How Providence prepped the American public for pandemic-era safety
The health system’s comms team played a key role in educating and reassuring the public as COVID-19 began to spread, earning a win for Public Relations Team of the Year (25 people or more) in Ragan’s and PR Daily’s Communicators of the & and Rising Star Awards.
In treating the first known COVID-19 patient in the U.S., Providence understood the grave importance of transparency with both internal personnel and external audiences.
During the height of the crisis, Providence produced a COVID-specific newsletter that focused on correcting rumors and misinformation. A public information officer (PIO) was appointed to ensure the communication team had live updates as the virus and hospital operations quickly changed. Once the crisis became manageable, the internal communication team resumed its normal newsletter cadence and continues to provide COVID-19 updates. Additional updates are shared by the PIO from the bi-weekly clinical operations call, highlighting data insights, treatments, vaccines and other important information.
Externally, the Providence communication team leveraged earned media to provide its spokespeople with a platform to educate a global audience, which sparked high demand for their expertise and sound advice. To supplement increasingly limited government information, Providence’s roster of medical experts brought science-based facts to the American public, including:
- Dr. Rod Hochman, President and CEO
- Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, President, Chief Clinical Officer
- Dr. George Diaz, Section Chief, Infectious Diseases (first doctor in the world to treat COVID-19 with Remdesivir)
- Dr. Rhonda Medows, President, Providence Population Health Management ·
- Dr. Joanne Roberts, Chief Value Officer
- Todd Czartoski, M.D., Chief Medical Technology Officer
- Becca Bartles, Executive Director, System Infection Prevention
Since March, Providence’s spokespeople have appeared on top programs across all major national and international TV and radio networks and have been sourced in highly reputable health trades and journals.
Quickly, the Providence communication team identified an essential voice in CCO Dr. Compton-Phillips, whose calm, confident demeanor and expert advice resonated with producers and television viewers alike. The team secured consistent, ongoing national broadcast appearances for Dr. Compton-Phillips, who helped translate for the American public each new phase of the pandemic and sort through the misinformation coming from social media and political leaders. After establishing significant relationships across CNN through her role in shaping the national conversation, Dr. Compton-Phillips became a contracted CNN medical contributor.
Another study, led by Providence, examined how symptoms and prognoses of COVID-19 may be exacerbated for minority and diverse populations as a result of health disparities. The study’s conclusions generated broadcast and print coverage from regional and national publications.
Providence recognized that it was not enough to simply conduct research but also to reinforce best practices and protocols, so the organization quickly launched the 100 Million Mask Challenge to spur domestic manufacturing of needed PPE on a large scale for our nation’s health care heroes. The campaign has seen a tremendous outpouring of support from individuals, community organizations and local manufacturers, and in its early stages produced about 2 million masks and 400,000 face shields. The campaign has transitioned to the American Hospital Association to connect other health systems with local manufacturers willing and able to produce PPE.
As its caregivers stood on the earliest front lines of the crisis, the Providence communications team recognized the organization was facing an incredible public relations and reputation moment. Its communicators knew the organization had a responsibility to convey early learnings about the disease and equip health care stakeholders and the American public with life-saving information. They did just that—and continue to do so. It’s a good reminder that not all heroes wear capes (or scrubs).
Congratulations to the team: Orest Holubec, Mark Gross, Samantha Desmarais, Michael Connors, Christine Nguyen, Michael Drummond, Mary Beth Walker, Morgan Ratcliffe, Vanessa Degier, Christian Hill, Christina Harris, Mona Locke, Mafara Hobson, Tiffany Moss, Elizabeth Deruyter, Angela Maki, Chris Thomas, Casey Calamusa, Cheri Russum, Beth Hegde, Carlie Franz, Steven Buck, Kathleen Obenland, Nicole Stewart, Stacy Rogge, Gary Walker, Jean Marks, Susan Frost, Mike Antrim, Olivia Ramos, Julie Denney, Jamie Wilson, Lisa Helderop, Adrienne Webb, Catherine Semar, Patricia Aidem, Ainsley Nelson, Meredith Cunningham, Melissa Tizon, Kirsten Schultz, and Mikal Canfield.