Written by: Melissa Fors Shackelford, Principal Marketing & Growth Consultant, Principal Marketing & Growth Consultant; Shackelford Strategies
The latest Edelman Trust Barometer confirms what many of us in healthcare already feel: people’s trust in healthcare institutions has taken another hit. While doctors, nurses, and scientists are still widely trusted, the systems around them aren’t getting the same credit. And in many communities, especially those who’ve been overlooked or mistreated, its getting even worse.
If you’ve worked in healthcare long enough, you know trust isn’t automatic. It has to be earned. And a lot of it has been lost.
Over the years, I’ve worked inside organizations with strong missions but weak follow-through. I’ve seen the gap between what’s in the ad and what happens when someone shows up for care. And I’ve spent plenty of time trying to help teams bridge that gap, because trust doesn’t come from a tagline. It comes from lived experience.
This work isn’t simple, but it’s worth doing. And it starts with being clear about your purpose.
For many communities, especially marginalized ones, skepticism isn’t just a feeling. It’s a reaction to real harm they have experienced. That mistrust shows up in health disparities, delayed care, or people not seeking care at all.
As marketers, we can gloss over the hard stuff and hope no one notices or we can be real. We can lead with honesty, humility, and a willingness to listen.
In Harnessing Purpose, I discuss marketing as a human profession. That’s especially true in healthcare. Our job isn’t just to get people to click or call; it’s to create conditions where people feel respected and safe.
Trust doesn’t come from cute ads s or clever headlines. It comes from consistency. Every message, every touchpoint, either builds trust or breaks it. We’re often the face to the public. That means we should ask: Are we helping or hurting?
What if we say we’re still working on equity? What if we admit access isn’t perfect yet?
Here’s the thing: patients already know. They’re the ones navigating it every day.
Being transparent can and should be a strength. When we focus on values over spin, we give people a reason to believe us. To build trust.
And clarity matters more when misinformation spreads fast and public confidence is low.
Many organizations use stories to connect with patients and communities. Real stories are more complicated. They involve setbacks, uncertainty, and growth and they deserve to be told with care.
That means asking for permission, not turning patients into props, and showing the full picture, not just the part that makes us look good.
It also means recognizing that patients from marginalized communities are the experts in their own experiences. Our job as healthcare marketers is to lift their voices, not rewrite them to fit a script.
In Harnessing Purpose, I wrote that purpose helps us move from transactions to transformation. That’s true for people and organizations. When we lead with purpose, every message reflects who we are, who we serve, and how we show up. Even when it’s hard.
It means asking ourselves:
- Does this message reflect our values?
- Are we backing it up with real action?
- Who are we not reaching and what can we do about it?
Rebuilding trust takes time. Its often times thankless work. But it’s the kind of work that matters.
If we want people to engage, if we want them to get the care they need, we must give them something worth trusting.
Healthcare marketing can reconnect, rebuild, and help people feel seen if we’re willing to lead with purpose and keep showing up with courage.