Public comments won't be same as private
Let people apologize when appropriate, but remember that what you say in private may not be suitable for the public.
Susan Tellem, APR, RN, a health care crisis management expert in Los Angeles, cautions that risk managers and counsel must resist the urge to interfere with or prohibit an effective apology.
"Years of work with hospitals in crisis have shown me that the legal department often controls what can be said, and usually they try to have you say nothing, which flies in the face of crisis management," she says.
But Tellem also points out that what is said to the patient or family should not necessarily be repeated to the public. If the incident attracts the attention of the media, Tellem says the health care provider must express regret for the incident but not apologize. The apology when warranted is properly directed to the person or family who was wronged, not the public, she says.
"For a public statement, we recommend expressing sadness for the family and say that we are cooperating in every way with the authorities, that we also want to bring this to a speedy conclusion," Tellem says. "Put it in writing and give it to everyone who may talk to media or someone involved as a handout. Then tell them to say nothing more."
If pressed for more information or an apology, the person should avoid the always off-putting "no comment" but instead say something such as, "I know how important it is to have additional information. Unfortunately, this is all I can provide at this time. I will offer more as soon as it is reasonably possible to do so."
The facility's crisis plan should include a plan for dealing with the media, says Patricia Thorp, president of Thorp & Co. public relations in Coral Gables, FL. She specializes in crisis management and messaging strategy, with extensive experience in the health care industry. Anyone who will be in front of the media during a crisis should undergo specialized training for that situation, Thorp says. Leaving it to the marketing or public relations staff who normally deal with the media can be a mistake, she adds.
"Interacting with the media in a crisis is a whole different animal than talking to the media about good news in a normal situation," Thorp says. "If someone who is trained only in normal media relations is put on the phone during a crisis, that person can embarrass himself and the hospital. It's a really bad idea."
The primary goal during a crisis should be to communicate the facts accurately and quickly.
"With today's media, the bad news about your hospital can spread worldwide before you've even had breakfast, much less had the time to get to work and have a meeting," she says. "Your crisis plan has to make it possible for you to act as quickly as you can. A lot of times, you will have to say that you don't have all the facts yet and will get back to them as soon as you do."
Thorp points out that reporters often only need some useful statement from the health care provider, not necessarily a recitation of facts. When reporters are putting together a story about an adverse event or allegation involving the health provider, they need some input from the hospital to round it out, even if that is only a well-phrased statement of the obvious.
"Sometimes they just need a quote saying the hospital is concerned, it cares, it has been involved in this community for X number of years, and the CEO has promised to personally look into the situation," Thorp says. "Don't be afraid to make a statement like that with sincerity and compassion. Even if it is too early to convey any facts, that statement can be what the reporter needs at the moment."
Sources
For more information on public comments, contact:
Susan M. Tellem, APR, RN, President, Tellem Worldwide Inc., Los Angeles. Telephone: (310) 313-3444. Web site: www.tellem.com.
Patricia Thorp, President, Thorp & Co., Coral Gables, FL. Telephone: (305) 446-2700. E-mail: [email protected].
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