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In COVID-19, High Stakes, Issue Navigation

Confronting the New COVID-19 Surge: 5 Communications Considerations for Healthcare Leaders

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With the holidays upon us, healthcare leaders and workers are facing a nightmare scenario: Already high COVID infections will surge to new heights in the wake of holidays gatherings.

Healthcare workers who are already exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally will be left to care for patients who did not heed the warnings of public health officials. And healthcare leaders face a daunting array of high-stakes communications challenges that must be thoughtfully navigated.

We are focusing our attention on five areas where communications can help your organization confront the COVID-19 surge and prepare for other imminent milestones:

  • Workforce resiliency and support. Healthcare workers are drained. To make matters worse, many people continue to ignore public health recommendations that would help limit the spread of the virus. That leaves already-exhausted healthcare workers to deal with the consequences – potentially even including rationing of care. Healthcare leaders need to make sure their employees have access to mental health resources. We are helping organizations take stock of their employees and provide them with much needed support. Our new volume of The Art of Change addresses this critical issue, with both high-level context and practical insights. (We will continue to add to this volume over the course of the next month as we evaluate the pandemic’s ongoing toll on our employees.)
  • Prepare communications for the most likely COVID scenarios. It’s a bit of déjà vu for healthcare leaders: needing to prepare communications for suspending services, limiting visitation, staffing shortages, calling in COVID-19-positive but asymptomatic caregivers to work, capacity issues, facility closures, remote work and even the possibility of rationing care. We can help you prepare for these scenarios and others by proactively developing talking points, FAQs, memos, media materials and more.
  • Share your safety message. Patients need to feel safe so that life-saving care is not delayed. We are helping healthcare organizations develop and share their safety message by highlighting tactics like mask requirements, isolation of COVID patients, enhanced cleaning procedures, etc. Patients need to continue hearing these messages.
  • Be the healthcare voice of authority in your community. With the election over and COVID infections surging, the media is again focusing on the virus. Use media interest to your advantage. We are working with clients to provide regular media and community leaders briefings. This will rightly position your organization as the community healthcare expert and will give you the ability to lay the groundwork for strategic issues like public health, your caregivers’ commitment and additional government funding.
  • Develop a communications strategy for the next hot button issues: vaccine distribution and the January 1 CMS price transparency rule. In a matter of weeks your organization will be tasked with sharing information about these issues. We are working with clients to develop messages for internal and external audiences, communications toolkits with talking points, FAQs memos, media statement and communications cadences.

We know the challenges you face are daunting, and we are here to help.

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In High Stakes, Issue Navigation

Safe to Return: Behavioral Health and Pandemic Anxiety

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We are living in a pivotal moment for healthcare organizations as they face an unprecedented, existential threat.

Today’s healthcare leaders – from clinicians to executives – face a vexing challenge: how to successfully lead their organizations, patients and communities through a global pandemic. There is great opportunity in making changes to fulfill their missions and provide care and support to patients, the public and employees. A new approach to influencing and driving change is needed – an approach built from established clinical principles combined with effective communications practices.

Since behavioral health clinicians work daily to reduce patients’ anxiety and help them feel comfortable in specific situations, we turned to this field for insight. In addition to asking for ways to address pandemic-inspired anxiety and fear, we have captured their actionable advice on how healthcare leaders can most effectively guide their organizations today.

Read the white paper

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In High Stakes, Issue Navigation

Dealing with the Holiday Message: CEO Words Can Bridge Chasms in Today’s Workforce

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We may be a divided country, but we are not a divided workplace.

Our political differences are real, but healthcare providers are unified in the mission of caring for people. Two weeks out from a contentious, exhausting election, healthcare CEOs need to bring that urgent message to their organizations. Right now. They cannot allow lingering political tensions to creep into that shared mission and common purpose. Instead, smart CEOs are using their visibility and voice to begin healing any cracks that may have appeared in their workforces.

Healthcare executives should take advantage of our entry into the holiday season and create authentically heartfelt messages of thanks for their teams. Words aren’t everything, but they’re a critical place to start. Here are some thoughts to get you going with yours.

