Last week I attended Swaay.Health Live, a premier HIT annual marketing event, and had the opportunity to connect with customers and many industry friends over the course of the three day conference.
Previously known as HITMC, founder John Lynn and Chief Marketing Officer and Editor of Healthcare Scene Colin Hung decided to rebrand to the name Swaay.Health in order to include community members who may not fall directly into the health IT description. Swaay.Health is a publication dedicated to providing value to the healthcare community by connecting peers and sharing informative content.
This year’s event was in Atlanta, GA, and offered sessions around healthcare marketing, PR, communication success, and hot industry topics like the use of generative AI in the healthcare space.
Considering the constant evolution of healthcare, many health IT conferences focus on future trends rather than strategies or innovations that can be implemented right away. This year the curators at Swaay.Health Live not only shared inspiring ways we’re all serving healthcare providers and patients, but also created a unique learning experience that enabled attendees to leave with valuable insights that can be put into practice immediately.
Celebrating customer wins
Swaay.Health recognized powerful thought leaders and inspiring organizations at the conference, including two MEDITECH customers.
Bethany Children’s Health Center received the award for Patient Experience Program of the Year. This organization is a trailblazer in the pediatric rehabilitation space as well as the only pediatric rehabilitation center in Oklahoma. They provide 24 hour inpatient complex care services and outpatient services following a child’s discharge from the hospital.
I was thrilled to congratulate Richard Mills, Chief of Marketing, in person at the conference for his organization’s win and dedication to always putting their patients first.
“I thought the patient experience session was excellent, and I appreciated the opportunity to partake in sessions not only geared toward the marketing side of things, but that considered the provider perspective as well,” explains Mills.
Bethany Children’s Health Center is currently implementing MEDITECH Expanse, and expects to be live this fall. While the organization doesn’t shy away from future-facing innovations like their smart home, Mills was happy with the conference’s focus on the immediate impact attendees can have at their organizations.
“I have a lot of takeaways from the session,” says Mills, “and the best part is – my team can implement these strategies right away.”
MEDITECH customer Signature Healthcare also went home award-winners, receiving the Video of the Year Award for the Brockton Hospital Story. The organization collaborated with Dan Dunlop at Jennings to create this video, giving them an opportunity to share the story of the 2023 electrical fire at their organization.
Lorraine McGrath, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Signature Healthcare, gave a session at Swaay.Health Live that revealed the details of their evacuation – including transporting 162 patients to safety without fatalities or injuries to any patient, staff member, or first responder.
While the electrical fire caused the hospital to temporarily close, Signature Healthcare never faltered in their dedication to their community. They opened urgent care centers only three weeks after the fire, and are taking into consideration their lessons-learned as they move toward reopening Brockton Hospital.
Our takeaways have truly fueled us," McGrath enthusiastically shares. "On a personal note, I've made it a habit to keep a pair of sneakers in my car for any unexpected situation." McGrath, alongside other dedicated staff, spent countless hours on her feet during the fire. Even in high heels, she persevered, gathering insights from first responders and experts that enabled her and her team to effectively engage with their audience and deliver pertinent and accurate content. They remain committed to going above and beyond to deliver the most accurate information.
“There was no way to prepare for this situation – no electricity, no internet, no EHR – but there was a lot to learn. We focused on caring for our community and continuing to employ staff. We increased hours and access with the urgent care sites and formed an internal staffing agency to ensure our staff could continue to work.”
The value of collaboration
The MEDITECH marketing team also left Swaay.Health Live with The Best Use of Social Media Award. I want to congratulate our team and all other award recipients from the conference – thank you for your dedication, insight, and creativity.
I shared my own experience and insights as a participant of a social media debate session at the conference. In a fragmented world, social media is a great way to stay connected, build communities, and highlight some of the amazing things we see in healthcare.
Given that healthcare marketing is such a unique niche, the value of making meaningful and lasting connections in this industry is tenfold. Swaay.Health Live offers a great opportunity to connect and collaborate with peers in our devoted community. Visit Swaay.Health's website to stay connected with the latest stories and trends in healthcare marketing and stay up to date on John Lynn and Colin Hung’s latest endeavors.
Want to make more industry connections? Check out our events page to join MEDITECH for upcoming conferences and events.
