Improving Access: Making Video Visits Senior-Friendly

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Technology is great — unless it’s a barrier. We don’t have to look back very far for a good example. When COVID vaccines became available in December 2020, older adults were first in line to receive the jab. But the process of scheduling an appointment online was so complicated that many people needed help from a tech-savvier relative or friend. Video visits are another example. When COVID was raging and vaccines weren’t available yet, older adults — the most vulnerable age group — shifted to virtual visits whenever possible. Today, virtual visits have remained popular with all patients. But age is a factor.

Taking the Chaos Out of Change

// 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.

Conference Preview: HMPS 2023 Offers Actionable Ideas for Your Biggest Challenges

If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, unwind, and soak up some inspiration for your biggest challenges, then the 2023 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS 2023) is tailor-made for you. The Summit’s fully-packed program will send you home with plenty of actionable ideas to help your organization succeed. HMPS 2023 is the Read More

Four Questions to Ask Before Using AI-Generated Content in Health Care

// By Rachael Sauceman // You get into work, grab your coffee, boot up your computer, and look at your to-do list for the day. The one and only thing you’ve left for yourself on the to-do list is the thing you’ve been putting off for days — weeks even: Write that blog on the dangers of high blood pressure. Now instead, imagine that your process looks like this: You open a browser and go to your favorite AI platform, like the buzzy ChatGPT, which has recently become a media sensation, leading to a multibillion-dollar investment from Microsoft. You type in a series of questions for ChatGPT to answer:

HMPS 2023: Join the Crowd in Austin, April 17-19

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, unwind, and soak up some inspiration for your biggest challenges, the 2023 Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit (HMPS23) is tailor-made for you. This year’s conference reflects input from a wide range of professionals who helped shape each of the six content tracks. As a result, the program reflects the “voice of the customer,” with sessions that speak directly to the areas of greatest need.

How to Take Control of the Health Care Cost Narrative

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

Changing the Conversation: North Carolina Healthcare Association Counters the Blame Debate on the High Cost of Care in the U.S.

// By John Marzano // 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?

Revive Special Report: The Value Attack

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The time is now to defend your hospital or health system from the trend that Revive calls the value attack: a false narrative that detracts from the tangible value your organization provides to your community.

Even if your system hasn’t been criticized aloud, your reputation is suffering. Consumers, politicians, and the media are watching healthcare with a skeptical eye as costs rise and care becomes less accessible. We conducted research with 1,200 consumers to understand what consumers think about hospitals, health systems, and their priorities, and our findings uncovered insights that your organization needs to change the narrative with actionable steps to weather the storm.

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How Walmart and SCAN Group Aim to Fill Health Care Gaps in Underserved Communities

Which is better — Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) or Medicare Advantage (MA)? Sachin Jain, MD, MBA, president and CEO of SCAN Group & Health Plan, doesn’t think it’s the right question. “We all know we have a broken health care system, and we have to try in our own ways to make it better,” he says. Read More

6 Key Strategies for Health Care Marketing Success in 2023

Health care marketing has entered a new “era of change,” according to Amalia Stanton, senior vice president and chief strategic communications & marketing officer at Memorial Hermann Health System. It has been 34 months since the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our lives and altered the way we work — perhaps forever. This time period has been Read More

Making Health Care Better for Underserved Communities: Viewpoints from HLTH 2022

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Which is better — Medicare Fee-for-Service (FFS) or Medicare Advantage (MA)? Sachin Jain, MD, MBA, president and CEO of SCAN Group & Health Plan, doesn’t think it’s the right question. “We all know we have a broken health care system, and we have to try in our own ways to make it better,” he says. Jain was joined by Cheryl Pegus, MD, MPH, executive vice president of Health & Wellness at Walmart, in a session at HLTH 2022 in November, “Removing the Filter from the Business of Healthcare.” The panel discussion was moderated by Matthew Holt, founder/author of The Health Care Blog.

Moffitt Cancer Center Partners With Corporations in Effort to Address Health Disparities in Underserved Communities

Although cancer affects all populations in the United States, because of various social, environmental, and economic factors, some groups bear a disproportionate burden of the disease than others. For example, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than non-Hispanic White men. In addition, Hispanic women are 40 percent more likely to Read More

Era of Change for Health Care Marketing: 6 Key Strategies for Future Success

// By Amalia Stanton // It has been 34 months since the COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our lives and altered the way we work — perhaps forever. This time period has been like no other for individuals working in the health care field, including the marketing and communications professionals who play a critical role in supporting operations, strategy, and the overall success of a health delivery organization. Similarly changed, consumers became less loyal to their health care brands, had higher expectations for ease of access and shorter wait times, and became increasingly less patient and forgiving.

