For-Profit Conversion
If only the board of directors of Prince William Health System (PWHS) in Manassas,
Va., had consulted the community before seriously considering an offer
to sell to a national for-profit hospital chain, they would have known how unpopular
the idea would be. Last year, the board found out how much they underestimated
the importance of community input. In December 1998, the for-profit Universal
Health Services (UHS) announced its intention to buy PWHS, a not-for-profit
community hospital. This decision was made public at a time when efforts to
block for-profit expansion in Northern Virginia were firmly in place. The Coalition
to Protect Community Not-for-Profit Hospitals had recently formed to protect
the interest of at least 15 not-for-profit providers in the market. In addition,
the community saw PWHS as their hospital. The hospital, steeped in proud tradition,
was built from community-raised funds 25 years ago.
In spite of the strong community ties to the hospital, the board was scheduled
to vote on selling PWHS to UHS last April. The coalition had four months, between
January and April, to change their minds. To generate an anti-sale climate,
it hired the Widmeyer-Baker Group (TWBG) which developed a time-sensitive, integrated
"Save Our Hospital" campaign. Using a combination of aggressive community outreach,
targeted media relations, and high-frequency print advertising, the campaign
convinced the board to reverse its position. On March 31, the board voted unanimously
against the sale -- shocking many in the community who believed the acquisition
was a "done deal."
By forcing the decision-making process into the public arena, the campaign
used tactics that resonated with the board, which included:
- landing consistent media coverage on the potential dangers of for-profit
ownership -- like scaled-back charity care and education programs; and - working with elected officials to develop a series of legislation designed
to block, delay or redefine the sale.
Campaign Highlights
Budget: $25,000
Components: legislative and community outreach, media relations, print advertising
Target: PWHS board of directors, Manassas, Va.-area citizens, local elected
officials, local media
Key team players: Patrick Riccards, executive director; Tim Sullivan, advisor,
Joe Clayton, advisor (The Widmeyer-Baker Group)