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4 Spectrum | November-December 2013

Here are six questions to gauge

your hospitals level of crisis

communication preparedness.

A Crisis CommunicatorsSelf-Assessment

By Patrick Donohue and

Christopher Lukach

We all have that dream. You knowthe one: Youre back in high school, andyou forgot to study for the big test. Youwake up in a sweat with the sensation of adumbbell in the pit of your stomach. It is,thankfully, a fleeting sensation, when yourealize it was only a dream.

Far less fleeting, but not entirely dissimi-lar, is the feeling communicators have when

C O M M U N I C A T I O N

they are unprepared to navigate a crisis.We subscribe to a simple precept: While

a crisis may be unexpected, it should nevercome as a surprise. At St. Mary MedicalCenter in Langhorne, PA, crisis communi-cation has earned priority status among thecommunication and leadership teams. Tesuccess of our crisis communication programexists because of a top-level commitmentto preparedness, regular updating, rigoroustesting, and unrelenting energy.

Moreover, we have high expectations. AtSt. Mary Medical Center, we periodicallyask ourselves six fundamental crisis-pre-paredness questions. Some are tactical, andsome are cultural. Some rest solely with the

communicators; others test the strengthof our multidisciplinary response team.

1. Does your organization have a crisis

communication plan? Tats step oneand its a biggie. A strong scenario-basedcrisis communication plan based on probability and risk is the ultimate, versatilecrisis communication resource. For guidance on constructing a strong, actionablecrisis communication plan, see the sidebaDoes Your Crisis Communication Plan

Make the Grade?2. Do you have reasonable approva

processes that permit you to com

municate quickly?In todays demanding 24/7 media landscape, quicklyis an understatement. Communication must be nearly instantaneous tobe effective. And its the first responseto a crisis that sets the tone. For manymodern crises, living down the firs

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November-December 2013 | Spectrum 5

statement lasts well beyond the eventsactual resolution. Communicators needto act quickly and without the delay ofa lengthy approval process. Te crisiscommunication plan helps this processby providing pre-approved, pre-vettedstatements that reinforce your values

without speculating. But communi-cators also need a certain amount ofleeway. Tis leads us to the next step.

3. Do you have the authority and con-

fidence to act in a crisis?Earning aseat at the table status is a persistentcultural challenge for hospital andhealth-system communicators. But hav-ing the ear and respect for administrationis a must for a successful program ofcrisis preparedness and response. Teconfidence of your leadership team canbe a challenge to cultivate. You earnyour seat routinely when you provide

Does Your Crisis Communication Plan Make the Grade?A crisis communication plan is an essential tool in thehealthcare communicators toolbox. Unfortunately,not every organization that has a crisis communicationplan has a useful crisis communication manual. Withtodays demanding media and social media landscapes,we do not have the luxury of hours or even minutes toformulate our first response. And as myriad modern criseshave demonstrated, if were not quick to fill the vacuumof information, someone else will do it for us.

First, be clear about what is considered acrisis. A no brainer, right? Not necessarily. For yourplanning purposes, a crisis is any event that has thepotential to negatively impact your reputation or ability tooperate. So while your crisis communication plan needs toconsider the conventional crises, such as natural disasters,terrorism, and on-site acts of violence, it must also includethose lesser crises and issues that carry the potential

for great impact: a mismanaged merger or acquisition;sudden change in leadership; OSHA or regulatoryviolations; poor performance in a quality and safety rating;an inadvertent release of patient-identifiable information,etc. Any of these incidents has the potential to come onsuddenly and to impact the organizations reputation and,therefore, its ability to operate.

Second, make sure your crisis plan hasactionable information.Too many crisiscommunication plans are policy repositories filled withcomplicated processes rather than actionable work

plans. Our crisis communication plan philosophy issimple: if it doesnt offer the necessary information andcommunication framework to respond within 15 minutes,it isnt prepared to do its job. Remove speed bumps bygetting the plans contents pre-approved by legal andadministrative teams.

