Time for Marketing's Return to the Hospital Leadership Table

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As a quick disclaimer, this post of not for health systems.

There was a time when marketing was considered important enough in many hospitals to be a Vice President position reporting the CEO. With a seat at the leadership table, marketing provided valuable input and was integrated into the operational, financial, and strategic plans of the hospital. Then, in a blink of an eye, all the consulting firms working in hospitals to streamline organizations and reporting relationships in the interest of Lean Management began recommending moving hospital marketing leadership to director status. Reporting relationships changed with marketing now under the COO, CFO, or even the VP of Human Resources.

Where are we now?

Image courtesy of WHO

Considering the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, digital innovations and patient expectations, telemedicine, social media, patient and community engagement, a highly complicated and frustrating patient hospital experience, and the impact of innovation and competition, marketing is in the same organizational place as 30 years ago.

If the Sars-Cov-2 epidemic pointed anything out initially, was hospital leadership was ill-equipped to understand the impact and effects that marketing could have on hospital operations and community. Had marketing been at the leadership table engaged in all the discussions, valuable time would not have been lost in communication and engagement of internal as well as external stakeholders.

Image from Pixabay

Marketing, if done right, has evolved from a cost center to a revenue center. Gone are the days of a marketing department that just "makes things look pretty." That statement is for organizations of any size, hospitals or not, that do not understand today's importance of marketing for understanding the changing dynamics of the marketplace and connecting the dots for improved organizational financial performance.

It still astounds me to this day how hospitals whose revenue is in the tens and hundreds of millions of dollars don't yet understand the importance of marketing and its impact on the organization. Marketing has a new mission in the 2020s, that can only be accomplished by being a member of leadership.

And it's not about "putting heads in the beds."

The marketing mission is now data management, engagement, experience, and demand management.

Data Management

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Non-traditional providers of healthcare services are expanding and applying retail concepts to healthcare delivery, which is driven by big data captured across the entire healthcare enterprise and looking at their healthcare services from a big data standpoint. That means analysis by taking big data chunks, down to smaller pieces of data looking for trends and insights into patient and healthcare consumer's behavior. And if you are going to manage population health and develop compelling messaging on an individualized basis, then look to big data. Going away are the days of generic messaging, as we enter
an age where individualization of messaging is critical.


The patient accesses healthcare services in novel ways now. While the analysis of the clinical and administrative data moves forward for population health management, take a step back and think about what that means for the patient and community. They are people, too, and not just clinical values. Every day the patient making cost-effective choices in care that are more affordable, convenient, and accessible digitally on their terms and cost-effective—even making choices to stay in or go out of network. Marketing is no longer about making things sound good, read well, or look pretty.

Consumer and Patient Engagement, Patient Experience

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More than a buzzword engagement is the way that one binds the patient to the hospital or health system network. Engagement and experience are the currency by which the hospital stays relevant in a world full of higher-quality, cost-affordable, and convenient alternative treatment locations. That means providing content that is valuable and impactful to the audience. It gives the reasons why you're relevant and essential. It meets their needs, not yours. It is the value the hospital or health system provides, not the look at all the features.

Patient experience means just that- understanding what that patient experience is at all touchpoints, then changing or managing that experience to its fullest potential for the benefit of the patient and the organization. Made more complicated by the necessity of new experience interaction policies and procedures to prevent community spread of SARS-CoV-2, the patient experience is more fluid and dynamic. More difficult has the goal become of one organization to the patient, one patient to the organization. It is not merely another quality program or flavor of the day.

Understanding and Executing Demand Management

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Healthcare, because of SARS-CoV-2, is becoming more of a distributive network. With heightened awareness and utilization of telemedicine, the patient has become digitally engaged and likes it. That also means the structure of the hospital and its clinical services will appear more like a distributive computer network. Marketing integrated with the operational and financial needs of the hospital can manage demand, ensuring that the hospital has the right resources, in the right place, at the right time to meet demand. Telemedicine, digital health, non-traditional providers, in-home self-care, Uber for affordable, accessible on-demand transportation, all play a role in that demand management. Gone are the days of hospital marketing departments driving demand to "put heads in the bed." The need is to drive demand to the appropriate care setting and location of service.

All of this is a tall order, but none of it can be accomplished unless marketing is back at the senior management table, part of the senior management team in title and responsibilities. It's 2020 now, not the 1990s. The survival of the hospital in large part depends now on marketing.

Michael is a healthcare business, marketing, communications strategist, and thought leader. As an internationally followed healthcare strategy blogger, his blog, Healthcare Marketing Matters, is read in 52 countries and is listed on the 100 Top Healthcare Marketing Blogs & Websites ranked at No. 3 on the list by Feedspot.com. Michael is a Life Fellow, American College of Healthcare Executives. An expert in healthcare marketing strategy, digital marketing, and social media, Michael is in the top 10 percent of social media experts nationwide and is considered an established influencer. For inquiries regarding strategic consulting engagements, email me at michael@themichaeljgroup.com. Connect with me on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. Opinions expressed are my own.

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