Navigating Complex Communications

OUTdrive Episode 131 with Jon Doolittle

There is no denying that healthcare is complex. Terminology, technology, and insurance just scratch the surface of understanding the system. This impacts the way hospitals and healthcare systems communicate with stakeholders, from the messaging they use to the media platform they use to get it out there. In this episode, Missouri Hospital Association CEO Jon Doolittle and I discuss successful communications strategies, approaches to recruitment challenges, and the intangible benefits rural healthcare systems provide in their communities.

Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) is a nonprofit membership association that represents every acute care hospital in the state and most of the federal and state hospitals and rehabilitation and psychiatric care facilities. Prior to taking the helm of MHA, Jon served as the CEO of Mosaic Medical Center in his hometown of Albany, Missouri, and as CEO of Northwest Medical Center. Earlier in his career, Jon spent over a decade with Cerner Corporation, which led him to pursue his passion for helping people through healthcare administration. Jon received his B.S. from Harvard University before receiving his Master of Science degree in Healthcare Leadership and Management from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Despite the complexity of the industry, marketers are tasked with sharing their stories in a clear, simple, and compelling way. Tune into this episode to learn how MHA is helping hospitals approach communication plans for their communities, patients, and employees.

SHOW NOTES

• 1:45 – Jon shares a little about his background and his career journey to his current role at the Missouri Hospital Association
• 7:00 – What attracted Jon to healthcare and healthcare administration
• 10:50 – Details on some of the major initiatives at Missouri Hospital Association
• 15:15 – Jon describes his typical day-to-day as CEO
• 16:30 – The similar challenges facing both urban and rural hospitals
• 19:45 – Cliff and Jon break down the “intangibles” that hospitals provide to the communities they serve
• 24:30 – Cliff talks about the new tour initiative Bothwell Regional Health Center in Sedalia has implemented in the last year to educate people on the services available
• 25:45 – Jon shares impactful communication strategies he is seeing in healthcare and what MHA is doing from a marketing standpoint to communicate with members
• 29:50 – Jon’s perspective on the use of social media for healthcare organizations
• 32:30 – Cliff and Jon talk about creative strategies that people are using to attract healthcare workers into the industry
• 36:15 – Jon shares what he loves about rural America and urban areas
• 38:45 – Jon explains how people can get involved with their local healthcare systems