Foundations to Public Relations and Communications in Health Care Settings

On-demand course available for 30 days from date of first log in.

Staying at the forefront of health care communications is critical to as we move forward in navigating the new normal.

Updated with new trends, strategies and case studies, this SHSMD series features expert faculty who will share key trends impacting communication professionals, identify and develop new skillsets and guide you through a cumulative and collaborative activity that will result in an actionable plan to help you solve current and emerging challenges.

Topics:

Internal and external communications strategies.
The evolution of the digital workspace.
Brand journalism and content—earned, owned and paid.
Developing a strategic framework for communications and measuring the impact.
Strategic advice for becoming a trusted senior advisor, developing new skills and influencing meaningful change.

Skills you'll gain:

Deepen your understanding of key trends impacting health care communications professionals, guided by experts.
Learn to develop strategic communication and change management solutions.
Grow as trusted advisor and effective change agent.
Apply these learnings to real-world challenges.

Use case assignment:

You are invited to tackle real-world challenges directly relevant to your role. Throughout the course, you'll select a use-case problem or challenge you are currently facing and engage with discussion prompts and exercises using a comprehensive template.

But that's not all! You'll have the unique opportunity to explore examples of past use-case assignments and hear firsthand from previous course attendees about how they successfully applied their newfound insights to enhance their current roles.

By the end of the course, you’ll have actionable steps to achieve your current goals and powerful tools to confidently navigate future challenges. Don't miss out on this chance to elevate your problem-solving skills and drive meaningful impact in your organization!

Course Overview

Module 1 | Introduction and the Evolution of Internal Communication

Presenter: Kim Dwyer, Corporate Communications Director, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Trends in internal communication—new skills, new roles.
Communication models for driving effective change.
Leaders and managers as conversationalists.
Storytelling and purpose-driven communication.
Trends in channels/Intranets.
Trends specific to health care professionals today.

Module 2 | External – Brand Journalism and Trends

Presenter: Lisa Arledge-Powell, President & Founder, MediaSource

New health care communications trends—the new skills you need to learn to maximize your content including multi-channel amplification and measurement: Creating content is not enough—tricks to amplify your content and messages across multiple channels.
Merging the world of earned, owned, shared and paid—how to implement parts of the PESO model into your current communications program.
Measurement must-haves—how to show the value of your work to the C-suite.
Best practices implemented by some of the top health care brands

Module 3 | Strategic Frameworks for Communication Professionals

Presenter: Donna Teach, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Framing Strategy
Goal Setting
Principals of Evaluation – measuring impact of communication efforts
Practical approaches to research and evaluation

Module 4 | Participant Case Studies

This course will conclude with recommendations for completing your use-case assignment, presenting exemplary instances of past use-case assignments, and offering insights from former course participants who have successfully completed the program. Benefit from the collective wisdom of past participants as you refine your understanding and approach, ensuring a comprehensive and impactful outcome for your assignment.

Additional Resources

This course will include a variety of additional resources including articles, white papers, and webinar recordings around the following topics related to communications and public relations:

Advocacy Communications
Creating Internal Advocates for Change
Media Content Relationships
Crisis Communications
Employee Town Halls
Storytelling
Reputation Management
Social Media
Employee Engagement
Community Relations
Consumerism

FACULTY

Donna Teach, MS, APR, Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Donna has been with Nationwide Children’s for over 20 years and her current role includes oversight of all marketing, communication and digital functions. Nationwide Children’s 56-member Marketing and PR team supports all aspects of the institution and includes brand strategy, consumer, donor and referral source marketing, call center, market research, web, social media and interactive marketing, media relations and corporate communications. Nationwide Children’s is America’s largest pediatric hospital and research institute and has been recognized by US News and World Report on their honor roll list of America’s Top 10 Children’s Hospitals.

Lisa Powell Arledge, Principal, Media Source
Lisa Arledge Powell is the President of MediaSource, named Best Health Care Agency for a record four consecutive years by PR powerhouse Ragan Communications. Lisa, a former television news reporter, specializes in public relations and content marketing for the nation’s top hospitals and brands to get their message to targeted audiences. Lisa trains other health care communicators on best practices at national and international industry events such as PRSA Health Academy, Content Marketing World, Mayo Clinic Health Care Social Media Summit and PRSA’s International Conference.

Kim Dwyer, Corporate Communication Director, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Kim brings over 15 years of dedicated service to Nationwide Children's Hospital, where she has been an integral part of the organization's successful communications department. Recognizing the hospital's esteemed culture, Kim views it as a “treasure” to Columbus, Ohio, and remains committed to its mission. With a profound passion for communications, Kim possesses extensive expertise in internal communications, storytelling, and emerging trends in communication models and channels, including intranets. Her wealth of experience positions her as a valuable asset to any communication-focused initiative.