The patients at Fairview Southdale Hospital in Edina, MN, really take ownership of their medical conditions—and that's how the hospital's marketers like it. "My breast cancer. My doctors. My Fairview," reads the ad for the hospital's breast cancer care program. The seven other patient-testimonial ads have similar taglines relating to different service lines.
The 390-bed hospital decided to use patient testimonials when they launched the "Taking Exceptional Care of Patients" campaign in January because research showed that local consumers identify with real patients' stories. Intense competition in Fairview Southdale's market also contributed to the need for a strong campaign.
"The campaign is an outgrowth of an effort that spans operations, process improvement, physician alignment, and a system-wide effort to better focus efforts on areas of clinical excellence," says Kristin Smith, the director of marketing and public relations for the Fairview Southwest Care System. "Specific to Fairview Southdale Hospital, we are in a highly competitive geography, with key competitors within a 5–10 mile radius. To maintain or grow inpatient and outpatient market share, we must continue to have a presence in the marketplace."
To make their presence felt, the hospital advertised on the Internet, radio, buses, billboards, and in newspapers. The seven patients are each featured in seperate ads, and speak for the hospital's heart attack, peripheral artery disease, knee replacement surgery, weight loss, stroke, breast cancer, and lung cancer services.
The campaign is running in the hospital's primary and secondary service areas, including the city's 13-county metro area. Now, more than four months out, Smith says the campaign has received a great deal of positive feedback.
"Brand monitoring research reveals key indicators improved as well, particularly in the areas of unaided awareness improved and consumers choosing our hospital for life-threatening concerns," she says. "Web traffic improved dramatically during the campaign's run, as did attendance at on-site health education programs featuring physicians in strategic growth areas."
These results are good news, especially considering that Smith says the hospital had aimed to spread the word about their cardiovascular, oncology, orthopedic, emergency, and other multispecialty services. By creating a campaign in which patients take ownership of their healthcare, Fairview Southdale's marketers have also shaped a hospital that is taking ownership in its market.
Marianne Aiello is an editorial assistant with HealthLeaders Media. She may be reached at maiello@healthleadersmedia.com.
Elizabeth Pellegrin, chief marketing officer at Charleston Area Medical Center in West Virginia, discusses new media, including new methods of advertising, marketing, public relations, and talks about how to measure their effectiveness. In the past 20 years, she says, "The pace of the creative process has quickened, the pace of communication is at light speed, and there are new mediums to communicate over every day."
Social networking is all about linking people with common interests, and for many people brands make up a good amount of those interests. So much so that 56% of online marketing consultancy Prospectiv's survey respondents said their social networking experience would be better if marketers pushed more ads targeted specifically to them.
Today's diverse consumers are looking for more than just talk. They are savvy and skeptical, and they are tired of spin. They want companies that are an authentic part of their niche community with long-term commitment.
Hospital volunteers who sold tea and biscuits to raise money for Blackburn Hospital in the UK say hospital officials forced them out of business. Volunteers say profits dropped dramatically after they were denied a prominent space close to where private businesses paid rent and were also forbidden to advertise their services.
Lincoln Smith, president and CEO at Altarum Institute, talks about which populations benefit from consumer driven health plans and what he sees as the future of those plans.
I am hearing more and more about hospitals working together to provide better care to their communities. Whether it's through joint ventures like radiation oncology centers or dialysis centers, sharing a limited pool of specialists through visiting physician programs, or pooling resources for a consultant, such collaborations offer numerous benefits. Hospital partnerships can reduce duplication of services, allow facilities to share physicians who are in short supply, or simply save money. Unfortunately, these types of relationships present plenty of headaches, as well--not the least of which is finding the right partner and ensuring that the arrangement benefits both parties.
I wrote about some of the ways hospitals are collaborating with each other in HealthLeaders magazine's May cover story, "Shared Success." While reporting on that piece, I began wondering: Is it more beneficial to partner with multiple organizations in a best-of-breed approach, or does a one-size-fits-all strategy work best?
For example, Emanuel Medical Center in Turlock, CA, has partnered with Stanford (CA) Hospital & Clinics in a radiation oncology center and with Children's Hospital Central California for pediatric hospitalists. Michael Iltis, Emanuel's vice president of professional services, says that his hospital will continue to partner with centers of excellence that can help them provide high quality care rather than trying to establish those programs themselves.
Sanford Health, in Sioux Falls, SD, and Orange City (IA) Area Health System, meanwhile, have a more comprehensive affiliation. Under the management agreement, Orange City's chief executive officer is a Sanford employee who is contracted to Orange City, which has access to greater purchasing power and expertise in compliance issues as a result of the partnership. Sanford is also helping Orange City link to its technology platform and implement an electronic medical record. The two hospitals also joined forces to open a dialysis center in Hospers, IA.
In Nashville, Saint Thomas Health Services has partnered with various independent community hospitals across the region through its Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network. Wes Littrell, the system's chief strategy officer and president of STHS Affiliates, says that they use simple affiliation agreements with the members of the chest pain network. "Usually, we try to move with the first right of refusal. Something with them that says, ‘If you are going to look for that service, ask us first. If we can provide it for you, we will. If we can't, then you can go somewhere else to get it.'"
For a smaller hospital, I wonder if it makes more sense to partner with various hospitals throughout the region that excel in one or two services, or build a more comprehensive relationship with one hospital. In the technology realm, many facilities began second guessing their best-of-breed approach in favor of one integrated clinical, administrative, and financial package, which saved some hospitals $1 million.
So should smaller facilities find one hospital and build a true relationship? Or is it better not to put all your eggs in one basket? Send me an e-mail to let me know your thoughts.
Carrie Vaughan is editor of HealthLeaders Media Community and Rural Hospital Weekly. She can be reached at cvaughan@healthleadersmedia.com.
Terry Hill, the executive director of the Rural Health Resource Center in Duluth, MN, discusses what elements a comprehensive performance improvement initiative should include and what role the senior leadership should play in these initiatives.
An architecture firm has been hired to conduct an independent study of whether New Orleans-based Charity Hospital can be restored into a viable healthcare facility after sustaining major damage from Hurricane Katrina. RMJM Hillier, a Philadelphia company, will examine the potential cost and viability of bringing back the Depression-era Art Deco building on a temporary or permanent basis.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty has vetoed a major healthcare bill, citing excessive public subsidies. The healthcare bill was passed by a veto-proof margin in the Minnesota Senate but more narrowly in the House, and emerged after months of study and debate with the aim of taking a step toward reform of what many consider a broken and costly system. But Pawlenty said the bill merely expands access to healthcare without cutting costs or improving quality.
