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Natalie DuckorPRR 346December 8, 2010
PRR 346 Individual Project: Comparison of Two For-Profit Hospitals
Selected Topic:
I decided to do a comparison of two for-profit hospitals in the Orange County, California.
The two hospitals that will be analyzed based on their public relations efforts are Chapman
Medical Center and Coastal Communities Hospital. Through multiple interviews and extensive
research on each hospitals website, there are some specific areas of improvement and ways each
hospital can better reach their target demographic audience.
Background of Chapman Medical Center:
Chapman Medical Center is located in Orange, California, which is located directly off
the 55 Freewayone of the largest and most used freeways in Orange County. The
demographic surrounding Chapman is that of higher income families and does not have a
significant racial diversity. The two largest racial groups surrounding Chapman are Caucasian
and Asian, while Chapman has mainly placed emphasis on targeting the Caucasian demographic
audience. This neglect of the Asian demographic is apparent while walking through the hospital
where there are no language translations for the signs or brochures and no cultural cuisine
options within the cafeteria.
The hospital has over 450 employees and more than 400 physicians working for the
hospital and has 114 beds for patient treatment care (Chapman Medical Center). However, from
these 114 beds, forty-five are designated to in-patient care, while the remaining beds are utilized
for Chapmans specialized signature programs. From these forty-five in-patient care beds, on
average, the hospital only has filled a 30% capacity. The remaining hospital beds are designated
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for Chapmans specialized niche programs and services, which include: Neurosurgery and
Spine Program, Chapman Spine and Orthopedic Institute, Bloodless Medicine and Surgery,
Center for Senior Mental Health Center, Chapman Center for Obesity, a Chemical Dependency
Program for adults and adolescents (Positive Achievement Center), Pain Management Services,
and a Subacute Unit (Chapman Medical Center).
In addition to the standard medical care and specialty programs, Chapman also has a
small emergency care center, which typically serves around 2,000 patients a month. The racial
demographic for the emergency room is typically Hispanic, which is different than those patients
taking part in one of the hospitals niche specialty programs or in-patient care. However,
because the majority of patients are not low-income, minority individuals, the government does
not provide financial assistance to the hospitals programs.
Background of Coastal Communities Hospital:
Coastal Communities Hospital is located in downtown Santa Ana, California.
Surrounding Coastal the racial demographic is primarily Hispanic and tends to be in the lower-
income bracket of society. Being that Coastal treats a vast amount of low-income individuals it
usually means most of these patients either are uninsured or have Medical coverage. The
government provides additional funding to Coastals medical efforts and programs because of
the high amount of Medical and uninsured patients the hospital treats. It is vital to receive this
government funding because without it the hospital it would most likely go bankrupt.
Coastal has 400 employees and more than 300 physicians working for the hospital and
has 178 beds for medical treatment (Coastal Communities Hospital). Out of the 178 beds, about
70% of those are used for its OB program. Clearly, Coastals OB program is the hospitals
largest program and primary focus and concern within the hospital and leadership team. In
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addition to the OB program, the hospital has a Senior Mental Health Unit, a long-term Subacute
Unit, Bridges to Newborns, Maternal Child Health, and Diagnostic Services.
Like Chapman, Coastal also has an emergency care center, where it treats around 3,000
patients per month. Within those 3,000 patients, only 20% are uninsured and while at the
hospital these uninsured patients are provided with information about medical insurance
coverage that would best fit their lifestyle and income. However, the remaining 80% of patients
coming to the emergency care center are usually covered under Medical. While the hospital does
not make a profit from the emergency care center, Coastal reasons that this department is
necessary for the communitys needs.
Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc.
IHHI is a publicly traded hospital management company that was formed in 2003. They
own and operate four hospitals in Orange County, California, with a total of 770 beds, 2787
employees, and 1725 active physicians (Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc.). Their four
hospitals operate approximately 12% of the beds in Orange County and include Western Medical
Center Santa Ana, Western Medical Center Anaheim, Coastal Communities Hospital, and
Chapman Medical Center (Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc.). Even though both Coastal
Communities Hospital and Chapman Medical Center are both owned by IHHI, they have
different leadership teams and CEOs for each individual hospital. The impact each hospital
faces with IHHIs ownership of its hospital is in regards to major hospital decisions and released
public information, which is required to be approved by IHHI.
Analysis of Chapman Medical Centers Website:
When looking at Chapmans website the first thing that is noticeable is that it needs to be
updated and have a more contemporary look to it. The graphics that they have selected on the
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website look as if they copy and pasted it from Word Art. When consumers are looking at their
website they respond better when the pictures are real rather than a cartoon. For example, they
have a section on their website called Our Physicians where they have a generic picture of a
doctor. My recommendation would be to have pictures of all the physicians on staff at the
hospital posted on the website. When a prospective patient goes to this section of the website it
may put them at ease to have a visual of the doctor who will be caring for them rather than not
being able to put a name to a face.
Another area of improvement for the website would be the press release section. When
observing this section it is immediately shocking to find that the last press release put out was on
April 17, 2007. However, when researching outside of Chapmans website it was discovered
that a press release was put out on November 9, 2010 about a new video security system installed
in the hospital, which was neglected to be posted on the hospitals webpage. After discovering
this it is clear that parts of the website need to be updated much more frequently.
Also the Classes and Events section is another concern I have for the website. When
clicking on this section to learn about upcoming classes and events offered at the hospital, it
stated that there are no upcoming events or classes offered. However, through my interviews I
am aware that there was recently a ribbon cutting ceremony for the neurosurgical and spine
opening in the hospital, which was an event open to the public. With the CEO of Chapman
present as well as the Mayor of Orange, it would have been an ideal public relations tactic to
inform the public that this event was occurring. Having this event posted in the Classes and
Events section of the website may have potentially drawn a larger crowd to come to this
ceremony and caused more media exposure for the hospital.
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Interestingly, there are separate websites for some of the specialty programs Chapman
has to offer. When looking at the Neuroscience and Spine Center at Chapman website, I was
astonished at the extremely more modern lay out of the website and all the information provided.
Specifically, the public relations efforts made on this program are much stronger than those on
the hospitals website, which Kim Pensenstadler the director of business development is
responsible for. When looking at the bottom of the page the viewer is able to learn about the
centers latest media exposure. The Neuroscience and Spine Center has had exposure on Inside
Edition with Britney Murphy, recent radio interviews, as well as a news article in the LA Times.
When interviewing Kim Pensenstadler she simply stated that she had created separate websites
for Chapmans specialty programs. However, when examining the website a little more closely I
discovered that she is not in charge of the maintenance of the neuroscience and spine website,
but it is outsourced to a company called Scorpion Healthcare.
