Community RelationsHIPS: Building Reputation and Credibility in Your Community

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Community RelationsHIPSBuilding Reputation and
Credibility in Your Community

• Wisconsin HPRMS Conference
• Sept. 13, 1007
• Kathleen L. Lewton
• Principal, Lewton,SeekinsTrester

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Lets look forward, by first looking back . . .
. .

• To the good old days when
• Money flowed in
• Regulators were benevolent (who remembers HILL
  BURTON??????)
• Patients were docile
• Physicians were happy
• And neither HCR nor HRC had ever been heard of

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Looking back . . . .

• And even though all the players had different
  interests
• Physicians
• Nurses
• Hospitals
• Rx
• Vendors . . .
• Everyone managed to get along

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Looking back . . . . .

• Insurers paid (albeit slowly)
• Medicare paid
• Legislators were uninvolved
• And Payers ------ just paid (and gave away
  free health benefits)

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But then . . . .

• Someone at General Motors looked at the benefits
  line item and said Whats THIS????
• Someone at HCFA turned DRGs into a payment
  mechanism
• And the world changed, in an instant

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The system began to writhe

• Mergers and mega-mergers -- with corporate
  sounding names
• Whole new categories of companies -- PHOs, HSOs,
  MSOs, PPMs (and the concept of owning a doctor)
• And, of course, managed care -- as a cost
  management model rather than a health management
  model

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Available resources cant keep up with new tech
and treatments . . .

• And the players believe they can only succeed at
  the expense of a competitor or another category
• Its Us vs. THEM

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Everyone has had a turn . .

• In the bad guy role
• Rx prices
• Greedy doctors
• Cost-cutting, nurse-laying-off hospitals
• HMOs and insurers
• And today . . .
• Back to Rx prices
• And everyones a bad guy

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Everyone is telling their story

• MAJOR boon for advertising sales people
• Hospitals alone cluttering the airwaves
• Cutting-edge, state-designated, best doctors in
  Podunk
• Stereotactic radiosurgery and more jargon
• NCQA accredited
• Healthgrades, US News ratings, JD Power Awards,
  Magnets and more
• A total blare of noise

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What else does the public see?

• The AMA becoming lobbyists
• Physicians writing prescriptions in return for
  pizza (or being incentivized by HMOs)
• JCAHO promoting its seal of approval
• Drug companies selling as fast as they can
• Hospitals dumping patients
• Miracle cures . . . . . debunked

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WWW.total confusion

• At a time when they have more access to
  information than ever before . . . .
• Theres no trusted source
• Every web site seems to say something different
  (how drug X killed my dad)
• Sponsorship of websites often cleverly hidden

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All of this is played out . . .

• In the glare of the media spotlight -- with more
  minutes and inches of coverage than ever before
• Reporters (fewer and fewer with HC or medical
  expertise) hop on any hot story
• Highlight the studies that are contradictory
• Red wine will a) kill, b) heal, c)who knows

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And THEN there are the legislators

• Who see a great opportunity look like saviors by
  fixing the system
• And here we are in the middle of a multi-year
  presidential campaign with dozens of candidates
  who all have a solution

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And so today . . . .

• All health care, all the time
• Every sector is seen as a villain or potential
  villain
• And we all provide enough fodder to make the
  concerns realistic
• The transition from white hat to black hat is
  nearly complete
• And the public doesnt know who or what to trust

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Without trust . . .

• The bond that is essential for human service
  organizations is broken
• The impact is massive
• From clinical outcomes
• To philanthropic support
• To overregulation
• To patients not trusting caregivers

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Lets take a closer look at what HCOs can do to
rebuild trust
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Its back to our roots

• Hospitals exist with the tacit permission of the
  communities they serve
• And the only force that ever stopped the WalMart
  juggernaut was organized community opposition
• So its time for total immersion in the
  community, building trust by being there, being
  credible and demonstrating caring

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Back to the very basics

• Relationships are HIP
• We put a face on the organization, we personalize
  it
• Its harder to dislike organizations where you
  know the people

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CR 101begins with the basics

• Advisory Boards are foundational strategy
• IF you use them effectively
• Have a role and goal
• Cast a broad net
• Create a solid structure
• Listen and then respond
• Make them insiders
• Use them as loyal advocates

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And the old stand-bysstill work!

• The Speakers Bureau
• Give it a jazzy name, a logo, a brochure, a
  champion and youve got SB for a new decade
• HCOs have what consumers want nice smart people
  who know a lot about health care
• And community organizations have what HCOs want -
  podium, audiences

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The all new SB

• The SB must be carefully managed
• Seek out platforms that match marketing strategy
• Prep and train speakers, send out with HCOs core
  messages
• Evaluate and monitor
• Seize the day breaking news

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And tours are still hot

• HCOs especially hospitals fascinate the
  public, especially young people
• And all those kids have parents who will read the
  stuff you send home
• And there are other ways to get the consumers
  into you facility

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Tours 2007

• Offer free meeting space and tack on a
  mini-tour to one of your hot service lines
• For target audiences, supplement the (well
  trained and monitored) tour guide with a
  physician in a hot specialty

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Tours Upgraded Make Influential Outsiders
INSIDERS

• Invite the right people -- create a powerful
  database
• Yes, the usual suspects (mayor, council, biz
  CEOs) BUT go further
• Look at ALL segments of your community
  (education, arts, social services, labor unions,
  minority groups, etc.) and do the research to
  find the leaders

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Tours Upgraded Make Influential Outsiders
INSIDERS

• THEN do one more scan who are people who can
  influence several hundred other people
• Clergy, activists, Junior League president, etc.
• Map out the spheres of influence and mixmatch on
  your invitation list

