How Internal Communications Can Make or Break Hospital Marketing

How many employees comprise your marketing team?

If your answer consists of the number of communications department staff, think again. Today’s marketing and communications efforts rely upon every employee in an organization, from hospitality to accounting.

“Now more than before, we’re seeing a more diverse group of people involved in healthcare communications out of necessity,” said Nicole Cottrill, partner and healthcare specialist at DVL Seigenthaler. “We’re seeing a lot of diversification in facilities where communications once resided in the marketing department. People are involved in a different way because so many changes are happening in hospitals that have to be rolled out across the facility.”

An Essential Piece of the Puzzle

That evolution is due partly to increased government scrutiny. With reimbursement cuts on the line, staff communication means being transparent and keeping everyone ‘in the know,’ in good times and bad. For example, an employee who hears about a pending investigation from the neighbor first will be caught off guard. On the other hand, staff who have been armed with information and answers on the front end can be an organization’s best defense.

Employees also are the face of the organization. That means they can make or break a patient’s experience – something all the paid advertising in the world can’t do … or undo. “How staff talk about their employer at church or the store can make or break the community’s perception in a lot of ways,” Cottrill said.

Employee Satisfaction Matters

Employee satisfaction affects the success of an organization so keeping them engaged is imperative. “Employees want to know what being part of your company means; how employment here is contributing to society and life; and how they matter in the overall scheme of things,” Cottrill said. “Getting everyone vested in your mission is key, especially when you consider the added pressures from healthcare reform. You have to get staff buy-in to make all that happen in a successful way.”

Steps to Success

So how does an organization create an inward focus? First, Cottrill said, make it a priority.

Second, be consistent. Don’t start at a speed you can’t maintain. Some companies can successfully generate a weekly employee newsletter, while others only have manpower to pull off a monthly edition. Whatever you decide, stick with it.

“There can be range of tactics, from written communications to email and print,” Cottrill said. “It can be as easy as regular town hall or department meetings with executive rounding to check on each department to talk about new initiatives.”

Efforts should be planned, consistent and measured, and not reliant on one person. Campaigns are most successful with a range of people involved: clinical messages should be coming from the chief medical officer or physicians, while the COO sends out operational messages.

Third, find a way to make staff communication two-way. It might be as simple as a suggestion box in the cafeteria or scheduling small group discussions where administrators can openly discuss ideas and concerns with employees. In hospitals, the CEO might make an executive round at 3 a.m. to connect with staff.

“It’s so important not only that employees can hear you … but that you can hear and interact with them,” Cottrill said. “It has to be very intentional because everyone has a role to play in the patient experience.”