Scorpion Healthcare:
Scorpion Healthcare maintains and develops websites and offers other technological
opportunities for hospitals and healthcare providers. Their services include hospital website
design, marketing and branding, pay per click marketing, content writing, email hosting, along
with other services (Content Management System Hospital Website Design). When first looking
at the neuroscience and spine website I was impressed by the media exposure this specialty
program had been able to have access to. When comparing the public relations efforts of the
hospital to that of the neuroscience and spine program, it became clear that Scorpion Healthcare
has been doing a far better job gaining media exposure and reaching its target audience.
Chapmans public relations page has not been updated for three years and has minimal media
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exposure. In contrast, the neuroscience and spine program has already built strong public
relations exposure and has made a name for itself within the community. While it is unclear how
much the hospital pays for this company to maintain this website and also do the programs
marketing and branding campaigns, it is evident that these same types of efforts need to be made
to all the specialty programs as well as the hospitals website. Placing this much emphasis on
one specialty program I feel hinders the other programs offered and also hurts the image of the
hospitalthe hospital cannot rely on just this one program to generate enough income. This
narrow effort on this program will cause the community to only relate Chapman to its
neuroscience and spine program and be uninformed of the various other services the hospital
provides.
Analysis of Coastal Communities Hospitals Website:
The first thing that appears on Coastal Communities Hospitals website is a little
background history of the hospital, its mission statement, and the hospitals nondiscrimination
policy, while Chapman Medical Centers website opens with the specialty programs it has to
offer. When on Coastals home page the viewer immediately gains a sense of what Coastal
Communities Hospital strives to deliver to its patients and the mission statement the medical
staff tries to deliver to each individual. In addition, the home page includes the hospitals
nondiscrimination policy, which conveys the hospital understanding of the certain type of
demographic audience the hospital treats. In the case of Coastal compared to Chapman, as a
recipient of Federal financial assistance, they deal with a larger majority of uninsured individuals
or on Medical and a larger Hispanic population. The prospective patient immediately seeing that
Coastal does not exclude, deny, or discriminate against any person causes the person to be at
ease and more likely to be comfortable to enter Coastal versus another hospital.
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Another strong aspect of Coastals website is the Classes and Events section. Unlike
Chapman, Coastal includes the upcoming events and classes the hospital has to offer, all of
which are free and are offered in both Spanish and English. In the month of December the
hospital offers every weekend a Maternal and Child Health Program for expecting mothers.
However, this is the only type of class that comes up when researching for upcoming events and
classes offered at Coastal. However, when speaking to the Director of Marketing at Coastal,
Carla Valenzuela, she explained to me that they have monthly educational seminars where the
doctors speaks and answers any questions individuals may have. The problem is the hospital
does not have this event posted on its website, which causes less people to be informed about this
type of educational event the hospital has to offer.
When looking at the physician section of Coastals webpage it much better than
Chapmans. Coastal has it set up that the prospective patient can specifically search what type of
physician they are looking for by selecting what type of specialist, gender, foreign language
spoken, and insurance provider (Coastal Communities Hospital). It is especially important that
the patient can put what type of foreign language they desire the doctor to accommodate because
this illustrates Coastals understanding that their patients more than likely do not speak English,
but rather Spanish. In addition, the individual is able to select what type of insurance he or she,
which is another important factor when selecting what physician the patient can visit. This
medical coverage search criteria included within Coastals physician page reveals the hospitals
understanding that its patients are typically covered under Medical, which can become an issue
when selecting a doctor. These various concerns that the patient has when finding a physician
are addressed on Coastals website, while Chapman merely lists the different medical and
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healthcare groups that are a part of Chapmans medical staff and does not allow the prospective
patient to narrow their search on the specific criteria they are looking for in a physician.
An issue with Coastals website is it does not have a press release or media exposure
section to its website. While Chapmans may not be updated as frequently as it should be, at
least they have some of the press releases posted on the hospitals website. It is important to
have this type of information on the website so the prospective patient can gain more knowledge
about the hospitals efforts and values it strives to achieve. In addition, the various specialty
services Coastal has to offer has limited information offered on the website. For example,
Coastals OB program is the hospitals largest and most lucrative program, but there is less than a
page of information on the website about this wonderful program. Also, similar to Chapmans
website, Coastals website appears to be outdated and lacks visual aspects to the website. It is
these visual aspects that lure the viewer into the website and causes them to look at all aspects of
the website, rather than just looking at the front page and losing interest in the web page.
Personal Interviews Held at Each Hospital:
Chapman Medical Center:
y Kimberly Pensenstadler- Director of Business Developmenty Doug Norris- Chief Executive Officery Ada Yeh: Director of Nursingy Doctor Faladi- Surgeony Doctor Duckor- Chief of Staff
Coastal Communities Center:
y Carla Valenzuela: Director of Marketingy Marcela Romero: Community Relations Manager
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y Craig Myers: Chief Executive Officery Doctor Faladi: Surgeony Kathleen Vu: Head of Human Resources Department
Patient Interview:
I performed random patient interviews at each hospital, where they were insured that they
would remain anonymous and patient confidentiality was promised.
Public Relations Efforts at Chapman Medical Center:
After interviewing Kim Pensenstadler, Director of Business Development, whose
responsibilities include the hospitals public relations efforts, it was clear much more could be
achieved at Chapman. Kim explained that she does not write press releases that often because
she has so many responsibilities that she is unable to write press releases on a weekly basis.
When asked what public relation tactics she utilizes then, she explained that she has many media
relations that she uses to the fullest. She said her media relations are her most vital public
relations source. However, when asked what types of media relations she has built, whether it is
newspapers, radio, or television, she did not give a clear response, but rather changed the topic of
discussion. This changing in the topic when asked what specific media relations she has made
signifies that perhaps these media relations are not as substantial as she described.
In addition, with social media networking on the rise, it was asked if she has utilized such
outlets such as Facebook and Twitter in order to reach the hospitals target demographic
audiences. Kims response to using social media networking is that it demands constant
coverage and attention. Being that she is the only person responsible for all marketing and
public relations responsibilities, she explained she just does not have the time to take on such a
task. She did say some hospitals have recently started to utilize social media networking, some
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of those being their competitors. One of the other reasons Kim said Chapman has not started to
use social media networking is because of the legalities that go along with it. Kim explained that
everything that is posted on Twitter or Facebook would need to be approved by the CEO and
IHHI before being posted on the Internet.
