Healthcare Public Relations: St. Joseph Mercy Health
CyberKnife puts St. Joseph Mercy Health on the leading-edge of cancer technology
Ann Arbor, Michigan-based St. Joseph Mercy Health System sought to advance its competitive positioning as a leader in clinical excellence among southeast Michigan’s health care providers.
Challenge: With neighboring health systems widely recognized for advanced medicine and technological innovation, St. Joseph Mercy Health System challenged Airfoil's healthcare public relations strategy to help level the playing field and position the health system to draw a greater patient population from neighboring markets.
Solution: To meet this challenge, Airfoil leveraged St. Joseph Mercy Health System’s acquisition of the CyberKnife Radiosurgery System, a highly advanced non-invasive cancer treatment system, to position the health system as the first in Michigan to offer this state-of-the-art cancer technology. Our technology PR firm planned and executed a statewide healthcare public relations program that included a media tour to view a live demo of CyberKnife, speak with St. Joseph Mercy Health System physicians, and interview patients that would soon undergo the procedure.
Following the event, Airfoil continued outreach to influential health care and technology reporters, and hosted patient and physician interviews that helped sustain media coverage over the next several months.
Results: Nearly 6.6 million impressions resulted from print, broadcast and online coverage of CyberKnife at St. Joseph Mercy Health System. Through strategic press releases and proactive media outreach, our creative healthcare PR strategy secured more than 36 news placements, including 23 original articles in print and broadcast media.
Statewide media from Detroit to Grand Rapids, Mich., attended the event including WDIV-TV, WWMT-TV and The Detroit News. Coverage extended beyond Michigan to Indiana and Ohio including the Toledo Blade and Fox News 28 in South Bend, Ind. Trade media coverage appeared in Medical News Today, Media Health Leaders and the Health Care Weekly Review. Post-event interviews were conducted with the Detroit Free Press, Observer & Eccentric Newspapers and Hour Detroit, a prominent Detroit area lifestyle publication.
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