  • We are a divided country. We will not pretend that there aren’t massive political differences among us. Some are elated with the election results, others are terrified.
  • Even so, we are not, and cannot be a divided workplace. We all must stay together to fulfill our mission and to answer our calling.
  • We owe each other respect despite our differences, and we should be kind to each other in the same way that we are kind and caring to all patients.
  • With the world being so uncertain right now, we owe it to each other to create certainty and calmness in the workplace.
  • We know everyone is stressed – it’s a helluva year. We, as leaders, are committed to helping manage that stress by focusing on what we can control. That is, the kindness we show to each other and the care that we deliver to patient.We are asking you to do the same.
  • Questions, concerns, hopes or fears? Tell us. We are here for you. Send us a note/stop by the office.

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In Firm News

Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock Joins The Chartis Group

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Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc., a Nashville-based strategic communications and change management firm serving the healthcare industry, announced today that it had been acquired by The Chartis Group, a leading healthcare advisory and analytics firm.

Founded in 2006, award-winning Jarrard Inc. ranks among the top 10 healthcare communications firms in the nation. Specializing in areas such as issue navigation, transformation adoption, change management, strategic positioning and M&A, Jarrard has served more than 500 healthcare provider clients.

Jarrard joins Chartis at a time of great promise and challenge in the nation’s healthcare delivery landscape. US hospitals, health systems and other providers are confronted with dynamic operational, clinical and financial challenges while simultaneously being presented with unlimited opportunities for disruption and innovation. In both cases, organizations are facing the need to evolve and continue to grow and transform – which requires not only new strategic, clinical, digital and operating models – but also the ability to ensure their effective implementation and adoption. To that end, Jarrard brings great complementary strengths to Chartis.

“The power of what our two organizations can do together to help clients fully achieve their strategic and operational objectives could not be greater,” said Ken Graboys, CEO of The Chartis Group. “We believe successful, sustainable transformation requires effective change management and communications. By partnering with Jarrard, we can more effectively deliver results for our clients and the healthcare industry at large.”

“We are combining the power of effective communications with the exceptional strategic, financial, technological and operational expertise of Chartis,” said David Jarrard, CEO of Jarrard Inc. “We are bringing together the art and the science of change to a rapidly-evolving industry and in service to a mission – shared by both organizations – to make healthcare better.”

The acquisition of Jarrard furthers Chartis’ commitment to providing US healthcare providers best-in-class advisory capabilities. Under the partnership, like other sister companies, Jarrard retains its brand, culture, leadership and approach to client service, while being augmented by the expertise and resources of Chartis. The acquisition of Jarrard follows Chartis’ acquisition of The Greeley Company in 2019 and Oncology Solutions in 2018.

PALAZZO served as exclusive financial advisor to Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock Inc. in this transaction.

About Jarrard Inc. 
With offices in Nashville, Tenn. and Chicago, Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc. is a U.S. top 10 strategic communications consulting firm for the nation’s leading healthcare providers experiencing significant change, challenge or opportunity. Founded in 2006, the firm has worked with more than 500 clients in 45 states and has led communications and political strategy for $60 billion in announced M&A and partnership transactions. The firm specializes in M&A, change management, issue navigation and strategic positioning, and has recently worked alongside 75-plus healthcare organizations navigating the impact of COVID-19. For more information, visit jarrardinc.com.

About The Chartis Group
The Chartis Group® (Chartis) provides comprehensive advisory services and analytics to the healthcare industry. With an unparalleled depth of expertise in strategic planning, performance excellence, informatics and technology, digital and emerging technologies, and health analytics, Chartis helps leading academic medical centers, integrated delivery networks, children’s hospitals and healthcare service organizations achieve transformative results. Chartis has offices in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York, Minneapolis and San Francisco. For more information, visit www.chartis.com.

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In Change Management, High Stakes, Strategic Positioning

Part 2 – The New Healthcare Marketing: Precision-Based Execution

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In an earlier post, nationally recognized healthcare marketer Reed Smith teased the need for healthcare marketers to drive engagement through precise targeting. Smith is a 20-year veteran of healthcare marketing and digital innovation who serves as Jarrard Inc.’s vice president of digital strategy. We asked him to get deeper into what precision-based execution means and some specific tactics for giving it a go.

