|
| By Doug Bennett, The Bennett Group, Framingham, Mass. As marketing professionals, we have a very good understanding of the methods, tools and approaches needed to get our job done. But frequently the powers that be — senior leadership and the board at institutions — are on the fringes. At best, they have a “loose” understanding of what marketing is, its value and how it’s done. We work with many clients in helping them engage senior leadership to think like marketers. And it’s worth it. Here’s why:
|
by Jeanne Sarnosky, VNA of Cape Cod, Hyannis, Mass. Ever think about starting your own TV show? It may not be as hard as you think. Though the ROI is likely to be more qualitative than quantitative, it can still be a unique and creative way to build relationships with referral sources and end users of your services. And best of all, it can easily fit into any budget as it is virtually free. Things to consider before you begin
• Do you have a community television station willing to help you make this happen?
• Does your community support the local programming and actually watch the local station?
• If so, who is your audience? For example, we are in an area that is 70% Medicare and viewership from that population is high. That tends to make topics and guests easier to target.
• Do you have a strong pool of volunteers willing to learn something new?
• Do you have someone in the marketing department who is comfortable on camera speaking to a variety of guests (physicians, CEOs, public health officials, etc).
|
| by Brian Wallin, APR, Kent Hospital, Warwick, RI One of the most challenging moments in the more than 50 year history of Kent Hospital, a 359-bed regional medical center serving central and southern Rhode Island, came on the night of February 20, 2003. It was the night of The Station nightclub fire – one of the nation’s worst fire tragedies. The importance of emergency communication planning was brought home that night and during the days that followed. The hospital’s disaster plan enabled the entire staff to respond in a timely and effective manner to scores of critically injured patients. The communications component helped the hospital to respond to a deluge of contacts by local, regional, national and international news media. Since then, we have used our experience to enhance disaster communications and we continue to refine them as we address new emergency situations.
read more |
by Sid Gokhale, e-Crossings Media, Lebhar-Friedman (parent company of Dowden Custom Media) It’s a fact of life, one to which healthcare marketers must pay close attention. The number of people seeking health information online is growing exponentially, and smart hospitals and health systems are ramping up to not only meet this demand, but also exceed the expectations of these online consumers. The share of online Americans who say the Internet has greatly improved the way they get information about healthcare has grown to 20 percent, up from 17 percent in March 2001.
|
| by Lynn Sperl, New Hampshire Local Government Center, Concord, NH “I’m still pinching myself,” exclaims John Looney from his Jordan Hospital office in Plymouth, Massachusetts. The hospital's former Director of Public Relations—now head of its physician relations and network development efforts—still gets a bit giddy when he recalls receiving the coveted “Best of New England” healthcare communications award this past May as part of NESHCo's 2008 Lamplighters ceremony in Providence. “It's probably the most exciting point in my entire communications career,” he quickly adds.
| |