Third, make sure it is accessible.A well-designedplan is worthless if you cant find it precisely when youneed it. Security and confidentiality are important, but notif they undercut the plans accessibility. Following a recent,innocuous bomb threat to our hospital, our response wasimpacted because the administrative first responderswere not clear about location of the nearest plan. Now,at St. Mary, aside from a hard copy with each memberof the leadership team, we keep multiple hard copiesnear the command center and key locations, and a copywith the hospitals switchboard operators. Modifiable,

interactive, intranet and thumb-drive versions are alsoavailable to the communication team.Fourth, train your crisis response team in using

the plan, then offer periodic refresher trainings.Spotlight the resources within the plan: the roles andresponsibilities of the crisis communication team andhow the plan can be accessed. And, most important,regularly test the contents using complex and difficultscenarios. Bend them. Stretch them. Break them. In theend, your plan will be stronger, and your hospital bestprepared to weather a storm.

counseling on a myriad of issues, demon-

strating your clear and reasoned thinkingand your broad understanding of thehealthcare business. Leaders also liketo know that you have tested experienceand have been through some battles.

4.Are your spokespersons trained and

ready?In a crisis, it is ideal to have asingle, primary spokesperson to keepthe messaging consistent. But differentsituations require different backgrounds,skill sets, and levels of authority. At St.Mary Medical Center, we maintain astable of spokespersons comprising ex-ecutives (CEO, COO, CMO, and, ofcourse, the marketing and communica-tions director) and technical experts (di-rector of security, director of quality andpatient safety, CNO, CIO, HR director,foundation director, and vice presidentof mission). Each is trained to focus on

key messages in answering questions,and we provide periodic refresher train-ing. Even those organizational leaders

who may not be spokespersons inthe microphone-and-camera sense aretrained in the fundamentals, ensuringinternal and external messages are con-sistent. We reinforce the process throughpractice.

5. Can you access key systems during an

unusual event?As with many hospitals

and health systems along the Easternseaboard, Superstorm Sandy impactedSt. Mary. While stranded at home with-out power, much of our communicationteam was unable to access our networkand, therefore, put into action our crisiscommunication plan. Ensure your teamhas back-up processes to access the majorcommunication vehicles in the event of a

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10 Spectrum | November-December 2013

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The SHSMDAdvantageContinuing its commitment toproviding members with practical,timely resources, SHSMD has justreleased the 2014Calendar of HealthObservances &Recognition Days.The easy-to-navigate onlinecalendarbackin PDF formatgives you quick,convenient accessto the dates anddescriptions ofmore than 250health-relatedobservances.Its perfect forplanning 2014health fairs,community

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severe incident. Tis could mean any-thing from home generators, to mobiletethering software (to access the Internetfrom your mobile device), to a simple

list of local libraries with internet access.Or, designate a representative to staffthe hospital command center, wheregenerator access to power should beuninterrupted. And, as if we needed it,heres another way social media changesthe game your hospitals Facebookand Twitter presence may be all you areable to access with limited power andmobile access. Use them.

6. Do you have the plans and policies to

monitor and respond to social media?St. Mary and Anne Klein Communica-

tions Group developed a proprietary and

focused Social Media Crisis Communi-

cation Plan to complement the hospitals

broader crisis plan. Beyond assigningteam responsibilities, the plan takes the

guesswork out of social media activity,assigning an if-this-then-this workflow

strategy to evaluate influence and risk.

If you answered yes to these questions,

you are ready. (Be sure you update your cri-

sis preparedness plan at least yearly.) If you

are in doubt regarding the answers to these

questions, its time to take a hard look at

your crisis preparedness strategy. And if you

answered, no, then its time to have

a heart-to-heart talk with your CEO.

Patrick Donohue

Marketing & Communications Director

St. Mary Medical Center

Langhorne, PA

215-710-6908

PDonohue@StMaryHealthcare.org

Christopher Lukach,APR

Senior Vice President and COO

Anne Klein Communications

Group, LLC

Mount Laurel, NJ

856-866-0411 ext. 15

Chris@annekleincg.com

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