Eight years ago when the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in Morgantown, W.Va., went full speed ahead with its marketing plans to become the health information leader for the state, its state funding of $19 million was being threatened and the state's health needs were tremendous. Now the center is known as the state's authority on healthcare policy and issues and its funding has swelled to $25 million.
"West Virginia is a poor health state with high [rates of] lung disease, diabetes, cancer and heart disease. To meet the state's needs, we had to change [the Center's] image of being Morgantown-based to serving the whole state's health needs," recalls Virginia Hunt, the Center's VP of planning and strategic initiatives.
Pulling off this behemoth marketing mission required bringing together the Center's 57 marketers and PR pros who hailed from its schools, hospitals, clinics and health plans. Also high on the agenda was forging strong informational relationships with the local media to the point of making paid advertisements a distant secondary goal.
These media relationships took six years to cement, requiring the communications department to possess a passion for jump-starting citizen involvement on health policy issues and training physicians on being media savvy.
"It is crucial to have a talented [communications] staff to pull something like this off, we try to make discussing health topics as painless as possible for the doctors," said Jay Caughlin, the Center's director of communications, whose staff has trained more than 100 doctors (two a week).
Making a Name for "Dr. Bob"
Becoming the state's information leader required a savvy, credible medical spokesperson who could communicate the healthcare industry's most difficult issues like the Clinton administration health plan, managed care and other pressing policy issues. And Dr. Robert D'Alessandri fit this tall order for the Center. As a front line health policy advocate, "Dr. Bob" (as he is known throughout the state) was already highly involved in shaping health initiatives as a contributor to Clinton's health plan and regularly testifying in Washington and hobnobbing with key health legislators. So when WCHS, a top TV station in Charleson, W.Va., was looking for a medical reporter. Dr. Bob was a shoo-in.
"He made a commitment to learn about the broadcast industry," said Hunt, who along with Caughlin, prepped the doctor for his live health commentary every Thursday for the station, a two-hour flight away. For two minutes, Dr. Bob discussed the "disease du jour," making sure not to plug specific physicians.
These reports hit a health nerve throughout the state's 55 counties and with the media, evolving into two-minute TV segments on WTRF - Wheeling and WDTV - Charleston.
This prime media exposure quickly led to other high-profile media partnerships, including:
- "Doctors On Call" a half-hour health show that airs on three West Virginia public TV stations throughout the state and has tackled topical issues like depression, diabetes and heart disease. Communicators have trained hundreds of physicians for the show, and last week, the Center produced its 200th show.
- West Virginia public radio commentaries on eight radio stations that feature Dr. Bob speaking his mind on hot button issues like medical records privacy and alcoholism.
- West Virginia Health Issues Web site (http://www.healthissues.wvu.edu) that generates debate on timely health policy issues like the tobacco settlement, non-profit vs. for profit healthcare and managed care. Launched last year, the issues Web site attracted the Charleston Gazette newspaper, West Virginia public radio and U.S. Senator John D. Rockefeller (D) as major Web partners. Although the site has strong potential (generating about 400 hits a month), the Center isn't sure of its long-term future.
Labor of Love
As hard as the Center's communicators and marketers work, they still get slack from hospital executives who want to know why they aren't seeing more of an advertising presence in the region. But Hunt counters this criticism by arguing that the Center's multiple, resource-rich communications programs would cost the equivalent of more than $9 million in advertising.
In terms of raising the state's health awareness levels, the Center can boast these achievements:
- After its TV commentaries and health reports, viewers generate 25 to 50 appointments a week.
- Dr. Bob is frequently greeted by the state's citizens who know him familiarly as "Dr. Bob."
- Dr. Bob is routinely asked to chair legislative committees on health policy. (Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center; 304/293-7251)
Leading The Way on Health Advocacy
Thinking about taking the lead on health information in your area? Make sure it's a "natural position" for your health organization to take, says Virginia Hunt and Jay Caughlin, who headed up the communications initiatives for the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center to become the authoritative health resource for West Virginia. Their advice includes:
- Assessing your community's health needs and crafting a communications mission of having the best informed citizens on healthcare issues in your area.
- Tapping into available resources. Academic healthcare organizations are strong candidates for health advocacy initiatives because of their educational and credible position in the community.
- Evaluating your staff. Talented and committed communicators who can train physicians on media relations and research health topics are a must.