A Crash Course in Crisis Communications

Create your message and stick to it

It's clear that the medical center's leaders are going to deny the allegations until the cows come home, but how they deny them are all over the map. Singer's explanation, as previously noted, is that the leaked documents were merely drafts and taken out of context.

But on Monday, St. Luke's chief of staff, Edward Kersh, MD, told the San Francisco ABC News affiliate, "I would like to see people put their politics aside and stop grandstanding between the mayor's office and the board of supervisors."

In the same report, CPMC CEO Warren Browner said, "I'm not willing to sign an agreement that would tie the hands of the CEO of CPMC in the year 2030 or 2035."

These statements don't contradict each other, exactly, but neither are they on the same page. Is the problem a lack of context, dirty politics, or an inflexible contract? All representatives of the organization should have a cohesive message when speaking to the media.