Jarrard Inc.: Explain what you mean by precision-based execution

Reed Smith: It’s about avoiding broad digital marketing campaigns. Of course, sometimes you do need to go broad with, say a general brand awareness campaign. But for the most part, when you’re thinking about service line marketing, service line growth or patient acquisition, you need to be going after very specific people. And some of the typical approaches – like running radio ads – may not make sense.

JI: Has the need for or anything about this rifle approach changed over the past few months?

RS: The last eight months have created some interesting nuances. Think about the flu shot. We’re focusing on everyone getting a flu shot going into the winter, so that’s tens, hundreds of millions of people who need it. But providers can still be very specific about the messaging they’re using. It’s not, “Hey, everyone needs to get the flu shot.” It’s differentiating between and speaking directly to moms with kids at homes or empty-nesters or teens.

All of that is going to weigh into where you get the shot, the message that you hear convincing you to get it, the medium used to deliver that message – is it a video or a photo an ad on the local public radio station?

JI: We also know the messenger is critical. How do you combine the right precision-based message with the right messenger?

RS: With digital tools, we have a true opportunity to bring that message to the right people via the right messenger in fairly straightforward ways.

People want to hear from physicians, nurses, therapists, APPs and other caregivers. Once provider organizations have identified those people, digital channels lend themselves to expertise and thought leadership. Think about all the live content we see on Instagram or Facebook or YouTube. People are already accustomed to these types of environments because they’re already doing webinars and taking to other leaders through Zoom.

JI: But are people going to see that content?

RS: Historically, we’ve seen mediocre organic performance on social channels. Healthcare marketing has had to push pay-for-performance if we wanted anyone to see our content. But a side effect of COVID-19 is that we’ve gotten a lot more traffic to our sites because people are looking for medical information they can trust, and providers have been sharing it. We’re seeing a wave of organic traffic. Now we need to leverage that opportunity.

JI: Whether a provider feels behind or keeping pace with digital, how do they grab the opportunity you just mentioned? For example, do they just start doing Facebook live or take a more measured approach?

RS: Historically I’ve been a heavy proponent of “proceed until apprehended.” But it’s important to put some nuance on that. When it comes to digital marketing there’s value in trying things out, beta testing new approaches to figure out how useful they’ll be. You mentioned Facebook live. It’s hard to understand the ins and outs and how useful it’ll be without just using it.

But ultimately, you need to think through a strategy and a plan before you get too far down the road. Healthcare marketers need to answer the question about what a new tactic means for the organization – both strategically and tactically. The other issue to keep in mind is the politics. “If I do something with one physician, does that affect another physician?” Overall, though, if you have an understand of what’s going on across the organization and have built enough credibility to get permission to test and tinker, it’s great to get into the lab and figure out what works.

JI: What else have providers learned over the past few months?

RS: What I’ve found interesting is the expectations around virtual care and other alternative delivery methods. We’ve talked a lot about telehealth and how people have experienced it and loved it. But think, too, about drive-through testing for COVID-19. That’s all in place so drive-through flu shots wouldn’t be a stretch, right? So, organizations have an opportunity because the baseline has been reset.

If you want figure out how your organization stacks up when it comes to digital maturity, check out our 28-question, 15-minute Digital Maturity Survey. You’ll get a complimentary scorecard and benchmark against industry averages.

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In Change Management, High Stakes, Strategic Positioning

The New Healthcare Marketing: Measure Twice. Improve Once.

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We’ve long said that measurement is one of the consistent deficiencies we observe when it comes to healthcare marketing. We’re typically referring to marketing analytics – reach, engagement, reputation, etc. when we say that. But what really needs to happen is that we measure, well, everything.

Providers today must have a baseline understanding of where they are today so they can either consolidate recent gains or make adjustments based on existing deficiencies (or both). A recent McKinsey study suggests that adoption of digital tools by consumers and businesses has vaulted forward five years in just a few months. It’s happened in healthcare, largely with telehealth. But we have to go deeper. It’s not just spooling up new platforms. It’s ingraining digital thinking into the organization’s psyche, getting buy-in from leadership, making targeted investments in tools and people, and yes, measuring the crap out of everything.

