Breathing Easy: A Top Hospital Searches for New Opportunities to Promote its Brand

The Challenge:

National Jewish Medical and Research Center is the #1 respiratory hospital in the country, according to U.S. News & World Report. As a leader in its specialty, and pleased with its worldwide renown and academic awards, it has recognized that this does not guarantee continued success. It wanted to focus on assessing market opportunities – to take the pulse of the market in understanding how it sees National Jewish, what shifts are occurring that present opportunities and challenges, and how its marketing (and other) resources should be deployed to build on successes and mitigate against any potential losses.

The Process:

Internal and external research, both qualitative and quantitative, was undertaken with faculty and staff, senior leadership, primary care and specialty physicians, managed care medical directors, and consumers (both patients and non-patients) by The Melior Group. The research results were used to identify market opportunities for National Jewish, and to learn, directly from the constituencies served, what National Jewish should say about itself and what best defined the National Jewish “brand” and its essence.

The Outcomes:

Today, National Jewish is seen by external audiences (consumers, referring physicians, benefits consultants and health plans) as “the best” institution for academic research and clinical care in the respiratory diseases/disorders category that require specialists who can diagnose and treat conditions that the general medical community cannot. This “top tier” specialty institution position often puts it in conflict with its internal desire to treat mild and moderate respiratory conditions, in addition to the severe ones.

The marketing research addressed four critical strategic initiatives for National Jewish’s marketing planning:

1. Building patient volume
2. Enhancing relationships with referring physicians
3. Exploring geographic expansion possibilities and potential new markets
4. Investigating potential of including other medical services in the mix