The Power of Truth in PR

Posted on October 6, 2011 | Leave a comment

Healthcare PR is different, and you know it.  As a PR professional in this field, you aren’t just pushing out an event flyer or highlighting a new product to add to the company’s profit cycle.

The information you share with your publics can lengthen and improve their lives.   Or it can change their  minds about important policies.

For example, this blog post about the power of truth in healthcare from Thom Dahlborg on the Hospital Impact blog gives a glimpse into how a 5.4% increase in healthcare costs can truthfully be a good thing.  But the public won’t know that if the PR person in charge of the press release doesn’t reveal it.

It’s a thoughtful and important discussion that we must all have with ourselves.  How do you define truth in your PR materials?   How do you manage the riddle of what is really truth?

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Posted in Communications Resources, Health care public relations resources

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A Cotton Swab Probe Each Day Keeps the Germs Away

Posted on September 22, 2011 | Leave a comment

How to Prevent Infection after Surgery | FOX 11 News.

Patient Advocate Alicia Cole shared this story with the IHI Patient Advocacy group on Facebook.  One surgeon at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Dr. Shirin Towfigh, is reporting a six fold drop in infection rates by probing post-surgical wounds each day with a cotton swab. 

The story didn’t include any opposing views, much scientific evidence or additional sources — but it could be the start of a robust medical conversation.  I wonder what triggered the physician to try this in the first place?  

Alicia’s story is buried deeper in the story — she developed a life-threatening infection in a hospital that she says didn’t place a high priority on cleanliness.    (Perhaps there is a connection here:  could cotton swab wound probing serve as a hand-washing reminder to providers?  Just a thought…)  

Do you know of any other doctors or hospitals testing this treatment?

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Posted in Health care public relations resources, MRSA, Patient Safety

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New Hospital Patient Rights

Posted on September 7, 2011 | Leave a comment

Announcement from Medicare today:  Hospital patients have greater rights to determine who can visit and make decisions during a hospital stay. 

Continue reading →

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Posted in Communications Resources, Health care public relations resources, Health Care Reform

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PRSA Health Academy Honors Tom Vitelli and John R. Fears

Posted on June 30, 2011 | 1 Comment

Health care public relations and communications is a unique and powerful niche in our industry.  We shape more than what people think and do about their health, we often help  entire communities to improve living conditions for all its members.    It’s an always interesting, frequently frustrating and constantly changing industry.   Yet this special role tends to be overlooked in the masses of public relations activities for the snazzier clients in our business.  I’m happy to have this opportunity to post about two people who have contributed so much to the health care specialty in public relations.

Recognizing the best of health care public relations management and leadership at its annual conference in Washington, D.C., the PRSA Health Academy honored Tom Vitelli, APR, Fellow PRSA, and John R. Fears, who have demonstrated visionary leadership and a sound understanding of public relations principles.

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Twitter Chat Hosting Made Easy

Posted on June 9, 2011 | 2 Comments

How to Host a Twitter Chat by Suzanne Vara is a simple overview that I liked so much I just had to share it!  She includes plenty of “why you have to do this” tips along with the “this is what you need to do.”  And only eleven steps long!  

Step 8 was something I hadn’t thought about doing that would be worthwhile, for example:

8. Introduce Participants. Formally introducing chat participants to one another promotes participation by giving them someone to talk to. The biggest complaint we hear about chats is that people do not know where to jump in or who to talk to…..

Definitely a “keeper” resource to keep in the Social Media Tools file. 

You might like these posts too:

Take aways from the Mayo Ragan Social Media Conference, Spring 2011

Found in Cache resource for hospital social media marketers

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Posted in Communications Resources, Health care public relations resources, social media

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