For more information on ChannelCare digital signage and SoundCare on-hold messaging, call 800-800-1090, email

marketing@vericom.net or visit www.vericom.net.

800.800.1090 vericom.net

Southeast Missouri Hospital (SMH),

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is a

Magnet-designated 267 bed regional

medical complex. Connecting employees,

physicians, patients and their families,

SMH uses both Vericom’s SoundCare®

on-hold messaging and

ChannelCare™ digital signage to

communicate effectively with

diverse audiences both

on- and off-campus.

Custom Messaging Fills Communications Gaps for Southeast Missouri Hospital

Reaching calling audiences first with SoundCare®

Both SoundCare® and ChannelCare™ elevate the status and image of SMH. “SoundCare’s professional voices are outstanding and because of the way messages engage callers, they have no idea how long they are holding,” says Whitworth.

Southeast’s marketing team focuses on seasonal messages, key product lines, as well as customizes and tags messages selected from the SoundIdeas content library. Readily available messages in the library include signs of stroke that can be tagged with call-to-action to drive people to their on-line stroke risk analysis. When SMH received their 5-star rating from HealthGrades, they were able to take a SoundIdeas message on stroke and tag it with their new HealthGrades designation. “We always look at what messages work best with a particular call-to-action. We want to ensure our callers can take action quickly and easily,” says Whitworth.

ChannelCare helps prepare for surveys and visits

As a Magnet-designated hospital for nursing excellence, SMH is in a constant state of survey-readiness, helping employees prepare for surveyors who come to assess the facility. Marketing created ChannelCare messages to remind employees and staff about upcoming visits to put them in the frame of mind of “thinking Magnet.” Messages provide passive learning and reinforce what people need to know— such as “the 14 forces of magnetism.” These messages energize employees and get everyone on the same page, keeping the issue front-of-mind.

ChannelCare also helps staff prepare for Joint Commission visits by displaying, “What would you do in case of fire?” for example. ”Enhancing employee communications is a constant work in progress,” says Quinn. “All organizations face obstacles when it comes to getting important, consistent messages to staff and physicians. With ChannelCare, we can reach these audiences with messages designed just for them, in addition to marketing messages, and engage employees through a more dynamic medium.”

Closing the Communications Gap

800.800.1090vericom.net

4

“We get a lot of support from Vericom and, as a result, can do so much more and be involved in technological developments and product enhancements. As a customer, this makes us feel important and highly valued.”

Keith Whitworth, Marketing Manager

Closing the Communications Gap

Southeast Missouri Hospital (SMH) launched ChannelCare™digital signage in 2008 with 36 monitor locations and immediately began delivering messages about patient safety, community health screenings, physician referral services, employee recognition, and even included jokes submitted by employees to “brighten” the day. SoundCare® on-hold messaging was also implemented at the same time to deliver marketing and informational messages to callers placed on hold—an often-overlooked and captive audience.

Supporting strategic initiatives

A strategic consultant to Southeast Missouri, Candace Quinn of Brand = Experience helped to bring ChannelCare on board to provide high-tech digital communications that would seamlessly integrate with and support strategic initiatives. “By partnering with Vericom, we were able to offer a

sustainable communications platform that provided essential information we needed to routinely get to our audiences,” says Quinn. “We knew the ChannelCare system would be able to support our communications objectives for years to come. By effectively reaching audiences within your four walls, you add value to a relationship that may have been simply casual.”

Eliminating paper and supporting “Go Green” initiatives

ChannelCare has reduced the dependency on posters, easels, and tacked-up messages that used to be scattered throughout the hospital. In the past, in the event of a meeting schedule change, someone from the hospital’s education department would physically walk over to each building to tack up a message. “ChannelCare eliminated this manual, ineffective system and gives us a high-tech image with the added benefit of updating information in real time,” says Keith Whitworth, marketing manager.

“We can do a direct mail piece one time, and subsequently follow up with messages on both ChannelCare™ and SoundCare®. This message reinforcement is quite effective as well as helps with our “go green” initiatives,” adds Whitworth. ChannelCare’s ten different program channels enable marketing to ensure content is unique and relevant to different audiences. The messages make sense to viewers where they are, so they can easily respond and take appropriate action. “ChannelCare is one of our key marketing tactics. It allows us to focus on product line promotion where we consistently use call-to-action that gets results,” says Whitworth.

