Firm News

Firm adds to roster to better guide healthcare organizations through post-pandemic transformation

To keep pace with consistent client growth, the national healthcare strategic communications firm Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock has added 11 new staff members in the first four months of the year, according to President and CEO David Jarrard.

Growth occurred across all three client advisory practices and the firm’s professional services team. Headlining the new talent are Jason Poteet, vice president of business development and Abby McNeil, vice president in the firm’s National and Academic Health System practice.

Poteet joins Jarrard Inc. with more than two decades of experience in performance improvement, revenue cycle and revenue growth strategy. Previously, he served as a client solutions leader within the healthcare provider vertical of the global technology companies Wipro and NTT Data.

McNeil is a seasoned marketing and communications expert with an extensive track record helping healthcare brands engage employees and grow market share. Immediately prior to joining the firm, she oversaw corporate communication and public affairs for CHRISTUS Health, including leading their COVID-19 response.

“These are highly-experienced, strong additions to our team,” Jarrard said. “Jason’s background helping healthcare clients identify new avenues of opportunity and strategic growth dovetail perfectly with the goals for our firm as we ourselves evolve and grow. Abby’s track record in helping provider organizations navigate the historically difficult imperatives of the past two years demonstrates her creativity, nimbleness and shared commitment to our mission to make healthcare better.”

In addition to Poteet and McNeil, the number and breadth of the new hires reflects an increasing demand for long-term strategic planning and communications engagements among health services companies, hospitals and health systems.

“While most of the operational challenges borne out of the pandemic have receded, a new wave of pressure is creating uncertainty for healthcare provider organizations,” Jarrard said.

Those pressures include the end of COVID-19 relief funds, the shortage of healthcare workers and recruiting challenges, increasingly tense negotiations between payers and providers and rising costs as part of the inflation seen across the US economy.

“All of these challenges are linked, yet each one has a distinct set of features that must be addressed,” added Jarrard. “Solving for the future is very much a matter of ensuring each leg of the stool is in place operationally, and then communicating about each element of change in a way that bolsters support for the organization both internally and externally.”

Jarrard Inc.’s new team members add to the firm’s ability to be extraordinarily responsive to client needs and the rapidly shifting healthcare landscape, while also helping broaden the depth of specialist expertise available to provider clients. Additional new hires are:

Meg Crowley, senior managing advisor, Regional Practice. Crowley was most recently assistant director of communications at Duke University, where she gained a reputation for developing compelling content for diverse needs and audiences. Crowley also spent time in media relations for a public policy think tank.

Angela MacDonald, senior managing advisor, National and Academic Health Systems Practice. MacDonald is an expert in organizational integration, with a career that spans higher education, law and Catholic healthcare. Prior to joining Jarrard Inc., MacDonald served in multiple roles within the Mission Integration Department of CHRISTUS Health.

Liz Nix, senior managing advisor, National and Academic Health Systems Practice. Nix joined Jarrard Inc. from Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she served in multiple roles, most recently as a learning and development leader, but also including facilities planning and management.

Alison Panella, senior managing advisor, National and Academic Health Systems Practice. Panella focuses on internal engagement, strategy development and operational support. She achieved these skills in part during her eight years at Interactive Forums, Inc. a strategic marketing and research firm.

Hannah Boggs, senior advisor, National and Academic Health Systems Practice. Boggs brings years of experience in program management, talent acquisition, internal communications and internal assessments across healthcare and corporate entities. She came to Jarrard from Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, where she was a program coordinator in the Department of Medical Social Sciences.

Nina Buckhalter, senior advisor, Health Services Practice. Prior to joining Jarrard Inc., Buckhalter served as a content strategist for a marketing agency serving nonprofit organizations. There, she developed effective social media and content strategies to position clients as thought leaders as they addressed core barriers to healthcare.

Katie Collins, advisor, National and Academic Health Systems Practice. Collins most recently served in various roles at Performance Health, a sports medicine and rehab company. As a member of the marketing team there, Collins spearheaded data analysis projects and provided project management and change management strategies for internal team members.

