Hospitals will celebrate dozens of cancer awareness days and heart health observances like “Wear Red Day” in 2021, according to a hospital communications survey.
The survey showed health awareness campaigns like these add up to better health for people and a healthier bottom line for providers.
At Baldwin Publishing, we expected to find that hospitals use national health observance days to plan and create social media posts. But a recent survey we conducted of 400 hospital communication departments revealed that health observance day promotions extend far beyond social media.
Health observance days and awareness months are valuable event planning tools that produce a predictable annual revenue stream for hospitals. Patients see cancer awareness celebrations as prime time to schedule screenings and medical appointments. Health observances help hospitals promote their medical services in the community. They are also an opportunity to recognize hospital staff.
This year, Baldwin Publishing sponsored the 2021 Calendar of Health Observances & Recognition Days by the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD), the marketing arm of the American Hospital Association. The calendar is a timely resource that outlines more than 200 national health observances throughout the year.
We wanted to better understand how hospitals and healthcare brands use the calendar, so we surveyed the health communications teams that downloaded the 2021 calendar to gain more insight into what they find most useful. Below are some of the top responses to our survey (multiple responses were allowed for each question).
What are the highest revenue-producing health observance campaigns for your organization?
- 86% – American Heart Month
- 65% – National Diabetes Month
- 50% – Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- 36% – Stroke Month
How does your organization benefit from the SHSMD Health Observances & Recognition Days Calendar?
- 95% – It helps us post creative and timely content … social engagement is a good indicator of community interest
- 77% – It give us national publicity to generate interest in local screenings and prevention programs
- 59% – It provides an opportunity to highlight our niche services and staff
- 59% – It helps educate internal staff about trending health issues and recognize staff accomplishments
What public platforms does your organization use to promote recognition days, weeks or months?
- 94% – Social Media
- 71% – Newsletters/Email
- 53% – Onsite Events
- 47% – Community Events
Which of these staff recognition days does your organization actively promote?
- 82% – Nurses’ Month
- 77% – National Hospital Week
- 76% – Doctors’ Day
- 42% – National Respiratory Care Week
What behavioral health observances generate the most interest and engagement in your community?
- 62% – National Suicide Prevention Week
- 54% – Mental Health Month
- 39% – Drug and Alcohol Facts Week
Overall, hospital communicators prioritized social media as their preferred platform to promote health observance days. Baldwin Publishing produces a robust collection of white-labeled health and wellness content that maximizes engagement for health awareness campaigns throughout the year.
