Marketing leaders at health systems honored for trust and their human-centered approach told Becker's they make sure their words match their actions and tell stories from the point of view of their patients and staffers.
"We believe in putting people — our employees and our patients — first, always," said Christine Kotler, chief marketing and communications officer of Coral Gables-based Baptist Health South Florida. "We understand that each person and situation is unique, and as marketing and communications professionals, we recognize our responsibility to tell their stories in the most accurate and caring way possible."
Baptist Health South Florida ranked No. 6 in marketing agency Monigle's May 16 list of the most humanizing health system brands. Monigle polled more than 25,000 U.S. household healthcare decision-makers between November and December 2022 about how they perceived industry brands. University of Rochester (N.Y.) Medical Center placed fifth in those rankings.
"What has helped us humanize our brand over the years are campaigns told through the eyes of our patients and their families," a UR Medicine spokesperson emailed Becker's. "We've learned that consumers put more trust and faith in what they hear from real people who have experienced our quality care. Standing aside and allowing patients, family members and our employees to tell their personal stories has resonated with stakeholders."
At Columbus-based OhioHealth, which was No. 7 on Monigle's 30 most trusted healthcare brands, trust is part of its vision statement, noted Sue Jablonski, the health system's senior vice president and chief marketing and communications officer: "to provide exceptional care for all through experiences that earn a lifetime of trust."
"It's well known that trust is earned when your words match your actions," she said. "When it comes to caring for our communities, we keep our promises."
For example, she said, OhioHealth has kept its commitment to keep care "local" — even as it's grown into a 14-hospital system with more than 30,000 employees across 50 Ohio counties — by building trust with staff. "After all, they are the best brand ambassadors," she said.
Also, despite the challenges of the pandemic, OhioHealth didn't lay off employees, she said. The health system also ranked second in the most humanized health system brands survey.
"We recognize and reward people because we know and truly believe that OhioHealth is not the bricks and mortar that you see throughout the region," Ms. Jablonski said. "OhioHealth is the people who each and every day put our patients first and are there for them when they need us most."
University of Chicago Medicine, the 10th most trusted brand in the study, pointed to its history, dating back to 1927, of "service, research and innovation" and affiliation with 12 Nobel Prize winners in medicine or physiology.
"Our teams also focus on improving access to our care and reducing health inequities in the communities we serve," said Tom Jackiewicz, president of University of Chicago Health System. "At the same time, we are working to expand our reach across the region and bringing our care closer to neighborhoods that need our care."