DAVID JARRARD

David Jarrard

Few organizations in Nashville — or any other part of the country — are as politically powerful as your hospital.

Yes, your hospital.

Across Middle Tennessee, citizens depend on your hospital to care for them and their loved ones during their neediest times. This is a commitment and responsibility that every successful healthcare provider takes on with great pride and respect.

But hospitals do more than provide care. For a community, hospitals are cornerstones that represent jobs, payroll, taxes, voters and a key addition to the quality of life for every resident.

Just ask any politician.

Recognizing this political power, healthcare leaders must find ways to leverage these strengths for the greater benefit of their organization.

What’s to gain? An added advantage in one of the most highly regulated industries in the American economy, an industry where every level of government –– from federal to local –– plays a key role in determining business elements as fundamental as pricing and growth.

Whether it’s a price increase at the federal level or a zoning approval at the local level, healthcare is rife with politics. Still, hospitals have an added advantage –– if they choose to, as they say in politics, “work it.”

To tap your organization’s political strengths, start by getting to know the political landscape in which your hospital operates. Every successful political campaign has a strategy map, and you’ll need one, too.

To develop this map, begin by building a relationship with the officials who represent you at the local, state and federal levels. Take advantage of trade associations when appropriate, but know that a personal connection is invaluable. This can be as simple as a cup of coffee, but you must regularly nurture this relationship over time on a leader-to-leader basis.

All politicians are different, as are their motivations. Once you gain a working knowledge of their interests and agendas, you can better identify where your organization fits –– or doesn’t fit –– within their agenda.

So who should you meet? Start with this list:

• Your county elected officials, especially those who represent your district

• Your city elected officials, especially those who represent your district

• Your mayor or county executive

• Your state House and Senate representatives

• Your U.S. House and Senate representatives

Know that these conversations are mostly about listening and learning. You’re building a map. The more you know, the more accurate your chart, and the better you can plan a path for successfully moving your organization through it.

As you begin to learn more about their agendas and interest, they will ask you about yours. Make no assumptions about what your state representatives know about you, your organization or what’s important to achieving your goals.

Be prepared to appropriately share information about your organization and its place in the community. For this conversation, your organization’s “place in the community” includes the number of your employees (read: voters), your payroll and your taxes.

Tell them your story simply and repeatedly –– not because they cannot understand it the first time, but because you are one of 1,000 clamoring for their attention. Say it to them personally and be sure they have something on paper that says it again. A handshake at a fundraiser won’t cut it.

Don’t make your lawmakers guess about your position on an issue that you care about. They may guess wrong. Take a stand when it matters most. Tell them where you stand and why. To penetrate the noise, your communications need to be clear, simple and repetitive.

When times get tough --–– and they always do in politics –– get help. There will be times when your personal calls and letters are not enough to win legislative support. Don’t hesitate to call on your employees, business partners and community members (again, voters) to sound off. Arm them with clear information and give them specific direction: make these calls, send these e-mails, write this letter to the editor, speak at this hearing, and urge your friends to do the same.

If there is a common mistake here, it is that health leaders often wait too long to deploy their troops and then do it half-heartedly. Like a loaded weapon, don’t use your troops unless you want to make a significant impact. Remember, shooting too late always raises the target.

With another election year fast approaching and at a time when government funding and regulations means the success or failure of many healthcare organizations, a solid political map and strategy is key to your organization’s success.

Luckily, as a healthcare provider, you’ve got an added advantage. Good luck.



David Jarrard is president of Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, a national healthcare public affairs firm based in Brentwood. www.jarrardinc.com

January 2008