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Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch

Incisive summaries of strategy-related articles selected from hundreds of print and online publications, Web site reviews, highlights from Healthcare Market Strategist, news and resources, and more.

2007 | 2006 | 2005

Healthcare Strategist Trend Watch

Issue 27, July 27, 2007

• Doctors turn to PR firms for advertising boost

  Forsaking Yellow Page advertising, direct mailings, or placards on public transportation, more and...

• Massive hospital to improve on predecessor

  Although the new McCune-Brooks Hospital in Carthage, MO, is not yet complete, officials say that...

• Unique campaign builds name recognition

  A three-pronged marketing campaign featuring mysterious messages on billboards, radio spots, and...

• Clothing manufacturer’s name will be on new ER

  A recent $10 million donation from clothing giant Abercrombie & Fitch has bought a new name for the...

Issue 26, July 20, 2007

• Robot gives doctors an edge

  A videoconferencing robot is allowing doctors to monitor their patients from anywhere in the world...

• California rates surgeons by coronary bypass performance

  After nearly four years of analysis, the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and...

• Hospital upgrades patient rooms

  As part of a $250 million renovation, Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL, is...

• Chaplain offers guidance to patients, doctors

  At St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in Upper Manhattan, one employee works to heal spiritual wounds as...

Issue 25, July 13, 2007

• Anonymous blog draws fire from Texas judge

  Since March 2005, an anonymous Web log writer has posted several pieces criticizing Paris (TX...

• ICU welcomes families

  Emory University Hospital is bucking a decades-long trend by inviting family members to play a...

• Community benefit report crucial for Provena

  Provena Health of Illinois is under fire from state officials, who say the six-hospital health...

• Fishing for a cure

  At a recent special event held at Children's Hospital Boston, Brigham's Ice Cream revealed Mad Fish...

Issue 24, July 6, 2007

• 'Fifth Guy' educates Floridians

  His manners aren't quite proper, but the Florida Department of Health's new mascot for good health...

• Hospital hopes to keep history

  Middletown (OH) Regional Hospital is moving to a brand new, $195 million facility later this year...

• CHW advocates for healthcare reform, airs national ad

  One of the largest hospital systems in California is running a series of advertisements asking...

• FDA site replaces publication

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will revamp its image with a new Web site for consumers...

Issue 23, June 8, 2007

• TV ads could improve stroke recognition

  TV advertisements that teach the warning signs of a stroke may be credited with saving lives...

• Real people, real viewers, real advertisements

  In a departure from slick, prepackaged advertising campaigns, one hospital system is replacing...

• Study: Billions spent on ineffective advertising

  According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, advertisers spend $220 billion annually on...

• UCH campaign touts hospital's strengths

  Although the University of Colorado Hospital is the Rocky Mountain region's sole academic medical...

• DC, Baltimore customers can better choose hospitals

  Consumers in the Washington, DC, and Baltimore metropolitan areas will soon be able to find...

• U.S. advertising spending on the decline

  Despite a boost from elections and the Olympics, ad spending last year grew only 3.9%-significantly...

• CyberKnife prompts marketing drive

  St. Joseph Mercy Health System has undertaken its largest single-focus marketing drive to promote...

• Website rates local hospitals on cardiac care

  A new government Web site is giving Ohio residents access to information about how a hospital ranks...

Issue 22, June 22, 2007

• Few senior marketers say social networking is important

  Just 12% of senior marketers say consumer-generated media-such as social networking, YouTube, and...

• Greenwich sees a baby boom

  More than 40% of the infants born at Greenwich (CT) Hospital last year are from Westchester County...

• Cleveland Clinic hires chief experience officer

  At Cleveland Clinic, there's a new CEO. Bridget Duffy, MD, has started as the hospital's first...

• S.M.A.R.T. Association releases LifeMed card program

  SMART Association has released a new technology that will allow consumers to communicate their...

• Marketers still keen on e-mail

  According to a survey by Datran Media, 72% of marketing executives plan to boost spending on e-mail...

• Video game educates young cancer patients

  Health insurance provider CIGNA is turning to the video game niche to educate young cancer patients...

Issue 21, June 1, 2007

• Florida hospital pursues golden hour

  The Altamonte and Apopka branches of Florida Hospital have made a pledge that emergency room...

• Mystery shoppers improve scores

  Since starting its mystery shopper program two years ago, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center...

• Macomb County: Hospital hot spot

  Three of the most competitive health systems in metropolitan Detroit have launched all-out...

• Farmstand a success for WA Hospital

  Island Hospital in Anacortes, WA, is offering its patients a farm stand that sells fresh, seasonal...

• Kiosks streamline triage process

  Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, TX, has implemented a computer kiosk check-in system, hoping...

Issue 20, May 18, 2007

• Insurer uses Facebook to lure customers

  One of the three largest healthcare providers in Kansas is using the popular networking site...

• Report: U.S. healthcare expensive, inefficient

  Americans pay for more but receive less when it comes to healthcare than their counterparts in...

• Study finds retail tobacco marketing increases teen smoking

  The more that teens are exposed to cigarette marketing in retail stores, the more likely it is that...

