Please spread the word!...

As Windber Medical Center comes closer to entering a new era, a Back to the Future position as an independent, stand alone hospital, I am personally appealing to you through this medium to assist us in ways that we have never asked before. 

We need to spread the word about our attributes, accomplishments, attractions, and clinical excellence. 

The current situation is such that, our competitors have access to the same newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations that we do but with more cash to spread the word about their virtues, or perceived virtues, it's hard to get above the buzzzz.   How does a smaller organization tell its story effectively and impressively with much less cash?  We do it through YOU.

Whereas it used to take seven or so exposures to different types of media to get someone's attention, it now probably takes twenty or more.

If you are a community member, an employee, a patient, a friend or just happened to fall upon this site by accident, we are asking you to do something aggressively to assist WMC to grow and expand our reach.  We are asking you to look back through the last twenty or so posts, cut and paste your favorite one about us, or copy the link and e-mail it to friends, family and neighbors.

Maybe it will be the post on our Innovation Awards, or on our unique research, our prominent visitors or our phenomenal statistics.  How about one that delineates our comprehensive collection of advanced imaging technology, or that features information about our Planetree philosophy?  Integrative Health, Healing Services, multiple therapies, behavioral modification programs, et al.

If you're looking for shortcuts to lead people to this blog, they can be found under Nick's Blog, (#1 on Google and number one in your heart); windberblog.typepad.com; windbercare.com, blog tab; wriwindber.org, blog tab and by typing in thousands of keywords ranging from Yoda to Pittsburgh.

Please take a few minutes and help get those hits up. 

This week we had about 25 mostly local people come to WRI for a meeting about Windber Medical Center, and one piece of concrete information that came from this ad hoc, focus group is that they know little or nothing about us.  They said things like, "Do you have an ER?" Yep, see about 14,000 people there.  Do you have surgery here?  Yep, did about 2000 major surgeries last year and had over 100,000 outpatients visits.  "Do you have an MRI?"  Sure do.  It's a 3T (3 Tesla) magnet. There are NONE of those anywhere around here except in Pittsburgh and Morgantown.

If you go to YouTube.com and type in Windbercare, you will find more than a half dozen videos about our medical center and research.  If you go to Planetree.org, that web site also features us.  Type Nick Jacobs into any search engine, you will be exposed to numerous WMC stories... and one really interesting guy from San Diego?

We have had pieces about us in the Associated Press, Fortune, Forbes, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and hundreds of other newspapers and magazines.  We have been featured on Paul Harvey and the News, in Oncology International, on the Today Show, CNN, WPXI, Penn State, WPSX, WJAC, WTAJ, WWCP, Fox 8 and that's just the beginning.  Hospital News Western PA, Atlanta, Chicago, South Florida; Hospital Impact.org; WorldHealthcareblog.org; Blue H News; and hundreds of other web sites and publications have also told our story. One of our focus group members indicated that we are much better known nationally and internationally than in the Windber area.

So, we need you now more than ever. 

Please, just take a moment and humor us.  Tell people that they'll have good luck if they read our website. Help us communicate to the area via the internet. 

If you can prove that you sent one of our sites on to at least ten people, we'll give you a free treat in our cafeteria any day during the first week of September . . . (Kimmi, that would be one of our magnificent, logo covered treats from Cura!)

And, if you can demonstrate that you have done this 100 times, I'll buy you lunch.  We call it pizza with the President, and it's NOT "W." 

Now, let's get busy!  We have a hospital to save and grow.  We think we can... We think we can... We think we can...  Heck, we KNOW we can!!!

Comments

[Beverly]

Thats how the UPRIGHT MRI info. is all getting out public Word of Mouth and email networking being talk about and helping those with Back and Neck Pain and FBSS I heard the Upright MRI has good Brain Scans also Helping People 24/7 is what Drs and Surgeons do and "ABOVE ALL DO NO HARM" a wonderful profession great choice helping manknd

[Becky]

My husband and I had our first baby at Conemaugh a month after they closed Lee's unit. In July, we had our son at Windber. The Dr.s and staff there are great. It was a joy to deliver there. A month ago I was at the Windber E.R. and was in and out in 45 minutes. It can't get better than that. I have a new hospital and I'm spreading the word!

[Martijn Hulst]

Just to let you know: on my dutch weblog about marketing & healthcare, i wrote last month a posting about your 'spread-the-word-promotion' (http://www.martijnhulst.nl/weblog/pivot/entry.php?id=335). It's a very nice way and a good understandig of the Internet to promote your hospital through word-of-mouth markting.

[ In the month August 33 visitors (of the 2.177 unique visitors) read the article. So sorry, I can't come to America to collect my free treat in our cafeteria. ;-) ]

[Vince & Christine Strugala]

My wife and I are expecting a baby and are now 7 months into the pregnancy. We left Conemaugh Hospital because of their terrible treatment and are now at WMC. WMC treats us like gold every time we step foot into the hospital. From top to bottom, I can't think of a better organization. We are lucky to have Nick Jacobs and Windber Hospital in our back yard. More people need to see and experience how great WMC is.

Vince Strugala
Somerset Trust Company

[Seth Young]

I am the web content manager of Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta, GA and I have been following your posts for quite awhile. (1) because it's interesting to read what other hospitals are doing and (2) because I am trying to establish a culture of blogging and transparency at our own hospital. Recently I started a quality blog about our patient satisfaction report and other initiatives. One way I am thinking to get more traffic is to email all of our board members to get them to read and leave comments.

I also noticed you posted your videos on YouTube which is a very smart move.