Converging forces are creating a surge in demand for occupational health services, says Linda MacCracken, vice president, Truven Health Analytics, who spoke on health care marketing tactics at RYAN Associates’ 26th annual conference in October. Truven’s objective is to improve quality and lower the cost of health care through the better use of data and analytics.

In February 2009, St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was about to embark on a social media campaign. Laura Rainey, the hospital’s marketing communications director, was asking herself, “Does my target customer, my audience, really want to hear from us via social media?” She was particularly skeptical about the use of Twitter as an outreach mechanism. “I thought, ‘Who’s really going to start a conversation when they are limited to only 140 characters?’” Ms. Rainey told occupational health professionals at RYAN Associates’ 26th annual national conference in October during a session on marketing in health care. Ms. Rainey put her doubts aside and gradually introduced social media to the Cedar Rapids community. She soon saw positive results. For example, the hospital scored national media coverage when it used Twitter to showcase a new surgical protocol. Meanwhile, it has been able to consistently build and maintain impressive online traffic. “I am committed to using social media as one of many tools in my marketing communications toolbox,” she said.

Clear and direct communication with employees can help employers avoid litigation, according to Gregory Andrews, a veteran attorney with Jackson Lewis, a national firm specializing in employment law. It may seem obvious, but many organizations do not heed this advice. Mr. Andrews offered valuable insights into employer-employee communication strategies at RYAN Associates’ 26th annual national conference on Providing Healthcare Services to Employers. Employers, particularly human resources and supervisory staff, should follow established communications strategies to avoid misunderstandings and conflicts with employees, he said.