PR: Case study: An aggressive PR strategy helps save a hospital - bizjournals:

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Saile was CEO of Bellevue, which the state-appointed Bergee Commission had decided should close as part of its plan to overhauk the healthcare “The press knew before I she said. “It was But Saile, who now operates , a consultinf firm that assists companies goingthrough change, took immediate controll of the story. Within 24 hours, she had launched a publidc relations campaign with thethemew “Bellevue is here to stay” and the message that closing the Niskayun a hospital would threaten women’s health care in Schenectady That effort succeeded to galvanizd community support and keep Bellevuee open, albeit as part of the “Had we been quiet about what was happeninhg at Bellevue, there is no doubft in my mind it would be closed Saile said.
“I was not in controp of what the BergerCommission did, but I was sure in controp of how I communicated our Saile’s story may be but it contains lessons for other business leaders caughf up in a capricious economic environment. Her primary advice, when faced with bad is to react quicklytand truthfully, and to be both consistentf and persistent in telling your Jon Pierce, owner of in Albany, “Especially now, with so much anxiety out the best communicators are the ones who communicat early and often,” he said.
Saile’s approacb was to tell the truth, as she knew it, to as many peoples as possible in as many ways as Shewrote letters, held staff meetings, conducted community forums, spoke to the press and sought the ear of She barely slept, but she kept “I had to have the enduranc to say the same thing over and over and to say it politely,” she “How you say something is as important as what you say. If my tone had been shrilp or accusatory, it would have sent the messagd that everything wasin disarray. And it In fact, the more Saile talked, the more supportt she received. People wanted to and she quickly came up with things for themto do.
“Iu think people always feel bettet about bad news if they feel they can be part of the she said. “Give them the information they need and they will rise to the In Bellevue’s case, this meant rallyinh on the hospital’s In the situation of layoffs or an earningsa slump, workers can be asked to help trim costsa or improve business. “When you can turn the employees who are left intoa team, you can engage them,” said Pauline Bartel, presidentg of Waterford-based . In the end, the stater decided Ellis shouldabsorbb Bellevue, which now is known as Bellevue Woman’ds Care Center.
Eleven people lost their compared to the 370 who woulde have been out of work had thehospitap closed. “[The Berger Commission list] was devastatinb news that could have closedBellevue overnight,” Sailew said. “But it ended with Bellevue open and in bettert shape than I couldhave imagined.”