The story about a cutting edge procedure called "delayed interval delivery," which allowed a mother to deliver twin boys 92 days apart, catapulted the Rockford Health System (RHS) into the national spotlight.
The January 1997 procedure, which set a world record, was supported with a well-orchestrated media relations effort at the Rockford, Ill.-based health system. Within one-month, the team pulled together several resources - from conducting extensive medical research to prepping both the family and physicians for media interviews and finally, responding to the hundreds of press requests.
The PR effort, budgeted at $6,750, resulted in the equivalent of $980,000 in regional and national advertising exposure.
HPRMN recognized this campaign last month with an honorable mention for its "Best PR & Marketing Campaigns of 1997."
The story's dramatic message - a mother's determination to deliver her high risk twins despite being told by two hospitals that they would likely die - conveyed a powerful sense of hope the media gravitates toward, says Michelle Gorham, lead PR specialist at RHS. RHS's Regional Perinatal Center was the Pasaye family's last resort.
Capturing the Visual
Pre-release planning included a special release of information for the parents to sign and coaching the physicians and family members for interviews.
The pivotal PR component involved the video taped interview with the parents, which was used for b-roll footage for regional and national media. The video captured the family visiting their first-born in the neonatal intensive care unit and shared their thoughts about the rare procedure.
The tape was key because it prevented the media from disrupting the family with multiple interviews during a tense period, says Helen Brooks, RHS's corporate director of communications.
For the print media, the team commissioned a medical illustration of the procedure.
Overcoming the Media Glitches
Despite its well-orchestrated efforts to accommodate the media and be sensitive to the family, the campaign did run into some glitches.
The original plan called for releasing the news of the second baby's birth after the mother returned home from the hospital, giving her time to recuperate.
Strong rapport and open communication with the family and physicians aided in this planning. For example, the PR team created a 24-hour on-call plan for the family to contact them as soon as the mother went into labor with the second baby.
But the story was leaked to the Chicago media, speeding the time frame for releasing information to national press.
Planning the news conference with the family was difficult because the first baby underwent surgery the day prior to the planned date. It was possible that the first born would not be able to join his brother at the conference. Luckily he made it.
Accommodating the Media
On the day of the second baby's birth, Jan. 26, 1997, the media descended on RHS, en masse to capture the powerful visual of the twins together for the first time. And the PR team was ready. "We allowed news agencies to use our landing port [on the roof] for flying in," says Gorham. The team also:
- Arranged appropriate rooms for family and media and investigated infection control policies to protect the twins;
- Rented sound equipment for reporters to help minimize inconvenience for broadcast media; and
- Arranged to have computers, phones and a dark room for network/wire media use.
The efforts resulted in tremendous coverage within a short time frame. From mid-January to early February, the campaign generated:
- 37 national broadcast stories on shows like "Good Morning America" and "CBS This Morning."
- 119 print stories, including People and McCalls magazines.
- Since mid-February, the coverage expanded to the "Today Show," "Geraldo" and "The Caryl and Marilyn Show." (RHS, Michelle Gorham, 815/971-6239; Helen Brooks, 815/971-7333)
Media Strategy Delivers High Impact Image
The successful outcome of Rockford Health System's delayed interval delivery procedure for the Pasaye family drew attention to the facility on several fronts - from highlighting its highly technical expertise with pregnant women to demonstrating the value of referral relationships.
Using a full range of media relations strategies, the PR team's most effective tools included:
- Videotaping the family which was used for b-roll to the media;
- Coaching the family and physicians about media behavior when trying to access a story; and
- Working with physicians to create an easily understandable description of the procedure and its history to the media.
Source: Rockford Health System