Connecting off-campus locations

Connecting off-site locations is important to communicating effectively and ensuring branding consistency. SMH has a wellness center located inside the West Park Mall where ChannelCare provides messaging similar to what plays at on-campus locations. “ChannelCare is an important extension of our branding that enhances our community recognition,” says Whitworth. “This increased presence has helped increase the number of people who register for blood pressure and diabetes screenings, among others.”

A communications partnership

The ChannelCare system includes easy-to-use, web-based software where users can create and upload their own content, have Vericom develop high-definition content, as well as choose messages from the ChannelCare health content library. “We appreciate the fact that Vericom is receptive to our ideas about how they can improve their software to enhance the client experience,” says Whitworth. “Vericom is all about the customer and service. I cannot think of another vendor who contacts me to get my input on the software and their system.“

SMH has an in-house design team who creates ChannelCare messages and then easily uploads them into the ChannelCare system. “Our designers enjoy creating ChannelCare messages. They are not restricted as they are with designing a brochure and can be very creative, yet keep our similar look and branding,” says Whitworth.

Southeast marketing also ensures message consistency across all media by taking messages already created for outside digital billboards and uploading these messages into ChannelCare. To round out the many options for content development, the marketing team also works with Vericom’s design team to create high-definition collaboration messages they can use at any time. “The ability to use already-created billboard messages via ChannelCare is very cost-effective. For instance, when people see a message about our physician referral service on the drive here, and then the same message at the hospital, they’re more likely to remember it and take action, “ says Jay Wolz, supervisor of market management.

“We knew the ChannelCare system would be able to support our communications objectives for years to come.”

Candace QuinnSenior Strategist and Strategic Consultant

800.800.1090 vericom.net 800.800.1090 vericom.net

“Both SoundCare and ChannelCare elevate the professional image of the hospital by demonstrating the hospital’s adoption of advanced digital technology. This is a significant benefit for SMH.”

Keith Whitworth, Marketing Manager

2 3

Southeast Missouri Hospital (SMH) launched ChannelCare™digital signage in 2008 with 36 monitor locations and immediately began delivering messages about patient safety, community health screenings, physician referral services, employee recognition, and even included jokes submitted by employees to “brighten” the day. SoundCare® on-hold messaging was also implemented at the same time to deliver marketing and informational messages to callers placed on hold—an often-overlooked and captive audience.

Supporting strategic initiatives

A strategic consultant to Southeast Missouri, Candace Quinn of Brand = Experience helped to bring ChannelCare on board to provide high-tech digital communications that would seamlessly integrate with and support strategic initiatives. “By partnering with Vericom, we were able to offer a

sustainable communications platform that provided essential information we needed to routinely get to our audiences,” says Quinn. “We knew the ChannelCare system would be able to support our communications objectives for years to come. By effectively reaching audiences within your four walls, you add value to a relationship that may have been simply casual.”

Eliminating paper and supporting “Go Green” initiatives

ChannelCare has reduced the dependency on posters, easels, and tacked-up messages that used to be scattered throughout the hospital. In the past, in the event of a meeting schedule change, someone from the hospital’s education department would physically walk over to each building to tack up a message. “ChannelCare eliminated this manual, ineffective system and gives us a high-tech image with the added benefit of updating information in real time,” says Keith Whitworth, marketing manager.

“We can do a direct mail piece one time, and subsequently follow up with messages on both ChannelCare™ and SoundCare®. This message reinforcement is quite effective as well as helps with our “go green” initiatives,” adds Whitworth. ChannelCare’s ten different program channels enable marketing to ensure content is unique and relevant to different audiences. The messages make sense to viewers where they are, so they can easily respond and take appropriate action. “ChannelCare is one of our key marketing tactics. It allows us to focus on product line promotion where we consistently use call-to-action that gets results,” says Whitworth.

Connecting off-campus locations

Connecting off-site locations is important to communicating effectively and ensuring branding consistency. SMH has a wellness center located inside the West Park Mall where ChannelCare provides messaging similar to what plays at on-campus locations. “ChannelCare is an important extension of our branding that enhances our community recognition,” says Whitworth. “This increased presence has helped increase the number of people who register for blood pressure and diabetes screenings, among others.”