It’s also about setting expectations for what digital thinking can do for healthcare providers. This is where providers are lagging. In our conversations with clients and friends from a variety of healthcare provider organizations, we’re repeatedly hearing that people simply don’t have a great understanding of what the expectations for digital are or should be.

To set those expectations, you have to be able to show what digital can do for your organization. But it’s hard to show what digital can do without having the infrastructure in place to do it.

The fix? Instead of going for the homer, swing for singles and doubles with things like:

  • Listing management
  • Scheduling tools
  • Patient portals
  • Chatbots for frequently asked questions

These are all easy to identify. Not always simple to execute, but manageable. For example, since you want people to find the right information when they search for you online, start with that foundational piece. And if you want people to schedule care at their (and your) convenience, look at online tools.

Let’s be clear: This isn’t optional anymore. Since March, the pandemic has forced providers to get those foundational pieces in place. So much care moved online during the pandemic, and we’re still waiting to see what the new equilibrium looks like. As patient expectations have shifted even more towards digital options, providers desperately need to invest in getting the basics right – even though doing so will take some work.

Aside from being the right thing for patients, it’s important for marketers to think big but act small. You need to know what marketing can do for your organization and what digital tools can do for your marketing. That’s the big thinking. But none of that can happen without the day-to-day execution. Ultimately, it’s about people. It’s too easy to get lost in some of the bigger ideas, which just leads to frustrated consumers, distracted marketing teams and dead ends for everyone. Realistically, we have to focus on connecting with narrow groups of people, driving engagement and helping them find solutions to specific needs.

That’s where precision-based execution comes in. More on that soon.

In the meantime, if you want figure out how your organization stacks up when it comes to digital maturity, check out our new 28-question, 15-minute Digital Maturity Survey. You’ll get a complimentary scorecard and benchmark against industry averages.

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In Change Management, High Stakes

You Are What You Eat!

A paper towel with measuring cups and spoons sitting on top

Four Ways to Feed the Health of Your Employees and Your Health System

I love whole foods and can eat veggies nonstop. My body returns the favor with loads of energy and the endurance I need to focus and get through the day. But like so many people, when I’m busy and overwhelmed, the first thing I neglect is my health. Whether it’s eating junk food, ignoring the treadmill, or feeding my soul useless thoughts and doubting self-talk, I begin to suffer from a lack of self-care and concern. I get sluggish. I become lazy, unproductive and feel empty and uptight.

Oh, the irony.

The same is true for the health of your health system. Regardless of today’s stressors – the immense pace of change, technology, your race to improve HCAHPS scores and reduce hospital-acquired infections – at the end of the day, healthcare is still a people business. What you feed your employees is reflected in your patient experience scores, reputation, revenue and even the state of your bricks and mortar.

These four ingredients provide the immediate nourishment your employees and organization need to stay healthy and productive:

  1. A cup of curiosity – Research shows that curiosity is vital to performance. Fostering an environment of curiosity in the workplace, while showing genuine interest in your people, is essential. As humans, we crave attention and long to know that someone cares. The simple act of asking questions to learn more about your employees meets this basic need and leads to better engagement and higher levels of productivity.

But take it one step further. Look for opportunities to create time and space for curiosity each day. A great way to begin is by asking leading questions before interjecting your ideas or the outcome. Be willing to pause, listen and acknowledge when you don’t know the answer. This vulnerability establishes trust and connection.

The bottom line: Curiosity helps us think more deeply and sensibly about decisions. It also improves collaboration, fuels innovation and creative solutions to complex challenges, while strengthening our ability to adapt to change and pressure more quickly.

  1. A tablespoon of collaboration – Employees need to have a voice; it’s critical to their health. When you create an environment that honors and supports two-way dialogue and communication, employees are happier, more collaborative and productive.

Fostering collaboration lines up closely with fostering creativity. Do a pulse check during your next meeting. Ask questions and call on people to share their thoughts and ideas. Consider calling on people by name, or saying, ‘We’ve covered our agenda, what else is on your mind?’ to draw input from those who may not have spoken. Rotate who leads your daily meetings. Ask everyone to share a win from the week. Also, from time to time provide an outlet for anonymous opinions through a dedicated phone line or online pulse poll.