It was also asked how Kim uses public relations tactics to illustrate Chapmans mission
and values to the public. Kim explained that Chapmans mission and values are not necessarily
portrayed through public relations tactics, but rather through patient and medical staff relations.
Patient care is the most valued aspect of both Chapmans mission statement and values, so Kim
feels that the best way to convey this to their target audience is through the care and attention
they receive while at the hospital. When asked if she feels that individuals who have not been
patients at Chapman are knowledgeable of its mission statement and values she responded by
confidently saying that they do. While the matter was not pressed during the interview, it is
questionable how Kim believes individuals who have not been patients at Chapman know of the
hospitals mission statement and values when no public relation tactics are utilized to reveal this
image of the hospital.
Another public relations tactic that Kim neglects to utilize is establishing community
relations and holding community events and educational classes. Kim did explain Chapman
used to offer free flu vaccines for the community, but because of recent budgetary cut backs the
hospital is now unable to provide this service to the community. Kim did explain Chapman
offers a few support groups for patients, which are for the Bariatric, Senior Mental Health, and
Positive Achievement Center programs. However, Chapman has not made any relations with
any local non-profits or church community centers.
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Public Relations Efforts at Coastal Communities Hospital:
The Director of Marketing, Carla Valenzuela, described Coastal Communities Hospitals
public relations efforts to be primarily grass root campaigns. Carla explained that utilizing
grass root campaigns is ideal for Coastal because of the limited public relations budget she is
given. Through grass roots marketing, Carlas intends on connecting the hospital with the
community as well as local organizations. Specifically, these campaigns emphasize on educating
the community and clients of the hospital. As Carla explained, The population is hungry for
information, its just not readily available.
The first example Carla provided of a creative public relations tactic she established was
building a relationship with the publisher of the magazine, Para Todos. Through this media
relationship, Carla had a four-page article about the background history of Coastal Communities
Hospital and her efforts at the hospital. This type of media exposure has been vital for the
hospitals image because of the magazines high readership, which is more than 50,000 people in
just the Orange County area. In addition, the magazine is in Spanish, which targets the particular
audience Carla is trying to reach, the Hispanic population. Carla strategically formed this media
relationship because she understood the audience she needed to capture. Another media outlet
Carla has also partnered with is a local Spanish radio station. Every Friday one of Coastals
doctors, even if they are non-Spanish speaking, goes on to discuss various medical issues the
public may have concern. This media relationship is once again a free public relations tactic that
specifically reaches the Hispanic community. Carla explained that this information these doctors
are discussing have never been taught to these individuals. However, she has come to realize the
community has the desire to be educated about these medical topics. Through the listeners of
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this Spanish radio station, Coastal is able to portray its mission statement and values in a
noninvasive way, for the listener has made the personal choice to tune in to this radio station to
hear Coastals doctor speak.
Carla has also developed relationships with Catholic Charities of Orange County who
needed a place to have couples classes. Coastals OB program, which is the hospitals largest
program, aligned itself with Catholic Charities of Orange County and integrated their couples
classes into the OB program. Carla explained that these couples classes do not push the Catholic
religion in anyway, but rather help build a solid relationship before the birth of the couples
child. To encourage couples to attend the class the Catholic Charities of Orange County hold
weekly free raffles for gas cards. In addition, for completing the class the couple receives from
the Catholic Charities of Orange County a hundred-dollars. All of these types of incentives help
in having a higher attendance rate at these classes and also act as a way to persuade the couple to
choose to deliver their baby at Coastal rather than another hospital in Orange County. This
community relationship that Carla has built acts as a vital public relations tactic, for through
these classes she is able to reach a larger audience within Orange County. In addition, these
classes directly help increase the number of deliveries that Coastal does on a monthly basis.
Other non-profits that Carla has aligned Coastals OB program with are the Adoption
Network, Mothers Nutrition Centers, and Champions for Change. The Adoption Network is a
worldwide adoption agency that works with over 200 financially stable couples in Orange
County waiting for babies. Carla explained that having The Adoption Network as a possible
option for expecting mothers is sometimes a deciding factor for some mothers to deliver their
babies at Coastal. Where Coastal is located there is a large teen pregnancy rate, which in some
situations means the mother cannot financially or emotionally care for a child at this point in her
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life. Having the partnership with The Adoption Network once again reveals Carlas
understanding of the communitys needs and the target demographic audience Coastal needs to
reach. As for Mothers Nutrition Centers, Coastal is the first hospital to have an established
partnership with this organization. Mothers Nutrition Centers are food banks that are designed
to appear like a regular super market in order to create a better shopping experience for the
customer. Carla strongly feels that this partnership compliments Coastals OB program and
further assists in helping the mother during the beginning months of caring for a newborn child.
Lastly, Champions for Change is a non-profit that educates expecting mothers about nutritional
food for their child. Carla stated that all these partnerships that Coastal has created blend in with
one another creating a name for the hospitals OB program. Carla said, People see the names of
these organizations associated with Coastal and in turn want to come to our hospital to deliver
their baby. Carla points out that non-profit agencies also have to give annual numbers and
results, so this partnership with Coastal not only benefits the hospital, but also their organization.
Patient Interviews at Chapman Medical Center:
Five brief personal interviews were held with patients, family, or friends at Chapman
Medical Center.
The questions asked during the interview were:
y How do you feel about the aesthetic of the hospital?y How have you felt about the overall treatment and care here at Chapman?y
How have you been treated by the staff here at Chapman?
y Would you return to this hospital for future medical care?y Would you recommend going to Chapman to your family and friends?
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Each individual that was interviewed stated that the aesthetic of the hospital has room for
improvement. While the entrance and lobby were aesthetically pleasing, it was the hospital
rooms, hallways, and elevators that appeared to be outdated. One interviewee stated, When at
a hospital I want to feel that everything within the hospital looks current because that is what
directly reflects the hospitals image. When the hospital looks outdated, what does that tell me
about the medical treatment provided at the hospital? When asked about the overall treatment
given to either himself or herself or the individual he or she was visiting, all interviewees were
pleased. Each commented about the excellent nursing staff and being that it is a smaller hospital,
the attention received was much greater. Four out of the five interviewees stated that they would
return to this hospital for future medical complications. The one individual that stated he or she
would not return to Chapman explained that St. Josephs, which is only fifteen minutes away,
seemed to meet his or her medical needs better. While all the interviewees stated they would
recommend Chapman to their family and friends because of the family like care they received
or observed while at the hospital.
