Are you leveraging your most effective hospital marketing asset? The American Hospital Association reports there are over 5,700 medical facilities in the United States. If you were to calculate the number of employees working in this industry, it would be in the hundreds of thousands. That is a lot of Facebook pages, tweets, blogs and forum posts at your disposal.
Are you leveraging your most effective hospital marketing asset? The American Hospital Association reports there are over 5,700 medical facilities in the United States. If you were to calculate the number of employees working in this industry, it would be in the hundreds of thousands. That is a lot of Facebook pages, tweets, blogs and forum posts at your disposal.
Marketers can use those voices as part of a campaign to build the brand, but only if administrators learn to pinpoint potential employee problems. This generates feedback that is upbeat and creates a successful internal marketing platform.
Treat the Hospital like an Ecosystem
That means keeping the balance intact. Departments tend to be territorial with not everyone understanding the importance of collaboration and interdisciplinary communication. Take advantage of cross-training opportunities to build better flow. Above all else, treat the staff as a whole, instead of isolating them by job function. The man who cleans the floors is just as critical as the nurse who provides patient care.
Foster Community Spirit
Build a sense of community within the hospital. Produce newsletters, sponsor company events and develop wellness campaigns. Teach administrators to recognize the staff as individuals, not cogs in a big machine. If you treat the hospital like a community of healthcare specialists, they will see it that way, too.
Train the Managers in the Art of Customer Service
If you want positive internal hospital marketing, then managers need to treat the staff like they are customers. Educate them to resolve conflict without derogation or condescension. Promote management is a service, not a dictatorship.
Create Vision
If you make them collaborators working towards a common vision, then they will fight to see it through. Share future goals with them and offer a rewards system for over-the-top performance. Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, NJ celebrated National Nurses Week by recognizing nurses that provide leadership and inspirational motivation.
Hospitals that Do It Right
Healthcare Business & Technology offers some examples of hospitals that use innovation to make the staff proud. Nottingham Hospital, for instance, offers wireless technology to the staff, so nurses can contact doctors without the hassle of a beeper system. Fauquier Hospital in Warrenton, Virginia maintains its own garden to grow the organic herbs and produce used in their bistro-style restaurant.
Pamper the staff by recognizing what they need.
- Career development opportunities
- Tuition reimbursement
- Input
- Positive feedback
- Scheduling flexibility
- Childcare choices
- Innovative technology
- Proper benefits
A sense of caring will promote a positive and nurturing work environment that makes them proud. That translates into fewer turnovers, less staffing problems and positive industry feedback.
Internal marketing by improving employee relations provides you with a free promotion channel. When the staff is proud of the workplace and happy to be part of a larger process, they will spread the word. That positive feedback reflects on the community’s view of the hospital, and will improve patient experiences. That is a lot of people saying good things about one brand.