COVID-19 Communications Resources

As the coronavirus continues to unfold, hospitals and health systems across the field are working hard to develop, execute and adjust their communications plans. There’s a lot we still don’t know about the novel virus and the situation is constantly changing, so the challenges are great. Yet, smart approaches to communicating during this health care crisis are happening all around us.

The AHA in partnership with have identified tools and resources to help you and your teams communicate effectively, as well as examples of successful communications efforts by hospitals big and small.

We hope this will serve as a great source of support and inspiration for your communications teams.

Communications Checklist

This communications checklist is designed to help you adjust your communications strategies and channels to help keep your internal and external audiences informed and engaged.

Preparing for and Responding to COVID-19

Communicating Recovery Strategies

While hospitals and health systems continue to respond to the pandemic, the need for safe medical care not related to COVID-19 becomes more important than ever. The field is taking incredible steps to ensure emergency, nonemergent and preventive care is still available and safe to access.

Hospital communications teams need to take proactive steps to address community concerns and communicate how their policies and procedures have changed to ensure the safety of their staff, patients and other stakeholders. The Recovery Communications Toolkit is designed to help you amplify the message that your hospital is safe, continues to implement proactive safety measures, and is prepared to handle all emergency and nonemergency patient care during these challenging times.

Recovery Communications Toolkit

Hospital Communications Examples

Internal Communications
- Intermountain Healthcare: Keeping Caregivers Informed
- Yale New Haven Health: Communications Resources for Clinicians
  - Prevention and care materials for patients, COVID-19 intranet page and town hall videos.
External Communications
- Rush University Medical Center: COVID Response Playbook
- Fitzgibbon Hospital: Community PSAs
  - PSA scripts for radio
- Henry Ford Medical Center: Supporting Health Care Workers
  - Urges residents to show their appreciation for health care workers and first responders by displaying white ribbons across the community.
- Northwell Health: COVID-19 Digital Resource Center
- Baptist Health Care: Updating Hospital Visitor Policys
- Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center: Communications for Maternity Patients and Families
  - Patient education video and web site page with resources dedicated to COVID-19 prevention and care.
- Beebe Healthcare: Guidance for Those Wanting to Help
  - Directs community wanting to assist with food, monetary donations and medical supplies.
Media Relations
- Saint Luke’s Health System: Managing the Media
  - Media resources and interview opportunities.
- Stanford Health Care: Virtual Town Halls
  - Hosting hospital-led town hall meetings for media and the community.
- Henry Ford Health System: COVID-19 Digital Resource Center
Social Media
- Providence: Public Education Video
  - Key Message: “Coronavirus isn’t going anywhere if you go everywhere.”
- WellStar Health System: Encouraging Positivity
  - Social media graphics on staying positive.
- Sheppard Pratt: Games and Activities for Families
Hospital Recovery and Reopen Communications
- Baton Rouge General: "Steps to a Safer Healthcare”
- Tidelands Health: “Stay Safe in Our Care”
- Beaumont: "Safe Care"
- Brookings Health System: “Safe Care in the New Normal”

AHA Communications Tools & Resources

COVID-19 Vaccine Communications Resources

"Preventing the Spread" Checklist

"If You Get Sick" Checklist

Images to Honor Health Care Heroes

Additional Resources

COVID-19

100 Million Mask Challenge. Get Involved. AHA.org/100millionmasks

Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19)

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