Emily Magnifico, project manager, Growth Services Team. An experienced marketer, Magnifico has an extensive background in building and optimizing project management practices. Most recently, she served as project manager for marketing and branding agency Anchour.

Luke Levenson, copywriter, Growth Services Team. Levenson brings a reporter’s eye to the nuanced writing necessary for healthcare marketing and strategic communications. He joined Jarrard from Premier Productions, where he served as a media buyer. Prior to that, he was a publicist for a major music label and freelance journalist.

High levels of public trust in healthcare workers and hospitals only goes so far in insulating provider organizations from mixed feelings about how hospitals prioritize between money and patients, how they handle access and equity and how they support their staff, according to a new survey produced by healthcare strategic communications firm Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc. and Public Opinion Strategies.

Two years into the pandemic, hospitals retain a high level of trust when it comes to providing critical healthcare information, and a majority of adults have a positive perception of the quality of care available in the US. However, barely half feel strongly that their preferred hospital fulfills its mission or provides equitable care, with even fewer feeling strongly that their hospital is a good community partner.

These findings highlight an opportunity and need for hospitals to build on their strengths to improve public perception and understanding regarding how thoughtful business practices allow them to meet their mission.

“Dark Suits & White Coats: Healthcare’s Acute Divide” is Jarrard Inc.’s fourth national healthcare consumer pulse check since the pandemic began. Fielded in December, the response pool included 800 adults and 200 who work in healthcare.

Key themes that emerged involve the business of care, trust and burnout.

The Business of Care

Though 62 percent of respondents think the quality of care in the US is good and meets their needs, only 50 percent strongly feel that their preferred hospital fulfills its mission. Many respondents are ambivalent or unsure about these issues, which provides an opportunity for hospitals to increase support for their approach to the business of care.

“We know hospitals and other provider organizations are doing incredible work to serve patients while operating in an extremely challenging environment,” said David Jarrard, CEO of Jarrard Inc. “In light of that, hospitals would benefit from an even greater public focus on mission to underscore their commitment to patients over finances. They can’t assume that because people prefer to receive care at a specific hospital or are happy with the quality of care that they feel good about the organization and its business practices.”

Jarrard said such soft support in the survey renders patients – and employees – vulnerable to being swayed by critics and competitors. It puts hospitals at risk of lower loyalty and open to reputational damage.

“Hospitals must go beyond looking at metrics of volume and patient loyalty and develop ways to connect even more deeply with the public in fulfillment of their mission,” he said.

Related Data Points:

• Only 41 percent strongly feel that their preferred hospital is a good community partner.
• Only 35 percent strongly feel that their preferred hospital handles patient-related financial issues well.
• Only 42 percent of consumers and 38 percent of healthcare workers, feel strongly that their preferred hospital focuses more on its patients than on its business.

Trust

Trust in doctors and nurses remains high at around 85 percent, according to the survey. And though consumer trust in hospitals did drop six points in the past year to 76 percent, they join nurses and doctors as the most trusted sources when it comes to critical healthcare information.

“Provider organizations can use that public trust to speak to and combat some of the skepticism about the business of healthcare,” said Jarrard. “That means being open about how they operate, what they’re doing to contribute to their community and how they’re delivering on their mission of care. And when missteps are made, hospitals must own them and make clear, meaningful change that people can see.”

Jarrard said organizations should also engage with nurses and doctors to speak on behalf of their organization. But before doing so, healthcare leaders must ensure that they are truly supporting and engaging team members, who are exhausted after two years of pandemic work and somewhat skeptical of hospitals.

Related Data Points:

• Consumers trust hospitals more than health officials (64 percent) and the CDC (60 percent).
• Nine in 10 consumers trust their preferred hospital, compared with 74 percent who trust health systems in general.
• Trust in hospitals has declined more among Republican voters (31 percent) than Democratic voters (17 percent).

Burnout

The study found more than half of healthcare workers are experiencing significant burnout. Nearly a third feel disconnected from their employer, and more than one in 10 are unlikely to remain in healthcare.

“Hospital leadership across the country has recognized the strain on the workforce and has gone to great lengths to help,” Jarrard observed. “They’re looking at compensation models, technology to streamline operations or free up resources and they’re seeking to improve recruitment and more to mitigate the challenge.”

