How We Think

For years hospitals have struggled to define quality care in ways that speak to patients and consumers. But not only are quality benchmarking resources unknown to the less sophisticated consumer, but also an A+ rating one day could be an “average” ranking the next. Your brand’s ability to meaningfully reflect quality will increasingly be defined by those with whom you relate … the physicians, clinical staff and patients with whom you need to communicate and collaborate to create relationships that will have everyone endorsing your brand in a new social universe.

But what is the common thread that ties together quality care that is delivered to, experienced and sought by prospective patients? Relationships … collaborative relationships between hospitals and physicians ensure effective two-way communication, seamless delivery, care continuity and optimal outcomes when the patient is returned to the care of his or her referring physician. The physicians are confident the hospital is committed to delivering excellent quality and a positive patient outcome.

This month KHJ is rolling out phase two of a brand campaign we created for Commonwealth Care Alliance, a not-for-profit care delivery system that provides patient-centric solutions for beneficiaries of Medicare and Medicaid. As I think back over the year since we first began working together to bring their brand to life, I continue to be struck by the sameness of the healthy, active people featured in typical health care advertising and can’t help but start to hum that old R.E.M. song, “Shiny, Happy People.”

With the Affordable Care act gaining traction as current data suggests as many as 9 million Americans have signed up for health insurance through exchanges, hospitals across the country are preparing to take a hit. With a new paradigm for healthcare delivery that has fewer patients needing hospital care at the same time hospitals must be staffed and ready to care for anyone who needs specialized hospital care, organizations are squeezed. How can a hospital negotiate lean balance sheets and lean staff with the requirements to provide safe, cost-effective care that assures optimal outcomes and patient satisfaction?