medical students, “What treatment is offered by ear in an emergency?” One of the students replies, “Words of comfort, sir.” Most often, patients meet clinicians under extremely difficult circumstances. Typically clinicians treat a disease—what ails the body. Read More
by Cheryl L. Serra Sure, you want the world to know about the snazzy new piece of equipment your hospital has purchased. And of course you want to sound the bugle about the big-name doc who’s joined your staff. There are ads to buy and PSAs to write, for sure. But what about what some Read More
// By Peter Hochstein // Despite specializing in kids exclusively, Boston Children’s Hospital confronts a wall of competition that hospitals elsewhere might find daunting. Liz Vanzura, chief marketing officer for Boston Children’s advertising agency, MMB, can list 10 other local hospitals that treat children—among them such formidable names as Mass General, Tufts Medical Center, and Read More
by Michael Reinhardt Developing a unified health care brand sounds promising, but how do you actually begin such a tremendous undertaking? In April, eHealthcare Strategy & Trends sponsored a special webinar on emerging branding trends in a rapidly changing industry. The program examined the journey taken by St. Joseph Health, based in Irvine, CA, and Read More
by Sheryl S. Jackson Keep Focus on Patient-Centric Care and Take Time to Engage Everyone in the Process Increasing financial and competitive pressures within the health care industry have spurred hospital acquisition of other health care providers – physician practices, urgent care centers, and imaging centers. While the reasons for acquiring other entities varies from Read More
by Peter Hochstein A few years ago, it became clear to the marketing people at St. Vincent’s HealthCare, a 903-bed, three-campus hospital system in Jacksonville, FL, that their institution’s brand image could do with some strengthening. Little wonder. The organization’s awareness and reputation was in fourth place compared with the competition. That competition, in a Read More