DeKalb Medical Center

Hayslett Group assisted not-for-profit DeKalb Medical Center in a successful campaign against for-profit Tenet Healthcare Corp. for the right to build a new hospital in metro Atlanta's south DeKalb County. The Georgia Division of Health Planning granted DeKalb Medical Center the certificate of need to build the new hospital over its competitor.

To assist with DeKalb Medical Center's application — and keep its position front and center during this highly publicized competition — Hayslett Group developed a strategic communications campaign that included research, media relations, grassroots and legislative communication, direct mail and advertising.

Hayslett Group advised DeKalb Medical Center on strategic audiences to target and the best ways to reach them. Focus group research honed the messages that resonated most strongly with the public so that all materials delivered a strong, concise and consistent message. Hayslett Group also
worked with DeKalb Medical Center to further develop relationships with key media and generate coverage of key messages through letters to the editor, op-ed articles, news stories, press releases, interviews with hospital personnel, public meetings and press conferences.

A direct-mail postcard to all households in the proposed hospital's service area was extremely successful, helping generate more than 1,000 signatures in support of DeKalb Medical Center's proposal. The campaign generated more than 5,000 letters and signatures of support overall, visibly demonstrating the public's support.

A success story on many levels 3 not-for-profit, local community hospital vs. for-profit, publicly traded conglomerate, a great example of a hospital's internal PR department partnering successfully with an external agency — this case shines most for what it accomplished for the community, soon bringing south DeKalb residents their own full-service hospital.

Above right: Before and after... HG created advertising for the DMC campaign.