LONGSTREET CLINIC
Public Relations
THE CHALLENGE
When the COVID-19 pandemic engulfed north Georgia, Longstreet Clinic found itself in a unique and delicate position. Stakeholders, such as patients and employees, as well as regional media sources and colleagues and peers with whom Longstreet worked – such as hospitals – were looking to Longstreet for information and support.
On top of that, the clinic also had a responsibility to keep its employees and patients as safe as possible during a fast-developing and relatively unprecedented situation. So, Longstreet needed to undertake crisis communication in a clear and effective manner.
HOW WE HELPED
Because patients and staff were Longstreet’s immediate priority, Forum Communications helped Longstreet get their message out to both sets immediately. We developed a new message to lead Longstreet’s web presence and helped send out direct emails and messages to patients and staff about the steps the clinic was taking to both ensure their health and help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus.
This included information about what to expect in the coming days and weeks, as well as education about flattening the curve and the use of facemasks. That included immediate “how-to” guides for patients that required consistent, in-person care (such as chemotherapy patients), as well as how to access tele-health options for others. Beyond that, we began to push the information available to us from Longstreet’s brilliant and knowledgeable physicians about the virus itself, the course of the pandemic, and how patients of certain specialties should behave to obtain their best outcomes. We got this message out through several mediums, social media, blogposts on Longstreet’s website, Facebook Lives and local media contacts among them.
ALL IN THE DETAILS
Because we’ve worked effectively with local media in the past – and have former journalists within our ranks – Forum Communications was able to help Longstreet Clinic present its message across a broad band of local media, including newspapers, radio, and the internet.
Our contacts were also willing to access Longstreet doctors for their independently produced pieces because of their trust in us and the brand that Longstreet has built through the years. We also Produced several Facebook live sessions that were transferred to video, so that patients and the public at large could witness and access their doctors’ (nearly) firsthand information about the important health-related developments taking place in their lives.
These videos received significant interaction with an increase of over 725% in engagement and consumers watching more than 870 hours of branded content in 2020 on Facebook alone. We also designed and produced signage to help spread the message and flatten the curve.