Marketers at Geisinger Health System wanted to create a memorable take-away to give to physician candidates, and they wanted something just a little more engaging than a coffee mug. So the Danville, PA, health system teamed with Wilmington, DE, agency Aloysius Butler & Clark to create a coffee table book filled with photography that highlights the organization's emphasis on first-class medicine and physician work/life balance.
"To recruit to rural northeastern Pennsylvania we wanted to emphasize our theme of clinical excellence and outstanding quality of life," says Cathy Connolley, associate vice president of marketing. "We have physicians or candidates that were in serious talks with and we wanted a higher-end piece to give them that was very compelling and left them with a feeling of excellence."
Marketers started giving the book to physician candidates who visited the organization last year. Connolley says it has a shelf life of about three years before they have to redesign it or create something new.
"We wanted to give them a takeaway that was a little more high-end than a coffee mug. We also wanted to get the point across about the marriage between the work/life balance," she says. "That you can come to this health system and practice the type of medicine that you would in New York City and also be able to enjoy the things that you love most."
Physician candidates that have received the book have been wowed by it, Connolley says. They appreciate that the book features some of Geisinger's top doctors.
"This area is so scenic and beautiful and we wanted to tie it back to our clinical excellence, so we featured some of our higher-end physicians, both sub-specialists and our primary care doctors, doing things in the outdoors to represent the fact that you can have that life/work balance here," she says.
Marianne Aiello is an editor with HealthLeaders Media. She may be reached at maiello@healthleadersmedia.com.