Practice Areas

Health

 

Bon Secours Hampton Roads Health System - Open-Heart Certificate of Public Need

 

Challenge

Bon Secours Maryview Medical Center is the largest provider of medical cardiology services in the Southside Hampton Roads, Va. Region. The Medical Center filed a Certificate of Public Need (COPN) requesting approval to establish open-heart surgery at Maryview through a partnership with the esteemed Columbia University.

The COPN faced opposition, much of it from competing hospitals that had existing cardiac care services. Bon Secours' challenge was to overcome this opposition by demonstrating the need for more cardiac care services and how these new services would not impair existing open-heart programs in the area.

 

Solutions

CRT/tanaka developed a grassroots communications plan to saturate the community with key messages reinforcing the need and promoting the expertise that would come to the community through a partnership with Columbia University.

Example tactics included a "Letter to the Editor" campaign with authors such as local cardiologists, community leaders, business leaders and state legislators. The effort also included an op-ed from the chairman of the Department of Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons that outlined the strengths of the Bon Secours/Columbia program. Throughout the campaign, CRT/tanaka maintained ongoing media relations to keep the COPN's progress in the news and prepare reporters in anticipation of the Commissioner's decision.

 

Results

The state health commissioner granted Bon Secours' open-heart COPN, citing key messages used throughout the year as reasons for approval. Media coverage appeared in virtually every media outlet in the community, and the grassroots campaign collected more than 2,200 signatures in support of the COPN.