Hospitals and healthcare companies are launching new campaigns in efforts to better engage with patients, but not all marketing efforts go off without a hitch.
Here are six lawsuits involving marketing efforts and campaigns occurring at hospitals and health systems that have been reported by Becker's since August 2022.
- NYU Langone Health filed a lawsuit June 15 suing Northwell Health over the shade of purple it used in its advertising campaign, stating that the New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based health system copied its "distinctive advertising and marketing campaigns." NYU Langone said this creates confusion about Northwell's association and affiliation with its organization.
- Atlanta-based Grady Memorial Hospital sued baby apparel companies Gradybaby Apparel and Grady Baby Co. and Apparel over their use of the term "Grady Baby." The hospital filed the lawsuit in federal court March 6 after the businesses refused its December cease-and-desist orders. "Grady Memorial Hospital has used the term 'Grady Baby' as a trademark on apparel such as onesies and T-shirts as well as other items provided to patients in reference to children born at Grady Memorial Hospital," the lawsuit claimed.
- Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai, Orlando Health, Raleigh, N.C.-based WakeMed and Chicago-based Northwestern Memorial Hospital are facing lawsuits that allege that they put pixel tracking technologies on their websites and patient portals for marketing purposes.