“We want patients to know exactly how we can help them.”

With a new CEO and new physicians on staff, the leadership at Grassy Acres Gastrointestinal Center knew it was time to develop an updated corporate identity to help present its new face to the St. Louis market. While they decided to retain the clinic’s name, they wanted a fresh logo. But unlike the name – which was the inspiration of the former CEO’s ex-wife – they wanted a logo that clearly reflected their business. Read the full story »

A routine business meeting at Evergreen Hospital ended with the vice president of marketing agreeing to perform heart surgery. The move followed a heated discussion on the merits of a marketing tactic suggested by a heart surgeon.

Janet Nolan, MD, a cardiovascular surgeon, was advocating for printing advertising on java jackets (coffee cup wraps) to help address a persistent lag in cardiology consults.

“Everyone drinks coffee, and many will eventually require cardiovascular intervention,” said Dr. Nolan. “And think of all the caffeine-induced arrhythmias we’d be in front of. The strategy is so obvious it makes you question the intelligence of our marketing staff.” Read the full story »

The Senate Finance Committee will continue its investigation into abuses in community benefit reporting after a hospital in California accounted for $347 in topless car washes. The 2008 Community Benefit Report for SunSpot Hospital in Fresno, CA lists the benefit under its “Self-help program” category, along with its smoking cessation classes and anger management programs.

In a tweet this weekend, Senator Charles Grassley of Iowa, the top-ranking Republican on the committee, commented: “Hosps having topless car wshs I get, but $347? That seems like a stretch #welovechuck.” Read the full story »