The Oregon Association of Hospitals and Health Systems launched an advertising campaign June 3 to encourage patients to return to its hospitals, according to The Oregonian.
Oregon hospitals have lost billions in revenue during the pandemic due to empty beds. Over 60 hospitals in the state received a collective $422 million in federal aid, which they claim did not make a dent in repairing their financial losses.
"This education and awareness campaign is designed to reassure patients that hospitals and clinics are safe places to access care, and to remind them that delaying or neglecting procedures can lead to serious long term health consequences," OAHHS said in statement sent to Becker's. "While it has been well-documented that hospitals have seen lost revenue as they joined the collective effort to fight the pandemic, the main goal of ‘Your Care Continues’ is maintaining the health of the community."
Oregon's outbreak was relatively mild when compared to other states, and some rural hospitals did not house a single COVID-19 patient. The OAHHS' campaign seeks to assure patients they do not have to be worried about contracting COVID-19 in its facilities. The campiagn utilized digital, print and broadcast tools to get the message out.
"People are delaying checkups and vital care because they fear hospitals are either unsafe or overwhelmed. Neither of those things are true here in Oregon," Becky Hultberg, president and CEO of OAHHS, told The Oregonian.