• Sutter finds success with retail clinics

  Five months after becoming one of the first healthcare systems in the country to join the retail...

Issue 19, May 11, 2007

• Doctor shortage a serious problem for CEOs

  More than two-thirds of hospital CEOs who responded to a recent survey say physician shortages are...

• Long hours lead to physician burnout

  Unpredictable or uncontrolled work hours are large contributors to physician burnout, says a survey...

• Hospital launches baby photo contest for 100th anniversary

  Were you born at Sewickley Valley Hospital sometime during the last 100 years? If so, the 186-bed...

Issue 18, May 4, 2007

• One in 10 affected by errors

  Ten percent of patients worldwide are affected by medical errors, according to the World Health...

• CVS wants to open Massachusetts clinics

  Hoping to provide quick, inexpensive healthcare to consumers in a region that is plagued by long...

• Insurer develops cost compare site

  An Indiana health insurance company's new Web site allows its customers to shop around and compare...

• Americans want digital healthcare

  Americans are eager for the healthcare industry to utilize electronic medical records, says a...

Issue 17, April 27, 2007

• Survey gives insight to patients’ likes, dislikes

  Press Ganey’s 2007 Hospital Pulse Report was released on April 24, giving marketers a better...

• Wal-Mart will open 400 more clinics

  Wal-Mart announced April 25 that it will open up to 400 additional in-store health clinics in the...

• Retaining employees harder in 2007

  Thirty-four percent of healthcare employers say it is harder to retain employees in 2007 than it...

Issue 16, April 20, 2007

• Cancer patients rely on family, friends for advice

  More cancer patients are relying on the advice of friends and family when deciding what treatment...

• Most adults satisfied with in-store clinics

  A poll taken by Harris Interactive for The Wall Street Journal online shows 90% of those who use...

• Campaign encourages 'the talk' with kids

  The Partnership for a Drug-Free America announced on April 25 that it will launch a campaign...

• Web site hosts patient gripes

  A Web site launched in March by Working America, an AFL-CIO affiliate, allows patients to vent...

Issue 15, April 13, 2007

• Pharmaceutical ads drive Internet searches

  Pharmaceutical ads drive consumers to search online for information about advertised medical...

• IT investment will reduce costs

  Sixty percent of U.S. hospitals will soon see reduced operating costs, according to New York...

• Seven traits key to satisfaction

  Seven specific characteristics-all related to communication and follow-up care-can determine...

• In some states, docs can say 'sorry'

  Saying "I'm sorry" used to be considered an admission of guilt for a physician, but now many states...

Issue 13, March 30, 2007

• Week in April focuses on young adult cancer

  The first week of April is dedicated to raising awareness of cancer in adults 20 to 39 years old.

• Patients shift, marketers spend

  Hospital competition has always been fierce in metropolitan Detroit, but a new survey shows that...

• Some kids see food ads 20 times a day

  "Tweens," children between the ages of 8 and 12, see more than 20 food advertisements every day...

• Support site wins ADDY award

  A Web site designed to support to cancer patient was given a silver award at a regional ADDY Awards...

Issue 12, April 6, 2007

• One in 10 turn to clinics for common ailments

  One in 10 users of retail health clinics say they’re more likely to turn to their local...

• Special edition creates buzz

  A special edition of The Fresno Bee, sold in six California counties Wednesday, was expected to...

• Lapses increase 3% in two-year period

  More than 1 million preventable patient safety errors occurred in U.S. hospitals between 2003 and...

• Survey: Administrative costs too high

  Consumers believe that the healthcare industry spends too much on administrative costs, according...

• Care available in 150 languages

  Naples (FL) Community Hospital and the Language Access Network (LAN) announced an agreement on...

• Cosmetic procedures on the rise

  More than 11.5 million cosmetic procedures were performed in the United States during 2006...

• Charities fared better in 2006

  Seven out of 10 charities report raising more money in 2006 than 2005, according to figures...

Issue 11, March 16, 2007

• Weekend patients have higher death rate

  Heart attack patients admitted to the hospital on the weekend are slightly more likely to die than...

• Newsletter will feature immigrants

  Hanover (PA) Hospital will debut a feature this month in its Spanish-language newsletter that will...

• New hospitals have designs on women

  Two hospitals under construction in metropolitan Detroit exemplify a growing trend in healthcare...

• Safety council makes progress

  Nearly a year after the Seminole County (FL) Patient Safety Council started meeting, some of its...

Issue 10, March 8, 2007

• Comfort and family drive docs' choices

  Physicians need to find the "right fit" when deciding where to practice medicine, says a survey...

• Hospitals embrace massage

  The stress-relieving benefits of muscular therapy have been known for years, but it wasn't until...

• Patients encouraged to ask questions

  A national advertising campaign is encouraging patients to empower themselves by asking questions...

• Belgian hospital uses technology to monitor care

  Many hospitals are using real-time locating systems to track where patients are in the hospital...

