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On June 12, 2016 a heavily armed gunman storms an Orlando nightclub. Forty-nine people lose their lives in the mass shooting and 53 more receive treatment for their injuries at nearby hospitals. On July 29, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirms four cases of local transmission of the Zika infection in Miami, putting area hospitals on the alert. On August 12, a devastating flood hits Baton Rouge. Patients flock to area hospitals.

These three examples of catastrophic events drawn from the headlines are indicative of the new age of crisis communications that healthcare organizations face and must be ready to address. When a crisis occurs in your community, how should your hospital or health system’s public relations/ communications team respond?

Communicating During Crises
To help healthcare leaders develop, execute, and retrospectively analyze communications provided during a crisis, the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development teamed with the American Health Lawyers Association and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management to publish A Brief Guide to Crisis Communications for Healthcare Providers that covers the following topics and more:

• Types of healthcare crises, including public health, litigation, cybersecurity, staffing, and patient care issues
• Crisis communications preparation and potential variables
• Initial and ongoing tasks for the communications team
• Post-crises evaluation

To learn more...

SHSMD members, read the full article: Are You Prepared for a PR Crisis?
Nonmembers, for more content like this, Join SHSMD.