The bottom line: Outlets for expression foster an environment of innovative thinking, improve teamwork and promote a healthy balance between new ideas and the tried-and-true.

  1. A dash of recognition – The majority of employees aren’t solely motivated by their paycheck. A study in Harvard Business Review revealed that 87 percent of employed Americans don’t feel they’re recognized enough, and 40 percent admit they’d work harder if they were recognized more.

Do you recognize your people? Not the “great job” recognition, but the “I see you and know who you are” recognition. Do you know their names, where they work, what they do and how they like to spend free time? I worked for a CEO who insisted on access to photos, names and job titles of everyone working in the hospital. He cared so much that he could call every person in the building by name when walking the halls. He even studied the surgical services’ roster before walking into the unit. This paid huge dividends when nurses on the unit were recognized and called on by name by the CEO.

How are you recognizing your people?  Healthcare workers were some of the most celebrated heroes in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. As time has passed, the fanfare has quieted, and for many, it’s now business as usual (or as much as it can be at this moment). With burnout and PTSD at all-time highs for healthcare workers and leaders, it’s more important than ever to keep recognizing your people. The best appreciation is honest and authentic. Take time to write a thank-you note and mail it to an employee’s home. Strategically place sticky notes on employee’s cars. Give public thanks in a group setting when it makes sense, or buy coffee for the nurse in line needing it to get through his shift. And don’t forget your leaders. They carry a heavy burden to ensure employees are engaged. They need to know they’re doing a great job as well. Consider delivering a meal to their home or create a leader award to recognize leaders at all levels of the organization.

The bottom line: Only one-third of U.S. workers strongly agrees they’ve received recognition for doing good work in the past week, and employees who don’t feel adequately recognized are twice as likely to say they’ll quit in the next year, according to Gallup. That’s a high price for something that doesn’t cost much.

  1. A pinch of possibility – Employee development and growth opportunities are critical to the health and viability of your health system. We know it’s less expensive to retain quality employees than to find new ones. Demonstrating there’s a future with your organization keeps employees engaged. Tuition reimbursement, leadership development training, online classes and access to webinars goes a long way in developing your team. It helps you remain competitive, reduces turnover, increases productivity and equips your people for the future.

The bottom line: There’s a correlation between engaged employees and development opportunities. A Quantum Workplace study found that 72 percent of hostile employees feel they receive too little training, compared to 43 percent of engaged employees. Competition for healthcare talent is only going to become more fierce, a pinch of possibility sweetens the pot.

It sounds so simple: “Feed your insides well and you’ll shine on the outside.” The reality is, it takes time, energy, effort and intense focus to deliver a five-star experience that will set you apart from those who are starving for great health.

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In Change Management, COVID-19, High Stakes

Hope Is Not a Strategy

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While times of challenge and change are not new, none of us can confidently or reliably predict when the hurricane we’ve been living through for more than six months will end or the exact toll it will take on our personal and professional lives. Without that crystal ball, we plan as well as we can and then hope for the best.

A few years back, I had to laugh when a colleague declared that “Hope is not a strategy” after a thoughtful, proactive crisis plan we put together was killed by a “Let’s just hope, wait and see” leader.

As healthcare providers, we understand the power of hope even as we practice the science of medicine. When hope takes root, our strategies take flight as they are no longer just words on a page, but deep-seated ideas that are lived out in the minds, hearts and actions of our people and organizations. It’s that emotional connection that makes strategies and tactics effective. Facing today’s uncertainty, hope should be a catalyzing element of the strategies we create to keep people positive, resilient and moving forward together.

Consider these seven ways you may be inadvertently signaling that your organization’s strategy and future are hopeless—plus some smart countermeasures to combat the perception.

