Monthly Archives: June 2010

Losing patients before they arrive

Posted on June 30, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

     Here’s a fact that gets too little attention: Patients dread having to contact their hospital or doctor. They hate having to explain their health needs to strangers, feeling rushed and knowing nothing about the doctor they’ll be seeing.  What a waste! Here’s a golden … Continue reading →

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Most hospital tweets are useless and stupid

Posted on June 28, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

It’s time to wake up from the passive slumber you’ve been in and start thinking about Twitter as a strategic tool — as a way to find out what key stakeholders want, to inspire employees, to gather intelligence which can bond patients to your hospital and generally build your business. Continue reading →

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Videos: How NOT to run a hospital

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

Here’s a fun take on the day-to-day routine of providing hospital care — and how it can get just a bit impersonal and dehumanizing. (Though not, one assumes, at Warrenton, VA-based Fauquier Hospital, which created the ads you’re about to … Continue reading →

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Time to demand charity program disclosures

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

What if the federal government made non-profit hospitals meet specific standards for publicizing their charity/free care programs? Continue reading →

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Smart takes: Hospital social media tips and tactics

Posted on June 23, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

Here’s a neat collection of Tweets offering hospitals some perspective on how to build a social media marketing campaign, with a dash of of our own ideas: > RT @LindsayMBurke: Amazing list of Hospital Social Media Policies #RNChat http://ebennett.org/hsnl/hsmp/ #rnchat … Continue reading →

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Broadcasting ED wait times: Smart or risky?

Posted on June 22, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

This “check your wait time” thing sounds good to me, when I think like a patient at least. But I also see some serious downsides to this trend. Continue reading →

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Video: The 125-year history of an NYC hospital

Posted on June 20, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

This video, replete with classic period photos of Brooklyn at the turn of the century, outlines the long, rich history of the country’s first Methodist hospital. Continue reading →

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Doctors rebelling against EMRs

Posted on June 19, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

The truth is, EMRs are inflexible, costly and force doctors to change the way they work — with little if any benefit to them. Continue reading →

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Healthcare M&A rapidly going global

Posted on June 18, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

I thought healthcare M&A dollars were largely flowing out of the U.S. But boy, was I wrong. While India is perhaps the most visible example of a globally-expanding marketplace, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Continue reading →

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Video: How public reactions rip hospital buyouts apart

Posted on June 17, 2010 by Katherine Rourke

   In theory, selling a hospital should be a fairly routine matter, at least if no unusual legal issues are involved. Often, the acquisition solves some serious problems by bringing in much-need capital. But just as often, things get extremely … Continue reading →

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