Not all of the COVID-19 work we’ve done this year has happened in a hospital.
Throughout the pandemic, not only have we been treating COVID patients, we’ve been educating our communities about how to protect themselves from the disease through a variety of communications channels.
We made a substantial investment in a broad, three-phase educational campaign that includes television and digital ads, social media videos, a special COVID-19 website, bus wraps, flyers, posters and emails.
Dr. Stephen Threlkeld, co-director of Baptist Memphis’ infection prevention program, has held daily news conferences since March, and they continue today. Through these events and countless other interviews, he has contributed to hundreds of television, radio and print news stories about the pandemic and has emerged as the preeminent local COVID-19 expert.
The first two phases of the campaign have been a tremendous success. They quickly established Baptist as a trusted voice on one of the most important health topics in American history. It also has brought great awareness to services — most notably our 24/7 Coronavirus Resource Center hotline (866-941-4785) and MyChart virtual visits — that helped people during the first wave of this pandemic.
This week, we rolled out phase 3 of this campaign, which has a different focus. As I mentioned in my letter a couple of weeks ago, we have entered a new normal, one where we have welcomed all patients back into our facilities and shifted our focus back to the services and care our communities expect from us. The ads, billboards and website that accompany this phase reflect that: The key message is that our facilities are safe, equipped and ready to treat patients in all our care environments, including our emergency departments and Baptist Medical Group clinics. Dr. Threlkeld; Dr. Kimberly Brown, one of Baptist DeSoto’s emergency department physicians, and Dr. H.F. Mason, a Baptist Medical Group general surgeon and Baptist Union County’s chief medical officer, star in the phase 3 commercials.
Several years ago, I charged our Corporate Communications team with building a trusted brand. This is what a trusted brand looks like. I am so proud of the work they have done to establish Baptist as the clear leader in COVID-19 testing and care during the past few months. I would also like to thank all of you who have educated others about COVID by speaking with your family, friends, and patients. That’s part of our trusted brand, too. Our communities must be able to rely on us, not only for the care they need, but for the information they need to stay healthy.
What do you think of our campaign? Tell me by email, tweet me @jason_m_little or find me on LinkedIn.
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