Issue 9, March 1, 2007

• Info sources aren't important for Web users

  A study released this week by Envision Solutions, LLC, shows that many Americans trust the...

• Cleveland Clinic cuts out trans fats

  Cleveland Clinic announced earlier this week that it will eliminate trans fatty acids from its...

• Unions launch ads opposing hospital cuts

  Service Employees International Union 1199, United Healthcare Workers-East, and the Greater New...

• CEO's blog is ruffling feathers

  A Boston hospital CEO has received both praise and criticism for publishing hospital information...

Issue 8, February 23, 2007

• Dressed for success?

  A study in the February edition of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology shows that a...

• New organization, logo for St. Francis

  Two Memphis, TN, hospitals and a handful of outpatient facilities announced last week that they...

• Making the hospital a little less lonely

  It used to be that patients in the hospital were lucky to get a phone in their room, but several...

• Massachusetts wants to reduce ER use

  Approximately $4 million will be given to community health centers in Massachusetts this year, as...

Issue 7, February 15, 2007

• 'Hello Life' mystery solved

  For the past three weeks, stickers, T-shirts, flyers, and window decals with the message "Hello...

• Red day at the mall

  Red was everywhere last Friday at the Westfarm Mall in West Hartford, CT, as Bristol Hospital, the...

• DVD encourages men to be nurses

  Men make up less than 10% of the nurse population in the United States, but makers of a new...

• Wealthy worry about healthcare costs, too

  A survey taken late last year by The PNC Financial Services Group shows that the middle class and...

Issue 6, February 9, 2007

• Hospital launches Web site with 'Heart'

  Good Samaritan Hospital of Suffern, NY has launched www.goodsamheart.org, a microsite that provides...

• Say 'no' to freebies

  Three North Carolina hospitals may be putting an end to the freebie bags given to new mothers as...

• Peer support for physicians

  Patients aren't the only ones turning to the Internet for support. A new Web site, www.sermo.com...

• Arkansas hospital uses patient simulation program

  Medical students and rookie physicians at Arkansas Children's Hospital are using a new technology...

Issue 5, February 2, 2007

• Movie screening benefits hospital

  A movie theater in Oxford, England has arranged a pre-screening of "Charlotte's Web" on Feb. 4...

• 'V' for vitality

  There's a new nickname for Baby Boomers: Generation V. Four out of 10, or 38%, of Boomers say that...

• North Adams’ records go high tech

  North Adams, a city of 14,000 people in the western part of Massachusetts, will become the first...

• Site helps patients assess risk

  A new Web site, Cancer Risk: Understanding the Puzzle, aims to help patients learn whether they're...

Issue 4, January 26, 2007

• Hotel Good Samaritan

  The new Surgical Institute at Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL is designed to...

• Employees pitch in for new ER

  Doctors, nurses, and other employees of Staten Island University Hospital's Ocean Breeze emergency...

• Women pay more attention to direct mail

  Even with the boom of new media, a new study from Baltimore, MD-based Vertis Communications, a...

• One-in-five health care workers will leave their jobs this year

  Careerbuilder.com says 17% of health care workers are unhappy with their jobs, and 21% will leave...

Issue 3, January 19, 2007

• Savings on the go

  A mobile marketing program that connected Cingular Wireless customers with discounts at retailers...

• Clinics as convenient as the local pharmacy

  Walk-in healthcare clinics tucked inside local pharmacies are giving patients quick, easy access to...

• Iowa consumers can decide whether price is right

  The Iowa Hospital Association launched a Web site last week that allows patients to obtain...

• Advocacy group 'casts' its message

  A California advocacy group has launched the first of five podcasts, hoping to convince consumers...

Issue 2, January 12, 2007

• Survey: Docs, patients see things differently

  A new Consumer Reports survey shows that patients and doctors disagree on key points in healthcare...

• Start! on the right track

  The American Heart Association has launched the Start! campaign to encourage Americans to stop...

• Shuttle: From inconvenience to enjoyment

  When Union Hospital in Elkdon, MD, was forced to close its parking lots during construction for...

• Wal-Mart defends its reputation

  Wal-Mart started a television campaign Monday touting its employee health insurance plan and its...

Issue 1, January 5, 2007

• Support is just a click away

  Support groups used to meet once a week, at a hospital or other community location, but with the...

• When you can't shed the spotlight

  It's your department's job to keep patients' identities secret when speaking with the media, but...

• The seven of '07

  Addressing consumer attitudes will be a priority in 2007, according to PriceWaterhouseCoopers...

• Campaign urges Congressional action

  The growing diabetes epidemic has caused the American Diabetes Association to launch a campaign...

Issue 40, January 2, 2007

• Spreading flu news through new media

  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Center for Health Marketing...

• In reputation survey, hospital is bumped by a coffee chain

  In Massachusetts, a nonprofit healthcare organization still holds the top spot for overall...

• Special delivery

  Every year, babies born between December 22 and 25 at Miller Children's Hospital in Long Beach, CA...

• ’I don't know, but I’m guessing it's more than an arm and a leg’

  The majority of Americans say they have no concept of how their doctor compares to others when it...