Patient Interviews at Coastal Communities Hospital
The same questions and number of interviewees were also held at Coastal Communities
Hospital. When asked about the aesthetic about Coastal each individual explained that it clearly
needed some updating and repairs. The main complaint was the hospitals lobby because it did
not radiate that feeling of comfort and was not welcoming to them. As one interviewee
explained When I first walked into Coastal the first thing I saw was an intimidating security
guard that made me give him my information and reason for visiting the hospital. This is not the
type of atmosphere I want to be in while at a hospital. Another interviewee explained that the
lobby just seemed almost dirty and unkempt, which in turn made him or her question what the
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rest of the hospital was going to be like. However, when asked about the treatment and care
received at Coastal every interviewee was very pleased. One interviewee explained that when
his or her family had some complaints about the hospital they were immediately addressed and
taken care of, which the family had never experienced at another hospital. Also, every
interviewee said they would return to Coastal because of the medical and administrative staff.
Another important aspect that influenced their decision to state that they would return to Coastal
is a majority of its staff is Spanish speaking, which causes a feeling of comfort and familiarity
while at the hospital. After getting past the appearance of the lobby, each interviewee was
extremely pleased with Coastal and confidentially said they would recommend Coastal to his or
her family and friends.
Online Reviews and Comments from Patients at Chapman Medical Center:
When reading on the patient reviews of Chapman Medical Center on ObesityHelp there
were a few distinct comments that seemed to come up in a lot of the patients comments about
the hospital. The first response that was interesting is each patient either went to Chapman
because it was referred to by their doctor or was one of the few hospitals their insurance would
pay for (Hospital Profile-Chapman Medical Center). The reason this response stood out was that
out of the 75 individuals that commented on this website, not one said it was because they had
learned through various media outlets that Chapman was an excellent hospital to seek medical
attention. Clearly through these responses about why they came to Chapman reflects the public
relations tactics being used are not being affective. The second comment that is important to
note was the overall satisfaction of the quality of care and the attention given to them. A number
of comments stated they liked the small size of Chapman because they felt that allowed for more
personal attention to each patient (Hospital Profile- Chapman Medical Center). These comments
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about Chapmans small size could be used effectively during public relations messages as an
appealing trait of the hospital. Prospective patients want to know they are going to receive the
most attention and care, which through Chapmans small size will be provided to each patient.
However, Kim has not utilized this positive trait of Chapman as a public relations tactic to draw
in more patients. In addition, Kim has not even been on to sites like this to research how
Chapmans patients feel after leaving the hospital. These types of consumer response websites
are a vital tool that Kim has not tapped into and would tremendously assist in reaching the
hospitals target audience and knowing what the community needs.
Online Reviews and Comments from Patients at Coastal Communities Hospital:
When reading reviews about Coastal Communities Hospital on Patientsvilles website
several findings were interesting in a public relations perspective. Within the website it
conducted a survey of 100 individuals where they were asked various questions about their stay
at Coastal. The respondent had the choice of answering each question with always, usually,
sometimes, or never. One of the interesting questions asked was How often did patients
receive help quickly from the hospital staff? In response to this question 55% of individuals felt
they always received help quickly, while 31% said usually they did. In a public relations
perspective only 55% of patients feeling they always received help quickly is not high enough
(Coastal Communities Hospital, California Quality of Services). Part of Coastals mission
statement is patient care and the highest standard of medical attention to its patients and with
31% feeling this is usually met illustrates that the mission statement is not being upheld within
the hospital. Another question that was found to be important was How do patients rate the
hospital overall on a ten point scale. Patients who gave a rating of 9 or 10 was 71% and
patients who gave a rating of 6 or lower was only 9% (Coastal Communities Hospital,
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California Quality of Services). These percentages reflect that, overall, patients leave Coastal
pleased with their experience and stay at the hospital. However, when Carla was asked if she
had viewed this website before or ones similar to this she explained that she had not. As the
hospitals public relations person it is essential to utilize all the tools available to learn about
patients responses to the hospital and any comments they may have. By knowing 71% of
individuals rate Coastal a 9 or 10 Carla could use this as a benchmark to work off of for her
annual public relations goals for the hospital. By knowing that 29% of individuals do not view
Coastal highly Carla could use different public relations tactics to reach these unsatisfied patients
(Coastal Communities Hospital, California Quality of Services). It is vital to be knowledgeable
of how the hospitals audience feels leaving the hospital in order to know areas that need
improvement.
CEO of Chapman Medical Center Interview:
When interviewing Doug Norris, chief executive officer of Chapman Medical Center, it
was evident that he did not have a close connection with the community. When asked how
frequently he publicly speaks to the community he gave an unclear response, which most likely
reveals he does not publicly speak that often. His only explanation of being an active voice for
Chapman was during the ribbon cutting ceremony for the opening of the Neuroscience and Spine
Center where he gave a small speech to the public who attended. It was then asked how closely
he works along side the leadership team, which he explained was a very close relationship.
How the office for the leadership staff is set up is that all the offices are within a certain
wing of the hospital. In some hospitals the CEOs office would be separated from the other staff
members, but at Chapman they all work right along side each other. This type of office set up
easily makes it possible for the CEO to have this close relationship with his leadership team.
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Doug explained that any idea another member of the leadership team has they can always step
into his office to discuss. This open relationship that he has with his leadership team is an
essential communication fundamental that every hospital needs to have.
The hospitals mission and values was another topic discussed during the interview.
Doug explained that Chapman has done a good job of portraying its mission and values, but
that there is always room for improvement. However, when asked what types of strategies he
feels should be implemented he was unsure about any solutions for this room for
improvement. In addition, he was unable to explain his measurement of categorizing the
portrayal of the hospitals mission and values as good. This lack of measurement for the
hospitals public relations effort is something that is vital when setting annual goals for the
hospital. Also, when asked how active he is within the community surrounding Chapman, Doug
explained with all his obligations at the hospital he does not have time to volunteer his time to
the community. While Doug seemed like a personable and nice individual, he did not seem to
have a grasp of what next steps need to occur for Chapman Medical Center. Especially during
this time of healthcare reform, it is necessary to have a CEO who has a strong vision and
leadership qualities to guide the hospital and prevent it from going bankrupt. The feeling I left
after this interview was that all his responses just brushed the surface and was not fully
knowledgeable about the public relations efforts made at Chapman or the community Chapman
serves.
CEO of Chapman Medical Center and Relationship with Staff Members:
While Dougs relationship with Chapmans leadership team may be close, after
interviewing Chief of Staff Dr. Steven Duckor, it was clear this same kind of close relationship
did not carry over to the medical staff. Dr. Duckor explained that it is a rare occurrence to even
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see Doug outside of his office and that he never spends time to just walk around the hospital. An
example Dr. Duckor gave was for months he went into Dougs office to tell him the elevators
paneling was in need of repair. While Doug acted like he was going to take care of the issue, Dr.
