Case Studies
Crisis Management Case Studies
The Blanco + Hopkins team has managed such challenging issues as changes in senior leadership, staff downsizing, wrong-site surgeries/adverse clinical outcomes, Medicare investigations, health provider misconduct or fraud, privacy breaches, aggressive patient collection practices, hospital sales and purchases, and many, many more. Collectively, they have handled some of the toughest natural disasters a hospital can face – everything from earthquakes to SARS to Hurricane Katrina. They have worked with every kind of hospital imaginable – children’s hospitals, not-for-profit hospitals and systems, academic medical centers, specialty hospitals and one of the largest publicly traded hospital systems in America. They’ve managed issues with media large and small, ranging from highly influential outlets like 60 Minutes, CNN, Dateline, and the New York Times, to the smallest of local papers.
Acquisitions and Divestitures
Blanco + Hopkins has more experience with hospital acquisitions and divestitures than virtually any other public relations firm in the country. We’ve helped buy or sell more than 100 hospitals in many states across the nation. Our team helps prepare proposals in response to RFPs on behalf of prospective buyers. We also plan and implement comprehensive strategic communications plans designed to help manage public and media perception of the transaction. In states that require review and approval by the state attorney general and other regulatory agencies, we help clients navigate the approval process, including generating government and community support for the acquisition, management of the public hearing process and working with the media.
Planning for Service Changes and Closures
Blanco + Hopkins specializes in helping clients who face significant changes such as service reductions, consolidations and closures. We develop and implement comprehensive strategic communications plans designed to avoid and/or mitigate any negative impact as a result of the changes.
Below are specific examples of Blanco + Hopkins & Associates’ experience in planning for service changes and closures:
Below are specific examples of Blanco + Hopkins & Associates’ experience in planning for service changes and closures:
Hospital Emergency Department Closure
Blanco + Hopkins helped a safety net hospital execute a significant emergency department closure from initial planning through execution, and beyond. Emergency department downgrades or closures are invariably contentious because they involve myriad public affairs issues. Employees, physicians, the community, and elected officials all play a part in the process, as well as state and local regulators through a mandated public regulatory hearing required by the state. The strategic campaign that Blanco + Hopkins helped design and implement successfully mitigated legislative and media attention in a highly charged environment.
Health Plan Contract Negotiations
Contract negotiations are particularly challenging, often creating unrest for both providers and plan members. Developing and implementing a proactive communications strategy will help you meet this challenge head on. A formal plan will help you identify opportunities for outreach to media, elected leaders, providers, plan members and the community at large. Taking a measured, rational approach can enhance your strength at the bargaining table.
Below are specific examples of Blanco + Hopkins & Associates’ experience in handling health plan contracting issues:
Below are specific examples of Blanco + Hopkins & Associates’ experience in handling health plan contracting issues:
Renegotiation of Major Managed Care Contract
A high-profile urban hospital sought Blanco + Hopkins’s help in executing a favorable contract with a major managed care company. The health plan had failed to negotiate fairly, and attempted to strong-arm the hospital into a contract at rates below those offered to other comparable institutions. Blanco + Hopkins successfully coordinated a campaign – working with local elected officials, media, hospital organizations and labor leaders – to pressure the health plan back to the bargaining table.
Outsourced PR Department
Blanco + Hopkins & Associates is a full-service public affairs firm that offers all of the services provided by larger PR companies and ad agencies – or even an in-house communications department – but more efficiently and cost-effectively. And because we and our associates do all of the work ourselves, we offer a much higher focus on quality and customer service.
Growing Company Opts for Outsourced PR
Blanco + Hopkins serves as the outsourced PR department for an emerging healthcare services company that is growing nationally. We provide a wide range of services including strategic communications for acquisitions, responses to media inquiries, crisis communications, development of corporate and hospital websites, marketing, brand development, and internal and external communications.