Category: Public relations

Three Tips When Selecting a Crisis Spokesperson

Posted on by Taylor Kennedy

INTRODUCTION

media-spokespersonWhen a hospital has a crisis, it’s important to have the right spokesperson, as this person is the liaison between the hospital and the public (and media).

For example, the size and severity of the crisis plays a factor in determining who should serve as spokesperson (e.g. CEO, PR Director, department head, etc.). This person could be picked after the crisis breaks, but it’s better to have a pool of potential spokespeople identified in advance (as part of your crisis communications plan).

Here are three tips when selecting a spokesperson for your hospital crisis:

  1. Choose the correct seniority level. More often than not, having the PR director or a vice-president serve as the spokesperson is sufficient. Your hospital doesn’t want to make a “minor” crisis seem more important than it is (think how infrequently the President of the United States makes announcements). Plus, the CEO can override the PR director or VP if they misspeak. Only in times of a “major” crisis should the CEO be the spokesperson. Really, his/her time is best spent managing the crisis (and being seen doing so).
  2. The spokesperson needs to have the right personality. Your spokesperson needs to be able to demonstrate empathy and show the public that the hospital is taking all the necessary measures to make sure the crisis is handled correctly. This may seem obvious, but someone with an adversarial personality would not make a good spokesperson. All spokespeople should go through thorough media training.
  3. Having multiple spokespeople is acceptable.Certain circumstances may require having more than one spokesperson. For example, in the event of a cybersecurity breach, you may need to bring in your CIO to provide a technical explanation. Make sure the spokespeople are consistent in their messaging.

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Five Tips for Making a Smooth Leadership Transition

Posted on by Taylor Kennedy

Businessman's outstretched arm passing a flaming torch to another businessman's open hand

Change is inevitable. When your hospital has a new CEO or president, the communications department has an important role in the leadership transition. Here are five tips for making it go as smoothly as possible.

  1. Be open during the hiring process. You don’t have to release names of candidates, but you should include updates on the hiring process on the intranet site or in weekly emails to hospital staff. This gives them a sense of inclusion and helps to remove uncertainty.
  2. Get the new leader up-to-speed. Give your hospital’s new CEO or president a top-level summary about any ongoing branding/marketing campaigns, and present a copy of your crisis communications plan.
  3. Plan meetings for the new CEO to meet with individuals in the hospital’s external and internal network. This can be stakeholders, community leaders and each department in the hospital. Your staff should conduct media training with the CEO and then set up interviews with local media, too.
  4. Have CEO share vision with hospital staff. You should write a welcome letter on behalf of the CEO and/or plan numerous meet-and-greet sessions, including shifts outside 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Also, consider hosting a Facebook Live chat with questions from hospital staff.
  5. Establish a communications protocol. Every leader has their own preferences. Don’t expect the new CEO to accept your procedures for handling media requests, etc. Find the right balance between making your recommendations and accepting your new CEO’s.

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How Hospitals Should Handle a Cybersecurity Breach

Posted on by Taylor Kennedy

CybersecurityDoes your hospital have a cybersecurity crisis management plan? According to the 2015 Data Breach Industry Forecast, data breaches cost the healthcare industry $5.6 billion each year. Having a plan could be the difference between a costly and time-consuming ordeal that hurts your reputation or having your valuable information saved.

Your communications team should establish clear protocols for departments to report security breaches to top management. When putting together the protocols, think about answering the following questions: What level of information is at risk? How many people are affected? What steps should be taken to secure remaining data?

Another important step is monitoring the media (traditional or social). You also should keep a running spreadsheet to share with management. If reporters contact your hospital, respond promptly (e.g. acknowledge you received request).

Once the cybersecurity plan is completed, you should add it to your overall crisis communications plan and keep it updated every quarter. Having this plan in place also can be a talking point to patients to reassure them that the hospital is doing everything it can to protect against and mitigate a breach.

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