Duckor explained that the elevators paneling still has not been fixed. Dr. Duckor explained,
Maybe if Doug spent the time to take the elevators hospital he would realize how bad it looks
for patients and visitors to ride this elevator.
Dr. Duckor continued by explaining that none of medical staff feels like they actually
have a relationship with Doug. He explains that there clearly is a gap between the medical staff
and the CEO and his leadership team. The CEO of Chapman needs to have a more active
presence within the community and within the hospital, Dr. Duckor explained. For example, at
hospital retreats, it was a common occurrence for Doug to not be present at the evening dinners.
It is important for the CEO to be the face of the hospital and to have that strong relationship with
the medical staff because without this relationship there is enormous room for
miscommunication.
The final example Dr. Duckor gave of Dougs poor leadership was the hospitals prior
relationship with the local high school, Foothill High School. Through Dr. Duckors efforts the
hospital and medical staff donated over $100,000 over ten years. However, because Doug was
usually not present at these ceremonies and lacked the initiative to continue with this charitable
relationship, Chapman has ceased donating to the high school. As Dr. Duckor explained, this
type of relationships within the community is what Chapman needsit needs to become the
community hospital. In order to compete with St. Josephs in Orange, Chapman needs to have
a strong leader, which is not Doug Dr. Duckor said. The Chief of Staff of Chapman acts as the
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representative for all of the hospitals medical staff, so it is clear not only Dr. Duckor does not
have the respect for the CEO, but also the majority of the medical staff.
CEO of Coastal Communities Hospital Interview:
After interviewing Craig Myers, chief executive officer of Coastal Communities
Hospital, it was clear he has a very different approach to his position compared to Doug Norris
over at Chapman Medical Center. Craig explained that it is vital for the CEO of a hospital to be
an active participant of the community it serves. As Craig pointed out How else will I truly
know what the community needs if I am not a part of it? This question is exactly what makes
Craig a stronger CEO because it is clear after speaking with him that he truly wants to know
what the community needs from Coastal. As CEO Craig is part of the hospitals community
board, which hold monthly meetings to discuss any current issues or concerns the community
members may have about Coastal. In addition, Craig is an active member of one of the churches
that is part of Coastals OB program. Craig is also part of a local organization PEACH board,
which deals with addressing community needs within the Santa Ana area. However, similar to
Doug, Craig does not frequently give public speeches. His reasoning for not giving public
speeches is he feels that are too impersonal and would rather build personal relationships with
individuals.
When asked how closely he works with his leadership team he explained that they have a
very close relationship. They hold weekly meetings where they brainstorm ideas and go over
any issues that may have occurred within the hospital that week. The only issue with Coastals
leadership team is that the offices of each member of the leadership team are in different areas of
the hospital. Unlike Chapmans designated wing for the leadership team, Coastals leadership
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team is separated. This type of office separated hinders the open communication necessary
among the leadership team members.
In regards to Coastals mission and values Craig stated that he actively makes sure these
are upheld. The most important aspect of Coastals mission statement is patient care and
satisfaction, which Craig personally makes an effort to do. When a patient is displeased about
something that has happened during their stay, Craig personally writes a letter to the patient and
provides a complimentary meal ticket to Coastals cafeteria. It is this type of personal attention
that will make that patient return to the hospital, explained Craig. This type of immediate
response to the issue a patient has possibly prevents negative feedback about Coastal from
circulating within the community.
CEO of Coastal Communities Hospital and Relationship with Staff Members:
After interviewing Coastal Communities Hospitals surgeon, Dr. Faladi, it is clear that
Craig Myers has a stronger relationship with the hospitals staff members. Dr. Faladi explained
that Craig makes sure to come to the medical staffs monthly board meeting where they address
any concerns they may have about the hospital. Attending these types of medical staff meetings
are extremely important for the CEO to attend because it is one of the outlets for the medical
staff to voice their opinions to the CEO. In addition, this also allows Craig to explain specific
areas the leadership team is developing, which allows the medical staff to be informed on what is
going on within the hospital. Dr. Faladi was an ideal candidate to interview because not only
does he work at Coastal, but he is also a surgeon at Chapman, so he is able to see the clear
distinctions between the two hospitals and its CEOs. Dr. Faladi explained that the relationship
that Craig has with his medical staff is much stronger compared to that of Doug at Chapman. He
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feels that he is more easily able to speak about issues he may have with the hospital and in turn
that Craig will try to resolve the issue immediately.
Volunteer Program at Coastal Communities Hospital:
Kathleen Vu who is in charge of coordinating the volunteer program at Coast
Communities Hospital explained that it is not a large program within the hospital. The hospital
accepts volunteers 16 and over and is required to fulfill over a hundred hours in service. The
volunteers duties may include bringing out charts, wheeling patients to their cars, and answering
phones. Kathleen stressed that the volunteers do not have any involvement with the patient care
provided. The first issue with Coastals volunteer program, Kathleen explains, is that prior to be
accepted as a volunteer the human resources needs to run a background check on the individual.
These background checks on these volunteers the hospital pays for, which has become a large
cost for the hospital. The second issue that Kathleen faces is typically the volunteers are
teenagers who have been forced by their parents to volunteer and are usually not very reliable.
With the cost of the background check and the time the staff spends training the volunteers,
Kathleen feels it is not even worth having a volunteer program at Coastal. When looking at the
website Coastal does not even advertise that the hospital offers a volunteer program because they
are not in search of recruiting volunteers. One point of concern about the volunteer program is
that when Carla was asked about the volunteer program and her thoughts about it, she was not
even aware Coastal offered a volunteer program. The volunteer program could be a possible
public relations outlet that Carla has not even attempted to utilize.
Volunteer Program at Chapman Medical Center:
Chapman Medical Center has decided to not even offer a volunteer program at the
hospital. However, this conflicts with the information on the website, which states the hospital
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does have a volunteer program. On the website it goes into the types of services the volunteer
will be expected to provide, which include: clerical duties, flower delivery, hospital tours,
information desk duties, newspaper delivery, and helping with special events. This type of
conflicting information should not be posted on the website. To test this issue within the
volunteer program I decided to call the number provided if one was interested in volunteering. I
left a message expressing my interest in volunteering and would like to know more about the
program. Unfortunately, I never received a call back from Chapman. This type of situation
could cause an individual have a negative image of the hospital and cause the individual to
spread his or her disappointment to others within the community. When Kim was asked why
Chapman does not offer a volunteer program she stated a response similar to Kathleens
frustration with the volunteer program, that the volunteers were not that helpful. Regardless of
not having a volunteer program, Kim should have it updated on the website stating Chapman no
longer offers a volunteer program.