He added that the healthcare industry may be headed toward a realignment of staff and clinicians, particularly nurses, moving away from acute care.

“In particular, if healthcare workers don’t feel connected to their employer, don’t think their employer values their mental health or have concerns that their hospital prioritizes money over patients – the bond that links them has been significantly weakened,” Jarrard said.

Related Data Points:

• 52 percent of healthcare workers are experiencing significant burnout
• More nurses (55 percent) are experiencing burnout than doctors (43 percent.)
• Some 30 percent of healthcare workers feel their employer doesn’t value their mental health.
• While 52 percent of survey respondents work in a hospital/clinic within a health system, only 32 percent said that is their ideal work environment. By contrast, only 2 percent of respondents work for travel nursing companies and health tech companies, but 6 percent and 11 percent respectively, said those options would be their ideal.

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 600 clients in over 45 states and served as a communications advisor on more than $60 billion in announced M&A and partnership transaction communications. The firm specializes in M&A, change management, issue navigation and strategic positioning. Jarrard Inc. is a division of The Chartis Group, one of the nation’s leading healthcare advisory and analytics firms. For more information, visit jarrardinc.com.

Firm continues record growth as healthcare provider organizations start accelerating strategic change.

National healthcare communications consultancy Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc., added seven staff members in recent months, bringing total team growth to 15 percent for 2021, announced firm President and CEO David Jarrard. 

The additions, combined with rapid demand for the firm’s strategic positioning and change management work, represent an exciting shift as hospitals, health systems and health services companies begin long-term planning for a post-pandemic era. 

“Though the omicron variant continues to strain our healthcare system, we are seeing provider organizations desiring to adjust to the emerging reshaped landscape,” Jarrard said. 

That means digging into reputational analysis, workforce engagement, nurse recruitment and retention efforts and broader strategic positioning.  

With a healthcare workforce at the breaking point and the stunning financial challenges exacerbated by the past two years, savvy leaders recognize that their organizations must make significant adjustments going forward. It’s a process, Jarrard said, that requires clear communications to bring all stakeholders – employees, patients, the public, lawmakers and regulators – together in support of difficult–but–necessary change. 

“We’re proud to have stood with so many provider organizations throughout pandemic crisis and to now work with them to craft the messages they need to highlight and fulfill their mission. Our new team members each bring a unique perspective and expertise to that work, allowing us to support our clients in ever-better ways.” 

Featured among the new hires is Associate Vice President Katy Shorkey, an expert in branding, messaging and culture development who resides in the firm’s Health Services Practice. Shorkey is the former director of marketing and engagement at Chicago-based Legacy Healthcare where she oversaw marketing and engagement. Prior to her time at Legacy, Shorkey worked in marketing at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. 

In addition to Shorkey, new hires include: 

• Allyson Carr, senior managing advisor in the Health Services Practice. Carr joined the firm from Renewal Rehab in Chicago, where she served as director of rehabilitation for the physical therapy practice. 

• Meghan McCarthy, senior managing advisor, Digital Services Practice. McCarthy most recently worked at Hyatt Hotels, where she managed digital strategies for the hospitality chain. 
• Madison Allen, advisor, Health Services Practice. Allen previously worked in operations at Calvert Street Group, a Nashville-based public affairs firm. 
• Rachel Jones, advisor, Regional Practice. Prior to joining Jarrard Inc., Jones served at Tennessee Department of Children’s Services where she was involved in event management and campaign development. 
• Alyssa Pullin, advisor, Health Services Practice. Pullin previously worked as communications manager for Youth & Family Counseling, a Chicago-based mental healthcare organization. 
• Eva Herron, associate advisor, Regional Practice. Herron joined Jarrard Inc. following her role as a customer service specialist at HealthStream in Nashville. 

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 over 40 states and served as a communications advisor on more than $60 billion in announced M&A and partnership transaction communications. The firm specializes in M&A, change management, issue navigation and strategic positioning. Jarrard Inc. is a division of The Chartis Group, one of the nation’s leading healthcare advisory and analytics firms. 

For more information, visit jarrardinc.com or follow us @JarrardInc.