  1. You stop listening and start assuming. Your patients and employees desire for you to genuinely listen to them. Open the door to dialogue through pulse surveys, virtual town halls and focus groups. Reinvigorate your Patient and Family Advisory Council virtually and encourage managers to conduct one-on-ones with employees using a defined set of questions. Ensure the plans you’ve made align with the needs of your stakeholders.
  2. You lay aside your mission and undermine your values. While hope is necessary, it alone is not a strategy. Before announcing change, ensure your leadership team can articulate how the change will help fulfill your mission long-term. If a decision seems to conflict with your values, lean into the tension and discuss why it’s the right course. Proactively addressing tension helps people respect your reasoning and willingness to make tough decisions, even if they disagree with it.
  3. You underestimate the impact of change. This is a common mistake that can have severe consequences as people in our organizations concurrently face unprecedented (yes, I said it) challenges at home and at work. It’s more important than ever that leaders emphasize partnership over power and demonstrate they genuinely care about employee well-being. By listening, collaborating, making change more manageable and tying it to your mission, you will strengthen resilience and ensure your team has the bandwidth to make change happen. Be upfront about challenges you are facing, ask departments to come up with solutions and remain supportive by following up with a check in on how things are going.
  4. You create a steady drip of negative news. We all know the only thing worse than ripping off a bandage is removing it slowly. Organizations often get too clever in an effort to minimize negative perception and mitigate the impact of tough news. “We’ll announce layoffs next week, benefits changes in two weeks, service-line closures in October, cancellation of our expansion by Halloween…” Drip, drip, drip… Before long, employees come to believe that every communication from leadership will contain negative news. They’ll dread coming to work. When possible, consolidate tough changes into one announcement tied to a compelling strategy and vision – despite the unpleasant process. You don’t have to have all the details to do this. In fact, this type of announcement is the perfect moment to say, “We will partner with our employees, providers and leaders over the coming weeks to implement these changes in a thoughtful way.”
  5. You fuel speculation. Vague or infrequent communication leaves room for anxiety and rumor to grow. If employees or the community sense a scurry of activity among top leadership, chances are they will invent a reason that is likely worse than reality. Instead of pretending that all is well or avoiding communication, be responsibly transparent. It’s usually better to say what you do and don’t know than to let rumors and fear take over. If you can’t answer or don’t know, share what you can answer and do know, as well as what won’t change.
  6. You emphasize money and ignore the recognition gap. Money is usually not the primary reason people want to work in healthcare. The majority want to make a difference and also care for their families. Change challenges morale, so one of the best ways to protect it and foster resilience, trust and pride is by focusing on the recognition gap. Research shows that leaders believe they give recognition far more than employees perceive receiving it. Recognition has to start at the top, and it has to be a priority. Focusing on wins and encouraging those you lead won’t eliminate the sting of no bonus or annual pay raise, but it will help.
  7. You take the community’s support and trust for granted. Beyond your employees, your community is your best asset in solving challenges. And trust is the key to your relationship with the community. If you blindside people with tough news, make decisions that seem in conflict with your values or have a workforce that is actively speaking out in a negative tone, you very well may lose trust and find yourself worse off. Maintain community support by sharing regular updates, talking openly about the implications of external factors like COVID-19 and change in the industry. And, ensure your employees have the information they need to be ambassadors in the community.

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In High Stakes, J|Insights

Election 2020…What happened to healthcare?

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The election is looming. The first debate was a debacle. There’s so much uncertainty, and yet healthcare leaders need to prepare their organizations for, well, whatever it is that’s coming.

We pride ourselves in looking around corners here at Jarrard Inc., but even we aren’t 100% sure where we’ll all end up. Still, we’ve got a lot of thoughts on the types of conversations that will be taking place around the election and healthcare. That includes some of the hotspots that will erupt but, maybe more importantly, areas where providers could temper their expectations – things aren’t going to happen overnight. (Probably.)

We got our in-house political junkies together to riff on what’s going on. Here, we’ve taken some highlights from that roundtable discussion. The conversation was moderated by our CEO David Jarrard. Joining him were vice president in our Regional Practice Justin Gibbs, senior vice president in our National Practice Tim Stewart, and partner and COO Kevin Phillips.

In a normal year, there would be a lot of discussion about healthcare. Does anyone really care this year?

Justin Gibbs: The short answer is no. Nobody’s diving into the policy weeds of how care is going to be paid for what it’s going to look like in the future. The president is not a policy heavy kind of guy and given Joe Biden the luxury of not having to be a policy heavy guy.

So it’s no surprise that the outline for the first presidential debate included COVID-19 and the economy, but no mention of healthcare?