Special Events held at Chapman Medical Center:
At Chapman Medical Center they do not hold any special events in order to reach out to
the community. The hospital in previous years held an annual free flu vaccine drive, but that has
not been done for the past three years. As Dr. Duckor explained, the free flu vaccine drive was a
great way to have people come in and see the hospital. In addition, this created a positive image
of Chapman because of this charitable contribution that was given to individuals in the
community. While this may have been costly for the hospital, this was a beneficial public
relations effort. It is essential to have community special events, such as the flu vaccine drive, to
spread Chapmans mission and values as well as persuade potential patients to select Chapman.
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Special Events held at Coastal Communities Hospital:
Coastal Communities Hospital has developed several special events that have a
successful attendance from individuals within the community. With Carlas understanding of the
communitys desire to be provided with medical information, she has found a way to link the
communitys needs and the special events Coastal holds. With Coastals OB program being its
largest, Marcela Romero, the community relations manager, has put together a Maternity Tea
event where the expecting mother and birth partner will receive a tour of the labor unit and
delivery unit, maternity floor and newborn nursery. The Maternity Tea events are held the first
two Thursdays of the month from 5:00pm- 6:30pm. In addition, there are Maternity Bruch
events held the third Saturday of each month from 10:00am- 11:30am.
Another event offered to the community is the program Couple: The Strongest Link.
As explained within the public relations efforts of Carla, the director of marketing, this class
provides the essential tools and knowledge needed for the mother. Coastal offers a free six
session program in Spanish for couples who are not married, 18 years and older, low income,
and are expecting a baby or have a child 0 to 3 months. As an even greater incentive to be a part
of this program, Coastal provides dinner, a gas card, money to pay for childcare, and diapers for
those couples who decide to attend the program.
In addition, Coastal provides free childbirth preparation classes, which are held the last
Saturday of every month from 9:00am- 1:00pm. During the class the instructor covers the
essentials for a healthy pregnancy, prenatal care, preparation to come to the hospital, warning
signs of preterm labor, post partum care, and family planning. In addition, people who attend the
childbirth preparation classes are provided with both breakfast and lunch.
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It is through all these special events and programs that Coastal offers to the community
that reflects the leadership team and staff understand the communitys desires and needs.
Coastal has realized the demographic audience they deal with are typically low income and
Spanish speaking, so they have tailored its programs and events to address this specific audience.
These types of free programs and events do exactly what Carla said was wanted in the
community, medical education. They have not only provided these special events and program,
but have also financially assisted these couples during the childbearing process. Carla explains
that this type of charitable assistance is what causes mothers to not only have their first child at
Coastal, but her sixth.
Career Information for Chapman Medical Center and Coastal Communities Hospital:
On both hospital websites there is a search engine that lists careers needed. In addition,
on each website the career section provides the hospitals benefit programs. I feel that providing
the hospitals benefit program is something that should not be displayed publicly on the website.
In my opinion that type of information should be given to the individual interested in the job
once they have contacted human resources. Once they have contacted human resources they can
provide all the information in regards to medical benefits and answer any further questions they
may have.
Shareholder Relations Material for Chapman Medical Center and Coastal Communities Hospital:
Each hospitals shareholder relations materials are found on IHHIs website. Provided
within the investor relations section are the recent financial reports, public filings, and its audit
committee charter.
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Corporate Social Responsibility for Chapman Medical Center and Coastal Communities
Hospital:
Both hospitals employees are a part of Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc., which
means they have a responsibility to act with complete integrity when representing IHHI. For
both hospitals, its basic values are to:
y meet the needs of each and every patient whose care is our primary purpose and mission;y hold integrity and honesty as our most important principles, uphold ethical standards at
all times and comply with all applicable rules and regulations;
y comply with all applicable rules and regulations;y maintain and enhance cooperative relationships with affiliated physicians to better serve
the health care needs of our communities;
y forge strong partnerships with those who share our values;y achieve standards of excellence which become the benchmark of industry practices;y use innovation and creativity to identify and solve problems;y apply quality management and leadership principles to foster continued employee
development;
y treat each other, our patients, and our business partners with respect and dignity;y achieve competitive return for our investors;y strive for improvement day in and day out in everything we do (Integrated Healthcare
Holdings, Inc.).
An interesting aspect of both hospitals corporate responsibility is in regards to gifts, meals,
and entertainment. Within the IHHIs standards of conduct and ethics it states:
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y We shall not solicit, offer, accept or provide any consideration that might be constructedas conflicting with IHHIs business interests, such as donations, meals, gifts,
transportation or entertainment.
y We may not accept gifts exceeding $35 in value for an individual gift, or $100 incumulative value in a calendar year. Gifts received that exceed $35 in value must be
documented and reported to your supervisor or manager who will decide how such gift
will be handles.
y Acceptance of cash gifts, including tips, of any amount is prohibited.y We may not accept gifts from of give gifts to patients regardless of the value. Exceptions
can be made if the gift is perishable, such as food basket or flowers.
y Cash gifts to clinicians or referral sources are prohibited. Non-cash gifts to clinicians orreferral sources that have a value exceeding $35 are prohibited. If circumstances seem to
dictate a gift exceeding this limit, prior approval must be obtained and the reason for the
gift documented (Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc.).
This is an important issue to address within the companys standards of conduct and ethics
because of the ethical issues doctors face when dealing with pharmaceutical representatives.
There have been times pharmaceutical representatives have given doctors lavish vacations or
expensive dinners, which in turn persuade the doctor to prescribe a certain medicine the
representative is trying to sell. IHHI even provides various scenarios that the doctor or medical
staff may be faced with. This issue addressed within the companys standards of conduct and
ethics is important to help maintain a positive image of the hospital, for the medical staff will be
viewed as honest and responsible when prescribing drugs to patients.
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Another topic addressed within both hospitals standards of conduct and ethics is the proper
work environment to uphold. Both hospitals and its staff are expected to make an environment
that fosters the privacy, security, and comforts of patients.
The last topic addressed of IHHIs standards of conduct and ethics is their stated mission for
community involvement. Interestingly the company wants each hospital to provide a wide range
of community outreach programs in the communities they serve. While Coastal Communities
Hospital has clearly provided an abundant amount of community outreach programs, Chapman
Medical Center has neglected to make such efforts.
