When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the challenges were great. Immediately out of the gate, it was important to communicate clearly with residents, families, volunteers, employees, vendors, campus visitors, and media. From door signs to letters, and from newsletters to media statements, we chose to be as transparent as possible about our situation.
Our first project was a set of signs communicating the precautions needed for campus entry, and soon, signs stating that visitation was suspended and upon what factors. Things moved very quickly, so timely distribution was essential. Within the first week, we created three different sets of door signs, and accompanying letters to family members and residents.
Quickly, the media demand for our clinical director’s expertise outpaced her ability to return calls and provide interviews. Within a 10-day period, I created content and worked with our website developers to establish a Media Room for the company where a timeline, media statement, news releases, family messages and additional resources could be posted.
As reopening plans were announced, I worked with a designer to develop infographics that explained the process. When visitation resumed, new materials were created to explain the screening process and rules. These materials have been revised as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services updated guidance throughout the pandemic.
These resources have been awarded by the Healthcare Digital Marketing Awards, Hermes Creative Awards, and the Healthcare Advertising Awards.
In addition, a plan was established for meeting CMS guidelines for communicating when positive cases were detected at communities. With a deadline to notify within 24 hours of being notified of a positive diagnosis, letter templates for residents and their families as well as employees were developed in consultation with the company’s legal counsel. To maintain transparency with the public, media release templates also were created for communicating news of positive cases, test results and deaths. Throughout the pandemic, for each case, the letters are prepared and a weekly wrap-up release has been completed for each community experiencing cases of COVID-19.
Resident and family satisfaction surveys show significant increases in the ratings for communication, response to problems and the feeling of safety and security throughout the pandemic due to the transparency that the organization has shown.