Strategic communications to enhance rural healthcare
Littleton Regional Healthcare (LRH) wanted to align with a larger healthcare provider to help ensure that quality, accessible and affordable care would remain viable long term across Northern New Hampshire. We partnered with LRH early in a process that led to an agreement to affiliate with Dartmouth Health. Work included PR strategy, executive communications and messaging, op-eds, media training and more over three years.
WHAT WE DID
- Executive and board communications strategy
- Public relations
- Media training
Executive and board communications strategy
LRH is the largest employer and healthcare provider in the North Country of New Hampshire. When the Board of Trustees and executive management committed to exploring possible affiliations, a detailed, proactive communications strategy was needed. We developed and implemented a strategic plan to keep internal and external audiences informed through a transparent, consistent cadence of messages, FAQs, town hall meetings and CEO op-eds. This process began in early 2023 and is expected to continue into 2027 as the affiliation with Dartmouth Health goes through state regulatory review.
Public relations
An affiliation of this level is a major media story. We developed a strategy to provide regular updates primarily through a series of op-eds from the hospital CEO. The substance of these op-eds was also used for employee communications and social media. A special section on affiliation updates was built out and prominently displayed on LRH’s website with a separate section for FAQs geared toward employees on the LRH intranet. When the agreement to explore affiliation was ready to share with the public, we held a public briefing with both CEOs and managed media coverage that included every major media outlet in the state. Numerous additional media opportunities were managed and coordinated over the past three-plus years.
Media training
In a small community, LRH leadership and board members are very integrated and known. Having individuals who would be asked about affiliation best prepared for questions was key. Besides our work to provide and update talking points, we developed a custom media and presentation training program for leadership. The two-hour session included case studies, role-playing and best practices. Participants reported that they felt much more comfortable after the training on how to manage the intricacies of effective communications when dealing with such a significant subject as healthcare.
“LRH has maintained a longstanding relationship with Cookson dating back to 2019. Throughout that time, the agency has served as a trusted advisor to our executive leadership, providing strategic communications counsel, community engagement support, and thoughtful guidance on some of the most significant and complex matters facing our organization. Cookson’s understanding of rural healthcare, the challenges facing community hospitals, and the importance of maintaining public trust has made them a valued partner to us.”