Recommendations for Chapman Medical Center:
After interviewing Chapman Medical Centers staff and leadership team as well as
visitors and patients of the hospital, I have come up with some possible public relations tactics to
help the hospital in its efforts of increasing the number of patients as well as spreading its
mission and values to the community. First, I feel that it is necessary for Kim, the director of
marketing, to begin to utilize social media networking. In this generation it is now necessary for
an organization to be present on Facebook, Twitter, and also have a blog page. While Kim
explained that there are legalities to using these social media outlets, I feel that this is just an
excuse. During our interview, Kim even admitted that some hospitals are using social media
networking. If other hospitals are able to use social media networking then there should be no
reason why Chapman Medical Center cannot either. Because of Chapmans limited public
relations budget, social media networking would be ideal because it does not cost anything. By
creating a Facebook page Chapman would be creating a two-way conversation where patients,
visitors, and members of the community could share their experiences at Chapman. While the
CEO expressed concern about negative commentary being posted, it is this unfiltered
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conversation that is essential to successful use of social media networking. If there were to be a
negative comment posted on Facebook, a staff member from Chapman could directly address the
concern immediately. Most likely if Chapman responded to the issue that individual had they
would be so surprised that the hospital was even reading these comments and in turn would shift
their outlook about the hospital. On the Facebook page it could post any upcoming events
Chapman may be holding, any openings of new programs within the hospital, and articles about
Chapman in the media. As for the Twitter page they could post tweets about the cafeterias daily
specials, any awards the hospital has received, as well as if Chapman will be visiting any local
community events. In addition, the CEO could create a personal blog page where he addresses
any issues or concerns that may arise. By personally writing his outlook about the situation he is
allowing the media to hear his side of the story and possibly eliminating any bad press. Also,
members of the community will feel a personal connection to both the CEO and Chapman
through the use of social media networking. On the blog page there could even be a media
gallery where there are photos of the medical staff in action. Having these photos would address
the issue I had about the website, where there were no photos of Chapmans medical staff.
Having this media gallery will cause an even greater understanding of Chapman and personal
connection to the hospital.
Another recommendation I have is for Chapman to align itself with the local college,
Chapman University. During my interview Kim explained that there is just too much public
relations work that she cannot accomplish all on her own. My suggestion to her is to create an
internship program with Chapman Universitys communications and business school. Having an
internship program at Chapman would allow several people to be part of Kims public relations
team without any cost. College students are the most adept and comfortable with social media
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networking and website creation, so the interns responsibility could be the technological aspect
of public relations. In addition, this relationship with Chapman College will be a community tie
that Chapman is in great need of.
Building community relationships is essential for a hospital and is part of Chapmans
Standards of Conduct and Ethics. However, Chapman has lacked in creating any community
relationships, which has hindered the image they are trying to portray. My suggestion would be
to hold hospital tours for local high schools, middle schools, and even elementary schools. Kim
should personally go to each local school and invite them to come for a personal tour of the
hospital. Kim could explain that these tours would act as an education tool for the students and
possibly spark the childrens interest into going into the medical field. Chapman could also go to
local schools science classes and discuss medical related topics that the students are learning
about in the classroom. Even though Chapman is not a childrens hospital, these types of
community relationships is what helps foster a positive image of the hospital.
Another community relationship that Chapman could build would be with local religious
groups, specifically Jehovah Witnesses. Chapman is unique for it offers bloodless medicine and
surgery, which is a primary concern for this religious group. A representative from Chapman
could go to local Jehovah Witnesses churches and discuss Chapmans goal to provide an
environment where patients can feel safe and that their wishes will be respected at the hospital.
Another suggestion for Chapman would be to hold special events and programs at the
hospital. With the aging of todays population, it would be smart to focus some of the hospitals
public relations efforts towards its Senior Mental Health program. Similar to Coastals OB
program efforts, Chapman could hold weekly teas where a small lunch would be provided and
senior couples could come to learn about Chapmans program. There could also be a special
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program for individuals that are worried their partner may be suffering from dementia,
Alzheimers, or bipolar disorder. Within this complimentary course individuals would the
warning signals to if their partner may or may not have a mental health issue. Even though these
special courses and events would be free, it would potentially draw new patients into the
hospital.
Another suggestion I have for Chapman is in regards with the doctors orientation.
Chapmans doctors orientation does not address patient care and how to approach various
patient care situations. Patient care being one of the most important values to uphold in the
hospital it is vital that each member of the medical staff understands this. It would be beneficial
to review the standards of patient care that Chapman expects and how they want their doctors to
handle certain patient care situations. Having this communication with the incoming doctors
would prevent numerous patient care issues from arising because everyone on the medical staff
is on the same page. Without having patient care expectations addressed to the doctors then it is
inevitable that there will be conflicting views of what is the standard of patient care.
I also feel that it is important for Chapman to reach a larger demographic within the
community. Chapman has ignored the large Korean demographic audience within the Orange
County area. Typically the Korean demographic is part of the higher income bracket and has
medical insurance coverage, which are the types of patients Chapman would like to treat. The
hospital needs to have pamphlets that are not only in English, but also in Korean. The cafeteria
should have Korean cuisine options, and the hospital signs should also be translated in Korean.
These small changes to the hospital will draw a larger Korean audience to the hospital because
they feel comfortable while at the hospital. The last thing a patient wants to feel while staying at
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a hospital is uncomfortable and confused, so with these minor changes this will eliminate these
emotions.
A final recommendation I have is Kim needs to not rely on her media relationships, but
spread Chapmans name through her own public relations efforts. There are very few press
releases that Kim puts out to the public and media, which is one of the fundamental tools a
public relations person should be using. I suggest that there needs to be a weekly press release in
order to keep Chapmans name out in the media. Kim can still use her media relationships by
directly sending the press release to them and most likely will be released because the media
does not have to personally come up with the story. The media is more likely to release a story
when they have the information all ready for them, eliminates unnecessary time and effort for the
media outlet. This potential coverage weekly will build Chapmans name within the community
as well as surrounding communities.
Recommendations for Coastal Communities Hospital:
Similar to Chapmans situation of only having one person responsible for all of its public
relations efforts, Coastal Communities Hospital should also create an internship program with
the local college. They could either align themselves with University of California, Irvine or
also Chapman University. Carla had a similar issue where she just does not have enough time to
do everything for the public relations department. I explained this idea to Carla and she was
overjoyed by this concept and even questioned why she had never thought of this. Creating an
internship program would not only alleviate some of the work load Carla faces, but also create
another community relationship for Coastal.