Kevin Phillips: Kaiser Family Foundation did a poll a couple of weeks ago that rated the most important issues for voters in this cycle. Healthcare came in fifth – and that separated out COVID-19, which came in second behind economy. In contrast, healthcare was the number one issue on voters’ minds in February. And the percentage of Republicans who say that the repeal of the ACA is very important has dropped from around 30 percent in 2016 to five percent today.

Why has one of the hottest issues of the past decade suddenly disappeared? 

Kevin Phillips: Civil unrest, racial justice and the economy jumped into the top spots. They’re dominating. Even COVID-19 is starting to decline.

Tim Stewart: I’m not sure it says anything about healthcare. I think healthcare has probably stayed the same and it just underscores the seriousness of everything else happening across society.

So then where exactly does healthcare fit into the election?

Kevin Phillips: Two things: With Kamala Harris on the ticket Medicare for All could come back up. And with the passing of Justice Ginsburg and the upcoming hearing for Texas v California, repeal of the individual mandate could return as a political issue.

Tim Stewart: If Biden wins, it’s not going to be his first priority. It wouldn’t be even in a world where we didn’t have COVID-19. It would be foolish for a Democratic president, even with a Democratic Congress, to pursue a major overhaul of healthcare as their first priority, because it would end up being their only priority.

Justin Gibbs: If Biden is elected and the Democrats keep the House and take the Senate, it’s plausible that Biden will be pushed to push towards Medicare for All. I agree that it’s not a first priority because we’ve got to get the economy back on track and that’s where I would spend my political capital, but the left wing of the party is going to be pushing hard for this. It took a unified government to get the ACA passed 10 years ago. It’s going to take the same now and they won’t want to miss their chance.

If you’re running a healthcare organization and you understand that most people aren’t thinking about healthcare the way you’re thinking about it, but you’re strapped for funds and you’re wondering what the future is going to be…What do you do? What do you say today?

Justin Gibbs: Providers have to enter the fray but in a way that rises above politics. They need to talk about their mission and delivering on that mission for their employees, for their patients, for the communities that they serve. They shouldn’t get into specifics of a particular plan. Keep in mind Obama was sworn in January 2009 and the Affordable Care Act didn’t become law until March of 2010. So regardless of who the next president it is, it’s going to be a while before there are any big sweeping changes.

Tim Stewart: Take it out of national politics. The bill is going to come due on a lot of this year starting next year. What does this look like when patients are receiving literal bills for COVID-19 tests they thought were covered care? And then all of the care that people have put off this year. It seems like somebody is going to get blamed for the costs that individuals and groups are going to incur.

Like who?

Justin Gibbs: The big insurance companies, all posted record gains over the course of the last few financial quarters. At a time when the economy is struggling, when people are struggling, and out of work, it doesn’t pass the smell test for insurance companies to be making the amount of money they are making and then sticking patients with huge bills. That’s an important narrative for hospitals to continue.

It’s also important to continue outreach to your state and federal legislative delegations to continue the conversation about all of these bills coming due – including the advance payment for Medicare. If we’re looking for a bipartisan issue here, Democrats and Republicans have both been working to make sure that hospitals have the resources that they need to continue.

Where else does outreach need to happen?

Justin Gibbs: Leaders of provider organizations need to be having concerted conversations with their employees about funding because those employees represent a huge voter block and nothing speaks to elected leaders like a base of support from the people who keep them or kick them out of office. They also need to have that conversation with the media as much as they can.

Provider employees are typically pretty diverse – in numerous ways – how do you have those conversations appropriately and effectively?

Justin Gibbs:  There doesn’t need to be anything ideological about it. It’s straightforward: This is the revenue that was forfeited to prepare for and provide care during the pandemic, this is the assistance that we’ve gotten to date and here’s the gap. We’re doing everything we can to absorb that, and in the future, we may be looking to you for help advocating for our organization.

David Jarrard: So you activate that support and you get to turn it into something for it to become a political force that will get you more financial support.

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In Change Management, COVID-19, High Stakes, Strategic Positioning

Lights, Action and the Theater of Safety

The inside of an empty vintage theater

Now is not the time to be subtle.