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Make the Influencers Insiders

• Treat influentials like the special people they
  are
• Private, first-class dinner hosted by CEO,
  chairman of the Board
• Exciting presentation by compelling physician on
  a hot or timely topic

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Make the Influencers Insiders

• After the partys over . . . . . the work has
  just begun
• That was the first date now comes the courtship
• Frequent personal updates from CEO (letters,
  one-on-ones, etc.)
• Insider status they hear the news FIRST
• Find ways to involve them based on their needs

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Next up Taking Insiders Out

• Community liaisons can be the best communications
  channel ever!
• Takes time and careful management, but pays huge
  dividends
• Find the people in your HCO who know the people
  out in the community

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Insiders Out Liaisons

• Begin with audit of whos involved in what and
  dont just ask management
• Grid it out
• Invite participation, outline role clearly,
  provide incentives
• Most important incentive is feeling of
  contribution
• Ambassador title and a plaque also help!

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Insiders Out Liaisons

• Liaisons primary role LISTEN
• Early warning system for emerging issues or
  anti-HCO sentiment
• Need easy mechanism for getting info and feedback
  to PR
• When needed, liaisons can also deliver messages
  but must be done without compromising their
  status in the group

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Insiders Out Liaisons

• The true value of this program becomes evident
  when you have a crisis and need to get truth to
  the community
• OR when you have an issue and need to build
  grassroots support

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Insiders Out Mobilize employees to meet a
community need

• Pick a project -- or several and challenge
  every employee to participate
• Let employees nominate projects they value and
  support
• Employee committee can select finalists/winners

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Next up Partnerships, not SPONSORSHIPS

• Sponsorships -- in return for a logo (one
  among many) on a 5K Walk T-shirt
• ROI negligible
• Partnerships long-term side-by-side commitment
  that builds trust and relationships

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The Partnership Paradigm Hard Work

• Mission goes real-time
• Begin with the communitys need (not the HCOs
  agenda)
• You may need to lead the community needs
  assessment (which is a great position)
• ID problems which can be solved at local level
• Focus on healthy communities

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Partnership principles

• Pick the problems that you are most suited to
  address
• Find one or more appropriate partners (generally
  local, but other sources can support with funding
  i.e., RX companies)
• Media outlets can be great partners just be
  equitable
• Manage the partnership like a business
  measurable objectives, biz plan, monitoring and
  evaluation

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Partnership principles

• The HCO can provide brains, or brawn or bucks
  or all three
• Finding ways to create a new community dental
  service, and/or hands-on projects like housing
  rehab (lead-free paint impacts childrens health
  and health care utilization)

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Partnership benefits

• Youre OUT THERE, being visible and credible
• Your people work side by side with other
  community leaders
• The ultimate win/win

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The partnership menu

• Immunizations
• Parent education
• Drug hotlines
• The list is endless, two key criteria
• Must meet an IDENTIFIED community need
• Must be a long-term commitment

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And make sure the Board is involved, too

• Board members are from and of the community
  built-in crediblity
• Board CR Committee should take the lead
• Opinion leader visits, briefing
  lunches/breakfasts
• All Board members should have briefing cards and
  info updated regularly

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The Last Word(s)

• CR should be seen as a primary PR function NOT
  as an add on to someone elses job
• Not budget intensive when compared to other
  functions, but it does take staffing
• Takes commitment from senior management
  personal time commitment

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The Last Word(s)

• The ROI in terms of credibility, trust, the gut
  feelings is significant
• And it can be measured
• Influentials attitudes before and after
  relationship building
• Consumer awareness and opinions
• And measure HCO participant satisfaction, too
  (the extra bonus)

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Bonus Points Legislative Relationsas an
Extension of CR
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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Make it a priority
• Designate a member of the management team to be
  responsible for running the program (with
  responsibilities ranging from ongoing legislative
  contacts to internal briefings/training and
  legislative databases)
• Translate the hospitals legislative position on
  national issues for local press and editorial
  boards
• Make a government relations report a standing
  agenda item at Board and management staff
  meetings

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Make it a priority
• Involve trustees and management staff in regular
  legislator and staff briefings
• Take trustees and key managers on legislative
  visits to the state and national capitols
• Regularly brief all members of the HCO family
  employees, volunteers, vendors/suppliers,
  patients, etc. Dont wait until theyre needed
  to write letters or make calls

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Building real relationships with legislators and
  staff
• Know who the health care organizations
  legislators are federal, state, and local
• Identify who knows whom which people within
  the HCO have personal relationships with
  legislators and can serve as intermediaries and
  endorsers

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Building relationships
• Set up ROUTINE meetings with the CEO and the
  health care organizations legislators and city
  officials
• Get to know the legislators staff members
  field reps at their local offices and
  administrative assistants in the statehouse and
  federal offices

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Building relationships
• Be helpful offer the chance to address the
  health care organizations employees, medical
  staff members, board members, or other large,
  influential gatherings
• Make sure your trade association keeps you posted
  on the key issues and positions of your state and
  federal representatives
• Consider establishing key contact programs,
  modeled after those used by corporations

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Continue the relationship
• Conduct briefings for legislators at the health
  care organization at least yearly and make your
  schedule fit theirs. Update them on changes and
  achievements, and share your position on any
  pending or potential issues
• Involve political leaders in your health care
  organizations board.
• Take the lead in getting health care
  organizations to work together on key issues

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Ongoing Legislative Relations Programs

• Always focus the health care organizations
  message on people
• Pre-qualify potential partners and advocates
• Through issues management function, identify
  supporters
• Build relationships before theyre needed
  through CR 101