One of the major complaints of visitors and patients of Coastal was the lobby of the
hospital. While Coastal has made some remodeling efforts such as redoing the hallway floors
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and putting flat screen televisions in the hospital rooms, it is necessary for the hospital to spend
some money on the lobby. The lobby is the first impression for the individual walking into the
hospital, so it is vital that it reflects the quality of care Coastal offers. Some minor
improvements such as replacing the waiting room chairs, the outdated television, and adding a
few paintings would improve the overall aesthetic of the lobby. This warmer feeling created in
the lobby would put patients and visitors at ease and create the family surrounding feeling
Coastal wants to create.
Another recommendation for Coastal would be to create a partnership with Planned
Parenthood with the hospitals OB program. A lot of people that attend Coastals OB programs
are teenage girls who most likely discovered they were pregnant when visiting Planned
Parenthood. By creating a partnership with Planned Parenthood the doctor when delivering the
news that the woman is pregnant could suggest going to Coastal Communities Hospital to deliver
the baby. Coastal could provide Planned Parenthood with their pamphlet of information of the
various services they have to offer and even have its handouts in the waiting room of Planned
Parenthood. When I brought this idea up to Carla she said the leadership team had always
thought of this idea in the reverse way, telling pregnant mothers to go to Planned Parenthood if
they did not want the child, which was not the type of message the hospital wanted to send to its
patients. However, taking this different approach to the partnership with Planned Parenthood
would work ideally for Coastal and would draw more potential patients into the OB program.
In addition, I recommend Coastals volunteer program to align itself with local
community churches. The largest issue with the volunteer program is that the high school
student volunteers are not reliable and more of a burden than a help to the hospital staff.
However, if local church members were volunteers they potentially would be more reliable and
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willing to assist the hospitals needs. This partnership would also act as another community
relationship for Coastal and would act as a positive public relations tactic. As an incentive to be
a volunteer at the hospital, Coastal could hold an annual volunteer appreciation dinner. It could
be held at one of the near hotels and be a sit down dinner. While this may cost the hospital some
of its annual budget, it is an expense that would greatly impact the image of Coastal. Typically
older volunteers do no have much activity in their daily lives, so being a part of the volunteer
program could be marketing as a way to make new friendships and help the community.
My final recommendation would be for Coastal to build a relationship with the
University of California, Irvines Medical School. During my interview with Dr. Faladi he had
expressed that the medical staff at Chapman was much stronger compared to Coastal. A solution
for this would be for Coastal representatives to go to the medical school and recruit some of the
soon to be graduating medical students. UCI has a strong medical school and it is a resource that
Coastal should be utilizing to be getting new doctors on its medical staff.
Comparison of Chapman Medical Center and Coastal Communities Hospital:
In regards to public relations strategies and efforts, I feel that Coastal Communities
Hospital has been much stronger. Coastal has made tremendous efforts in regards to community
programs provided, which Chapman Medical Center has neglected to establish. While Chapman
states they understand what the community needs, I feel that Coastal and its leadership team truly
understands what the community needs. When interviewing Carla she expressed her strong
understand of the types of patients that come to Coastal and specifically what areas of concern
that need to be addressed within the hospital.
Carla has been extremely creative with her limited public relations budget by utilizing
various grassroots campaigns, while Kim reflected no such efforts made. Even though each
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hospital targets different demographics, Chapman needs to shadow the efforts that Coastal has
made. Chapman needs to offer community programs and events at the hospital. As Dr. Duckor
explained in his interview, Chapman needs to become not a hospital a person drives by, but a
community hospital that everyone goes to. Chapman has not created that welcoming
community feeling that Coastal has created at its hospital.
An area that both hospitals need to address is its technological aspect. Both hospitals
websites are outdated and have neglected to use social media networking tools to reach a larger
audience. However, when comparing the response to this idea of using social media networking,
Carla was much more responsive to the idea. Kim response was immediately the legalities and
the time this would require from her. In comparison, Carla was intrigued by this idea and was
willing to look into the possibility of using social media networking. While both hospitals are
hurting in the technological aspect, it was Carlas attitude to change this issue that was much
different to that of Kims over at Chapman Medical Center.
In addition, both hospitals hold the value of providing health education to the community.
While Coastal has clearly provided various outlets of health education to its community,
Chapman has not created any health education programs. Coastal has grasped the importance of
creating these types of community ties through education programs, which Chapman has not yet
learned. I feel Chapman has placed all its money and efforts towards their specialized niche
programs and has neglected any other aspects to the hospital. Chapman needs to learn how to
balance its efforts within the hospital and understand they need to have a unique quality that sets
them apart from other hospitals. For Coastal they have found its unique quality within its OB
program and the free health education programs it has to offer that causes members of the
community to choose Coastal.
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Another differing aspect of these two hospitals was the interaction the CEO had with the
community. Coastals CEO has made a clear effort to be a face within the community and learn
what the community needs. However, Chapmans CEO has not made a similar effort within the
hospitals community. The only way to truly learn what the community needs is to be an active
participant within it. The efforts made by the CEO reflect the hospital and its image and for
Chapman it reflects the lack of effort towards creating community relations. In comparison,
Coastals CEO illustrates the tremendous efforts the public relations department and leadership
team are creating and have created within the community and its local organizations.
It is evident that both hospitals have room for improvement in regards to its public
relations efforts. However, Carla Valenzuelas public relations efforts and connections built
within the community for Coastal Communities Hospital has been from three years of her
working at the hospital. While Kim Pensenstadler has been at Chapman Medical Center for over
fifteen years, she has not made near the amount of public relations accomplishments compared to
Carla. Through this observation of each hospital and the conducted interviews it is obvious that
Coastal Communities Hospital will continue to grow and reach new levels of success during
these coming years.
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Works Cited
"Chapman Medical Center." Chapman Medical Center. 2010. Web. 3 Oct. 2010.
.
"Coastal Communities Hospital." Coastal Communities Hospital. 2010. Web. 5 Oct. 2010.
http://www.coastalcommhospital.com/default
"Coastal Communities Hospital, California Quality of Services." Patientsville. 2010. Web. 05
Dec. 2010. .
Content Management System Hospital Website Design. Scorpion Healthcare. Web. 05 Dec.
2010. .
"Hospital Profile - Chapman Medical Center (COE)." ObesityHelp - Gastric Bypass, LAP-
BAND System, DS and Other Surgical and Non-Surgical Weight Loss Options. 2010.
Web. 05 Dec. 2010. .
"Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc." Integrated Healthcare Holdings, Inc. Web. 20 Nov. 2010.
.
"Quality Check - Consumer Search - Results." Web. 05 Dec. 2010.
.