Scripps Health informs employees better than the media

During recent California wildfires, Scripps communicators created a mini news bureau to keep workers better informed than even the media

When the wildfires began spreading through southern California last month, communicators at Scripps Health in San Diego wasted no time setting up a system for getting news to employees.

“While our external communications team gets word out to the media, those of us in corporate communications work in tandem and become a mini news bureau,” says Mike Godfrey, director of corporate communications. “Our primary goal is to keep our 14,000 Scripps staff as informed as possible, so that they can go about their work knowing that they’ll get important news. I’ve been calling it ‘We’ve got your back’ communications.”

As a five-hospital and multiple-clinic health system in San Diego, Scripps has a broad audience to reach. There are about 11,000 employees, 2,500 physicians and 1,500 volunteers.

“As you can imagine, whenever we face something like the recent firestorm, regular work takes a back seat,” Godfrey says.