In today's volatile healthcare environment, the job of chief reputation officer is one of the most important in any healthcare organization, according to a recent commentary by Paul Keckley, Ph.D., a managing director of the consulting firm Navigant's healthcare practice.
Up to 25 percent of a public company's value is based on reputation at a time when fewer than 40 percent of Americans have confidence in the health system, Keckley contends in a commentary published by the Navigant Center for Healthcare Research and Policy Analysis.
Reputations are built both internally and externally based on an organization's actions and relationships with employees, customers, suppliers and competitors, according to the essay. They also might or might not be accurate, despite deep investments in branding strategy and campaigns, and can be destroyed "overnight."
"Healthcare organizations--whether national or local--can't afford to believe our own publicity nor depend solely on our branding efforts to build confidence and trust," Keckley writes. "Our performance must be verified by facts and our relationships built on good will and fairness."
Others have noted that efforts to improve quality can also improve a hospital's reputation. When patients see top-notch care delivery by highly engaged care teams, they have a positive experience, FierceHealthcare previously reported, with better quality driving better outcomes. But any kink can damage that reputation, driving home the idea that the entire care team is key.
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- here's the commentary