Health care PR firms handle communication and marketing needs for a variety of health care settings, including hospitals, nursing homes, health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and mental health facilities. Health care businesses depend on the public awareness and good opinions. This is where public relations comes in.

Public relations in health care addresses the information between a health care business and the public that makes up the clientele. This may mean introducing new services and products, improving a business image or increasing an organization’s publicity to keep it on everyone’s mind. Know what you want from PR for health care when you hire an agency.

Look at the some of the roles of health care PR:

1. Medical PR agencies handle communication with the public

2. Health care PR firms organize special events that show the facility in a positive light

3. A health care PR agency prepares general and specific marketing plans as needed

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Use PR for health care to build public awareness

Public relations isn't the same as advertising. The focus of health care public relations is to gain positive publicity and attention for a business and even fix a tarnished reputation. Particularly in health care, companies depend on consumers to stay in business. If the public knows nothing about a business or that it even exists, a business will close its doors before long.

I recommend: Check the top health care PR agencies at PR Watch. Or find a rankings list at O’Dwyer’s with link to firm bios. Edelman, Ruder Finn and Russo are known for their excellence in health care PR.

Handle media relations with health care PR agencies

One of the most important tools that a public relations specialist has is the ability to create press releases and send them to the right contacts. Publicists know how to look at the human interest angle of a new service, and then pitch the story to the news media.

I recommend: Develop a hospital media relations policy like the one published by Stonybrook Medical Center so that everyone’s on the same page. Track the effectiveness of your health care publication relations company with tips from Direct Contact PR.

Organize events using public relations in health care

Often a PR person is the first point of contact for consumers wanting information about a facility. Since health care groups depend on a positive image, one of the ways to achieve this is through special events organized by your PR agency. Hospitals sponsor walks and runs. They hold free seminars about nutrition or hold health fairs for people to gain more information. They arrange school field trips and more.

I recommend: Choose a heath care PR firm experienced in the type of PR efforts you need whether it’s managing a big event or providing education for the public. For someone who knows local media contacts, find a local firm through a state professional association like the Missouri Association for Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing. Connecticut’s Bridgeport Hospital holds regular events designed to keep consumers informed and healthy.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Set up a budget for pr for health care if you haven't already.
• •  Another service provided by some health care PR firms is handling internal communications, such as newsletters that go to employees.