A communications partnership

The ChannelCare system includes easy-to-use, web-based software where users can create and upload their own content, have Vericom develop high-definition content, as well as choose messages from the ChannelCare health content library. “We appreciate the fact that Vericom is receptive to our ideas about how they can improve their software to enhance the client experience,” says Whitworth. “Vericom is all about the customer and service. I cannot think of another vendor who contacts me to get my input on the software and their system.“

SMH has an in-house design team who creates ChannelCare messages and then easily uploads them into the ChannelCare system. “Our designers enjoy creating ChannelCare messages. They are not restricted as they are with designing a brochure and can be very creative, yet keep our similar look and branding,” says Whitworth.

Southeast marketing also ensures message consistency across all media by taking messages already created for outside digital billboards and uploading these messages into ChannelCare. To round out the many options for content development, the marketing team also works with Vericom’s design team to create high-definition collaboration messages they can use at any time. “The ability to use already-created billboard messages via ChannelCare is very cost-effective. For instance, when people see a message about our physician referral service on the drive here, and then the same message at the hospital, they’re more likely to remember it and take action, “ says Jay Wolz, supervisor of market management.

“We knew the ChannelCare system would be able to support our communications objectives for years to come.”

Candace QuinnSenior Strategist and Strategic Consultant

800.800.1090 vericom.net 800.800.1090 vericom.net

“Both SoundCare and ChannelCare elevate the professional image of the hospital by demonstrating the hospital’s adoption of advanced digital technology. This is a significant benefit for SMH.”

Keith Whitworth, Marketing Manager

2 3

For more information on ChannelCare digital signage and SoundCare on-hold messaging, call 800-800-1090, email

marketing@vericom.net or visit www.vericom.net.

800.800.1090 vericom.net

Southeast Missouri Hospital (SMH),

Cape Girardeau, Missouri, is a

Magnet-designated 267 bed regional

medical complex. Connecting employees,

physicians, patients and their families,

SMH uses both Vericom’s SoundCare®

on-hold messaging and

ChannelCare™ digital signage to

communicate effectively with

diverse audiences both

on- and off-campus.

Custom Messaging Fills Communications Gaps for Southeast Missouri Hospital

Reaching calling audiences first with SoundCare®

Both SoundCare® and ChannelCare™ elevate the status and image of SMH. “SoundCare’s professional voices are outstanding and because of the way messages engage callers, they have no idea how long they are holding,” says Whitworth.

Southeast’s marketing team focuses on seasonal messages, key product lines, as well as customizes and tags messages selected from the SoundIdeas content library. Readily available messages in the library include signs of stroke that can be tagged with call-to-action to drive people to their on-line stroke risk analysis. When SMH received their 5-star rating from HealthGrades, they were able to take a SoundIdeas message on stroke and tag it with their new HealthGrades designation. “We always look at what messages work best with a particular call-to-action. We want to ensure our callers can take action quickly and easily,” says Whitworth.

ChannelCare helps prepare for surveys and visits

As a Magnet-designated hospital for nursing excellence, SMH is in a constant state of survey-readiness, helping employees prepare for surveyors who come to assess the facility. Marketing created ChannelCare messages to remind employees and staff about upcoming visits to put them in the frame of mind of “thinking Magnet.” Messages provide passive learning and reinforce what people need to know— such as “the 14 forces of magnetism.” These messages energize employees and get everyone on the same page, keeping the issue front-of-mind.

ChannelCare also helps staff prepare for Joint Commission visits by displaying, “What would you do in case of fire?” for example. ”Enhancing employee communications is a constant work in progress,” says Quinn. “All organizations face obstacles when it comes to getting important, consistent messages to staff and physicians. With ChannelCare, we can reach these audiences with messages designed just for them, in addition to marketing messages, and engage employees through a more dynamic medium.”

Closing the Communications Gap

800.800.1090vericom.net

4

“We get a lot of support from Vericom and, as a result, can do so much more and be involved in technological developments and product enhancements. As a customer, this makes us feel important and highly valued.”

Keith Whitworth, Marketing Manager

Closing the Communications Gap