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Top 3 Ways Hospitals Take Advantage of Holiday Cheer

 |  By Marianne@example.com  
   January 02, 2013

I had vowed that 2012 would be different. That I would do all of my Christmas shopping in November, online. Naturally, I still found myself trudging to the mall on December 23.

Fortunately, it wasn't all for naught, because not only did I fill the remaining gaps on my Christmas gift list, I also saw a physical manifestation of a hospital marketing trend that cropped up online this season—a Christmas-themed ad.

This is nothing new. I know. You can freeze that eye-roll.

But holiday-based marketing and promotions have been growing in healthcare in recent years, largely thanks to social media. Any marketing director's social media calendar is mapped around two things:

  1. Condition-awareness months
  2. National holidays

This mindset has bled into other facets of hospital marketing, to the industry's benefit.

Here are the top three ways I have seen hospitals promoting their technology, services, and staff over the holiday season.

1.Taking advantage of increased retail traffic
The best way to interact in person with potential patients during shopping-heavy holidays is to take your promotion to them. Or, more specifically, to the mall.

That's what Saint Barnabas Medical Center did in what might have been the most creative holiday initiative of the year. It took two Da Vinci Robotic Surgical Systems for shoppers to test drive at a nearby mall.

The Livingston, NJ, medical center displayed the robots from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on December 16, with doctors on hand to explain how the technology works and to help shoppers try their hand at manipulating the machine.

The event allowed physicians to explain the health benefits of minimally invasive procedures and garnered some press coverage in the process. Even some former patients showed up to see how the machine that helped with their surgery actually worked.

This is an innovative tactic that can be altered to fit any location or service line. Go to where people are, show them something interesting and/or entertaining, and explain the benefits of your services.

2.Promoting holiday-based good deeds
It's safe to say all hospitals engage in some sort of charitable activity around the holidays, whether it be orchestrating a toy drive, donating to a soup kitchen, or making a monetary contribution. Whether these good acts take place around the holidays or throughout the year, it's important to let the community know exactly how the hospital is giving back.

I was most struck by the efforts of Pike County Memorial Hospital, a 25-bed facility in Louisiana, MO. The community hospital has a tradition of collecting everything from canned food to gloves to turkey in order to give back to those in need in its community. Local schools receive the donations.

"It really makes you feel good knowing that you are helping a child keep warm this winter," said Lisa Pitzer, RN and director of the medical/surgical unit that organizes the hat and glove drive.

What's more, one of the hospital's clinics donated the cash prize it won from an organization-wide Halloween costume contest back to the holiday giving drive. There are generous staff members like this everywhere, and it's vital to let the community know that your organization cares for all aspects of their wellbeing.

3.Celebrating dedicated and talented staff
The holidays also proved to be a popular time for thanking dedicated and talented hospital staff members.

South Jersey Healthcare Regional Medical Center's "singing cardiologist" was featured in the local press for leading staff and patients in some unique Christmas carols in the hospital's cafeteria.

Gladwyn Baptist, MD, led the crowd in traditional holiday songs, such as "White Christmas" and "Silver Bells," and introduced them to a few of his own compositions, such as "I'd Like To Treat Your PVCs (Premature Ventricular Contractions)."

Not only did Baptist's performance get patients, family members, and staff engaged in a positive way, it enabled the press to write an interesting feature about one of the medical center's physicians and the work he does. This tactic is something that can be used at any time of year.

This time of year is also opportune for hospitals to thank all staff—crooners and everyone else—for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. At IU Health Starke Hospital in Knox, IN, the hospital administrator did this by going department-by-department, and  handing out candy canes to each member of staff.

It's great to see hospital marketers really getting into the holiday spirit and it served to remember that this sentiment shouldn't be forgotten as the year progresses. There is never a bad time to interact with the community, showcase your doctors, and thank your staff for all that they do. Here's to a productive, creative, and healthy new year.

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Marianne Aiello is a contributing writer at HealthLeaders Media.

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