There's a crisis in your healthcare organization's future. It might be a natural disaster or a data breach, and it's closer than you think. Are you prepared to communicate effectively with the media, patients, and hospital staff?
Managing a crisis is something communication professionals dread, but they know it is something they are likely to face at some point in their careers.
But in healthcare, a looming crisis is not a likelihood. It is a certainty.
Just glancing at the news over the last few days, I've read about various hospitals across the U.S. that grabbed headlines for possibly exposing patients to hepatitis, seriously botching a blood transfusion, and treating a patient infected with a deadly superbug.
It's a stark departure from the numerous celebratory press releases flying into my inbox from hospitals about making U.S. News and World Report's Best Hospitals list for 2013. Good news is easier and more fun to spread, but crisis communications has become a near-daily reality for healthcare organizations because of the speed at which information is shared.
A single Facebook post about nursing care, or the cleanliness (or not) of your mom's hospital room post-surgery could end easily end up on a savvy reporter's radar.
Smart marketing and communications departments keep a vigilant watch on social media platforms to catch isolated events before they can become a bigger story, but sometimes an issue is so big that an organization has no choice but to put all hands on deck to help manage the message that is eventually going to get out to the media and reach the public.
Such is the case with WellPoint. The Indiana-based insurer admits no liability [PDF], but has agreed to pay a $1.7 million fine to the Department of Health and Human Services to settle HIPAA violations that occurred in 2009 and 2010, when the personal health information of more than 600,000 individuals was breached.
The PHI breach occurred when a vendor was updating the company's online application process. Although the problems have since been fixed, and no one's identity was fraudulently used as a result, the incident continues to be played out in public because of the subsequent fallout.
A PHI breach is one of the most common crises for which healthcare entities must be prepared. In fact, many approach a PHI breach as a "when" instead of "if" situation. Dave Jolley, vice president of public affairs at Geisinger Health System in Danville, PA, which had a PHI breach in 2006, says having a solid plan in place before a breach occurs helps diminish the stress that accompanies a crisis.
"When these things happen, you move into warp speed, that's why it's important to have that plan and have the basics down early, so you don't have to start from scratch," he says.
At Geisinger, the PHI breach affected 25,000 individuals, a fraction of the number affected at WellPoint, but both organizations took the same course of action. They offered fraud protection and credit monitoring to those whose information was exposed. Geisinger extended its offer of protection for one year; WellPoint offered coverage for two years.
The situation at WellPoint is trickier because the story is now getting another life with recent news of the HHS fine. Cindy Sanders Wakefield, regional director of public relations for WellPoint, was the point person on the original PHI breach.
"Our philosophy at WellPoint, for corporate communications, is that we've got to be transparent and we've got to share accurate information to all appropriate audiences as quickly as possible," she says.
Wakefield was named as a co-winner of Crisis Manager of the Year in 2011 by PR News for the way she handled WellPoint's breach. The organization cited her leadership in "developing materials for internal teams to respond to and inform the media after the incident, helping to minimize the impact of this crisis."
Transparency and information sharing is key in developing crisis communication plans, whether it is for a PHI breach or a natural disaster, such as a flood two years ago that affected Geisinger, which caused the evacuation of a facility and forced hospice patients to be transferred.
"Between our hospitals and our other sites, we have probably over 80 locations," says Jolley. "So we'd be getting information out about our emergency room being available, and the state would be closing roads in certain areas, so we had to update our messages continually about which sites were open," says Jolley.
Geisinger's experience with a natural disaster also shows that crisis plans need to be firm, but flexible enough to respond to a changing situation.
Establishing a reputation for being upfront and transparent is also helpful when organizations have to rely on local and national media to keep patients and the public informed. Individual relationships with reporters in your local market are key to making sure that your organization's message is being portrayed clearly and accurately.
Building a relationship with the media is easier than you may think. A simple introductory phone call to the editor of a media outlet that has access to the same audience you need to inform will help when the news you have to disseminate isn't so good. Jolley says keeping the media up to date on what your organization is doing year-round establishes an ongoing relationship, which is key when you need to get in front of a story.
"I think first of all, it's a mistake not to respond to media," he says. "Sometimes, given the situation, PHI or whatever it is, we may not be able to answer every question, but I will tell them what I can. Even if you have a one- or two-person shop, it should be on your priority list. We'd much rather be in the story than the story take place without us."
Planning for a crisis, whether it's a natural disaster or a PHI breach, is the kind of process that you will probably do with your fingers crossed in hopes the plan doesn't have to be put into action; however, building a crisis communication plan that has a solid framework and is adaptable will be the beacon you look to when the inevitable happens, so be prepared.
"It has to be a living document that can be changed when needed," says Wakefield. "Be flexible, but thoughtful, about your flexibility."
Jacqueline Fellows is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.