Hospital awards – the madness continues
For those of you who follow this blog or have heard me speak, this will be a beating of a dead horse. But I can’t help myself, given a conversation I just had with a healthcare marketer who told me of two new hospital awards her organization had received, two of which I had never heard. The question is, will this madness ever end?
The first award was from HealthGrades, who seems to add new awards and ratings every year. (This year, for example, they’ve added the Transplant Excellence Award). I tried to count the number of awards or ratings from this organization alone, and I couldn’t sort it out. But here’s a rough overview:
- Diagnosis/procedure ratings (39 categories)
- Specialty Excellence awards (15 categories)
- Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence
- Patient Safety Excellence Award
- America’s 50 Best Hospital Award
- Outstanding Patient Experience Award
- Women’s Health Excellence Award (3 categories)
- Transplant Excellence Awards
I didn’t want to break out the abacus to calculate how many annual awards or ratings that actually amounts to among hospitals across the country, but here’s a guess – a freakin’ lot. And that’s just HealthGrades. The other award that was new to me was a quality award from Premier, one of the larger Group Purchasing Organizations in healthcare. Now we have GPO’s joining the cacophony (good luck getting consumers to recognize those brands).
I know some folks at HealthGrades, and I think their quality ratings have in one way been a good thing for healthcare, driving providers to improve their quality and experience. Of course, it’s sad to think that what’s often driving them is embarrassment (re: a one-star rating in “Back and Neck Surgery (except Spinal Fusion)”), rather than because it’s the right thing (and smart thing) to do.
It’s from a marketing and brand building perspective that I start to get the hives. Rather than repeat our thoughts on why, just check out this previous post, “The battle of the gold stars.” Better yet, print out a copy and accidentally leave it on the CEO’s desk. Because in the end, if the leaders of provider organizations weren’t driven to such a frenzy to promote every award that comes their way, perhaps this virus-like growth of awards might finally slow down.
Going to nominate this blog post for an award. Any preference as to which one?
Yes. I would be perfect for the “Excellence in blog posts: healthcare industry: provider sector: marketing firms and ad agencies: size – less than 10 employees: geographic sector – upper Midwest: metro area – Minneapolis: company name starts with H – I” There are only 37 awards given out with that designation, so we’d have a good shot.
Chris: In that narrow yet highly-regarded category, Interval has a five-spade rating by my system too. Now, you must procure the right to promote that recognition, so don’t go around flaunting Meyer’s Five-spade Rating for free, you dig? Incidentally, a soon-to-be-issued press release will include the names of your competitors who won the same esteemed five-spade rating AND purchased said rights — let me know if you’d like to be included and we’ll chat. No worries though, I’ll still include your review and score online and people may or may not notice if and when they ever visit. Ta.
Chris, you and your readers might benefit from looking over the case studies of hospitals that have succesfully built their brands, increased volumes and expanded their market share by marketing their quality awards from HealthGrades. Hard to argue with these results.
http://www.healthgrades.com/hospital-solutions/ratings-and-awards/index.cfm?fuseaction=modNBG&modtype=hospitalSolutions&modact=hospCaseStudies
Scott Shapiro
SVP, Corporate Communications
HealthGrades
Thanks for weighing in Scott. I would encourage folks to check these out. As we noted in “Gold Stars,” there are certainly instances where promoting awards – quality, safety, patient experience – can help a hospital or health system do all the things you mention.
What do others thinK?
Great post, Chris. I’ve never believed that such awards mean much to consumers. But reading this it occurs to me that it probably gives a nice boost to internal morale.
Cheers,
Gienna
Gienna is correct. It is nice for internal morale. Great read, Chris.
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We receive numerous hospital awards but only promote the ones that actually register with the public. It is great for hospitals to show that they work to provide quality care, but they are talking to an empty room if their audience doesn’t understand who it is actually giving the award.
Anyone can give an award.
Great post. And now for best blog in the upper Midwest division, healthcare sector, marketing agency, here’s Chris Bevolo.
Chris: “Thank you very much for this great award. Outside of those in the industry, I know it means little, but sounds great. And, ha-ha, I had to pay for it, but boy does it boost morale. Thank you very much. I plan on buying, I mean, winning, it again next year!”
That, Chris, says it all about all of these awards.