Moffitt Cancer Center’s Health Equity Program Gives Business Opportunity to Improve Health of Local Communities

// By Althea Fung // Although cancer affects all populations in the United States, because of various social, environmental, and economic factors, some groups bear a disproportionate burden of the disease than others. For example, Black men are twice as likely to die from prostate cancer than non-Hispanic White men. In addition, Hispanic women are 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 30 percent more likely to die from the disease than non-Hispanic White women. Over the years, many organizations have tried to implement programs and interventions to address health inequities in cancer care and other clinical areas. But many programs have fallen short due to various factors, including funding.

Physician Relations: Increasing Referrals and Driving Growth

Connections between hospitals and doctors working outside the hospital aren’t as strong as they used to be. “So many organizations have realized we have completely lost touch with our primary care physicians,” says Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, principal at Barlow McCarthy. “They don’t come to the hospital, they use hospitalists.” The pandemic has added to Read More

The Role of Physician Relations in Driving Growth

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // Connections between hospitals and doctors working outside the hospital aren’t as strong as they used to be. “So many organizations have realized we have completely lost touch with our primary care physicians,” says Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, principal at Barlow McCarthy. “They don’t come to the hospital, they use hospitalists.” The pandemic has added to the challenges. “Everything changed with COVID,” she says. “Now, if a liaison sees the same office person two visits in a row, it’s a surprise, so you’re starting over with relationship building, even to get in.”

Health Care Trends That Dominated 2022 and What to Expect in the New Year

“As 2022 draws to a close, two issues have dominated industry talking points and sparked record-breaking investment in hundreds of specialty ventures: customer experience (CX) and digital health,” says Lindsay R. Resnick in a new article. “I hope my newfound perspective on these trends can serve as thought starters going into 2023. “This past year Read More

Tips to Reduce Stigma in Your Health Care Marketing

Let’s talk about something that often isn’t talked about enough in the health care industry: health care stigma. But more specifically, the role marketing can play in impacting social stigma around medical conditions. If you’re embarrassed by your medical diagnosis, you will probably keep it hidden. You may not seek help, or if you do, Read More

Health Care Consumerism, Up Close and Personal

// By Lindsay R. Resnick, MHA // As 2022 draws to a close, two issues have dominated industry talking points and sparked record-breaking investment in hundreds of specialty ventures: customer experience (CX) and digital health. I hope my newfound perspective on these trends can serve as thought starters going into 2023. This past year I suffered a spinal-cord injury. Multiple hospitalizations and extensive rehab have given me an eye-opening user’s view of the health care system. I’ve learned how little we know about delivering high-quality health care customer experiences and how often we mistake innovation for solutions.

Health Care Marketers’ Critical Role in Reducing Health Care Stigma

// By Cheryl L. Serra // If you’re embarrassed by your medical diagnosis, you will probably keep it hidden. You may not seek help, or if you do, you may find under-the-radar, less-credentialed and less-qualified people. You likely won’t talk about your condition with others in your social circles, further limiting the availability of helpful resources and information you receive. Your medical care will likely suffer. An often undiscussed symptom of many conditions is the stigma attached to them that results in secrecy and shame around the diagnoses. Some of these include mental health and substance abuse issues, and smoking-related lung cancer.

The Value Attack: Defend Your Health System’s Reputation

Gain control of the health care cost narrative, combat the tsunami of negativity, communicate the value your organization provides, and protect your brand.

A new Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar for healthcare marketers and strategists

Presented on Dec. 14, 2022

Your Presenters:

• Cynthia Charles, Vice President, Public Relations and Communications, North Carolina Healthcare Association
• Ryan Colaianni, Executive Vice President, Communications and Crisis/Issues, Revive Health

Watch Now »

Report Download: Kyruus’ 2022 Patient Access Journey Report

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Digital self-service is a key part of the entire patient access journey—from scheduling to pre-visit tasks. New research from Kyruus highlights just how important self-service options are to consumers when finding, selecting, and accessing care.

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The Strategic Marketing and HR Approach to Enhancing Nurse Recruitment

Nurse recruitment is vital to the growth and survival of every health care organization today. A successful nurse recruitment effort requires that departments break down the silos and come together to ensure that best practices from operations, human resources, internal communications, marketing strategy, and analytics are brought to the table. So what does it look Read More

Marketing and HR Join Forces to Elevate Nurse Recruitment

// By Susan Dubuque // Nurse recruitment is vital to the growth and survival of every health care organization today. Here’s how one health system combined the talents of two disciplines — marketing and HR — to tackle it together.

Better Health, One Haircut at a Time

Barbers across the country are helping their customers identify and prevent health problems. For Black men, these trusted relationships can be a lifesaver. // By Althea Fung // We all know the trope — men don’t like to visit the doctor. Unfortunately, for Black men, the cliché has all too real consequences. Black men avoid Read More