At Kuno Creative, our mission is to help companies we believe in get results. This is the fourth in a series featuring our clients, their mission and how they’re pivoting their marketing strategy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.
The motto North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group (NOH/OMG) lives by is “Partners For Your Health.” And this was never more apparent than during the outbreak of COVID-19.
The resilience the doctors, nurses and staff at North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group showed, and continue to show during this trying time is commendable. The two groups have banded together in so many ways during the pandemic to get their patients the care that they need.
But getting to this point wasn’t easy. As a leading healthcare provider in Northeast Ohio, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group is helping address the challenges and changes COVID-19 is bringing about. It seemed as though each time the group came up with a strategy to reassure and care for their patients, things changed. They found out quickly that to carry the responsibility of being a healthcare provider during one of the most significant healthcare-related events we’ve ever seen, they were going to have to be flexible and meet their patients’ pain points head-on.
Here are a few ways they’ve helped their patients navigate the uncertainty through the coronavirus from the beginning of the pandemic and beyond.
As news of the virus began to spread, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group wanted to calm some of the fears their patients were having. And so a message was put together to share with all of their patients.
It explained what they should do if they already had a scheduled appointment and what to do if they were feeling sick. It provided a strategy that each of its facilities would take to keep every person who visited or worked there safe.
The message also explained the symptoms of coronavirus and shared website links with more information, including:
They also provided a website link to an at-home COVID-19 assessment tool patients could use if they thought they were starting to experience symptoms.
Once the message was sent, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group quickly realized that there were still many more questions than answers.
The group typically posts blogs on Tuesdays and Thursdays that provide information about health topics and tips. It quickly became the perfect place to answer the questions many of their patients were asking.
So their blog topics turned solely to coronavirus and the posting strategy changed too. It went from a magazine-style blog about general health topics to a daily news-style blog overnight.
The most up-to-date studies were covered. The most timely topics were talked about and explained. Myths were busted, knowledge was gained, and their patients loved it!
The blog saw engagement that it hadn’t seen in months. Views were up, comments were steadily coming in, and submissions increased too.
It was an opportunity to establish North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group as a leader in the industry, which it did. The expert advice shared on the blog not only calmed fears but educated their patients who were craving knowledge about an unprecedented health event.
When the pandemic broke, there was a lot of fear and uncertainty because of the unknown about COVID-19. But North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group patients had somewhere they could turn.
As time went on, that fear of the unknown began to affect patient visits. So, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group changed again.
Since the fear of coronavirus kept patients from coming to see their doctors, arrangements were made to bring their doctors to them. This enabled patients to be seen from the comfort and safety of their own homes.
The IT department went to work and telehealth visits are now offered. Patients could use their phone, tablet or home computer to connect with their doctors online. The built-in camera allows healthcare providers to see their patients and answer any questions they may have. If at any point the doctor felt it necessary for the patient to be seen in person, arrangements would be made.
After the initial launch, another pain point was discovered. Some of the less technologically savvy patients were struggling with scheduling virtual appointments. So, the strategy changed again.
It was determined that many patients needed an explanation, including where to start. Chrome is needed to make telehealth work, so emails were sent out and blogs were posted that answered questions like:
To their credit, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group leaders realized that they may have gotten a little ahead of themselves, but they listened to what their client-base was asking and were flexible enough to respond.
The new information helped. The open rate on the emails was strong and submissions on the blog posts went up steadily.
When the pandemic broke, no one was sure what to do, but it was North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group’s willingness to remain flexible and quickly notice the pain points of their patients that allowed them to continue providing one of the services needed most during this time: healthcare.
Whether it was a question about symptoms, how safe it was to come into the office, or even explaining what an app is, North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group was there.
North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group continues to stay engaged with customers and prospects through blogs, social media, emails and videos. Kuno supports the team with everything from website design, emails and branding to blogging and video production.
The pandemic provided many companies the opportunity to reassure their customers and clients that they’re partnering with the right people, and North Ohio Heart/Ohio Medical Group stood up and took the challenge head-on.
We can’t thank you enough for your work on the front-lines of the pandemic. We’re proud to be your partner in marketing.