Fear of the novel coronavirus is as intense as it was this spring. Almost 80 percent of people are afraid they or someone they love will get COVID-19, according to a national consumer survey Jarrard Inc. recently fielded in August.

To be blunt, Americans just don’t feel safe. When we asked how safe they’d feel seeking medical care, the answer was, basically, “Not very.” Whether a doctor’s office, hospital, outpatient surgery center, ER or urgent care center, people rated their feelings of safety no higher than 5.8 on a 10-point scale. (If you’re wondering, urgent care rated the lowest at a 5.0). One in four people rated their feelings of safety at a three or below in our August survey. Not good.

And not much better than the results we received in our first consumer survey back in April.

It seems we have lost some momentum.

Think about it. When providers started reopening services this summer, the entire industry was talking about what people needed to hear from provider organizations. Everyone knew about safety concerns. But what seems to have happened is that too many providers created the safety messages, checked the box, reopened their facilities and said, “We’re good to go.” And with volumes coming back, it seems like it was successful.

Digging deeper, though, that strategy doesn’t appear to have worked. Our August survey asked how long people would wait until seeking various types of medical care. Short answer: Unless they really need it, they’re probably not going to come back for around six months, maybe longer. That’s also no better than in April.

What we need, right now, is a bit of theater.

Theater, not because it’s fake. But because it’s visible, clear, obvious. And it makes you feel something. Because people want to see, hear, smell and feel what you’re doing to keep them safe. We asked people what they need to help them feel safer interacting with healthcare, outside of a major decline in COVID-19 cases or a vaccine. Their top answers were:

  • Screening everyone as they enter a medical facility.
  • Masks on everyone.
  • Enhanced cleaning procedures.
  • Isolating COVID-19 cases somewhere else.

In a vacuum, it would be easy to lean back and think it’s okay to stop your entry checkpoints. The CDC says it doesn’t make much of a difference, so why do it? Two reasons.

First, when it comes to healthcare, we know that people don’t seek out information until they need it. People aren’t thinking about the safety messages you put out two months ago. You have to keep those safety messages top of mind. You have to make sure your website and social channels still have information about what you’re doing to keep people safe.

Second, people want to see activity. They want to be a real-time witness to your extensive precautions.

The key point is that there’s a difference between actual safety and how people feel about safety.

Yes, you have to provide safety – this is theater, not a Potemkin village. That means going above and beyond, not stopping at “just enough.” Whether the CDC says temperature checks are effective or not, seeing those checks provides a feeling of safety. So does seeing environmental services wiping down public areas and front desk staff saying, “Here’s a pen that I’ve just sanitized for you.”

Now take a step back. The theater of safety should start even before someone gets to that temperature checkpoint. Providers need to be showing how they’re keeping people safe, so that they feel safer about making an appointment in the first place. That means resisting the urge to demote safety information on your website. Keep it front and center. And the same goes for social media. Proactively share safety measures when people call to schedule an appointment. Even though it’s added work for your scheduling and nursing teams, there’s a lot to be said for continuing those pre-appointment safety calls. In our observation, those brief calls have helped patients realize, “Hey, they’re thinking about me. They’re working to keep me safe.”

All of those things create the theater of safety.

It’s a little cliché in the “consumerism of healthcare” and “patient experience” worlds to point to other customer-facing industries for examples of what healthcare could/should/would be doing. But other industries are creating the theater of safety better than we are. Consider these examples:

  • Southwest Airlines is doing a fantastic job. They’ve just informed customers that they’re keeping the middle seat open through at least October 31. When you board a Southwest plane today, you can literally smell the cleanliness.
  • Savvy grocery chains like Trader Joe’s have stationed an employee at the store entrance who hands you a cart and says, “This has been sanitized for you.”
  • Even actual theaters – movie theaters – are reopening and publishing extensive plans and guidelines. So far, it looks good on paper. The proof will be when we walk in and can enjoy the full two-and-a-half hours of Chris Nolan’s latest masterpiece. (I’ll be there this weekend.)

Know that this can be done – and really must be done. In the end, it’s a great opportunity for healthcare providers to reframe their thinking and keep a good thing going. After all, the show must go on.

Review the full survey results

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