MOUNTAINS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

WE GO THE DISTANCE,
SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO.

CHALLENGE

Located in the San Bernardino Mountains of Southern California, Mountains Community Hospital (MCH) provides 24/7 emergency care, as well as a full range of other capabilities. Yet many of the 26,000 local residents didn’t realize its facility offered healthcare services with quality comparable to alternatives nearly an hour’s drive “down the hill.” In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital sought HRSA funding to improve vaccine confidence and uptake, as well as build community awareness of its comprehensive services. In addition to identifying specific service lines available on site, the communications objectives ultimately expanded to include an outreach effort to attract nurses, microbiologists, clinical lab scientists, radiology techs, and other healthcare professionals to join the hospital’s staff. The budget constraints of a rural healthcare organization demanded an especially cost-effective approach to meeting these challenges.

OUTCOME

Building on the distinctive appeal to consumers of a nearby hospital offering vaccinations and healthcare services comparable to competitors an hour away down a mountain road, Maricich Health developed a breakthrough strategy and creative platform. An image evoking the freedom of mountain life, along with a graphic depicting the long, curving route out of the mountains, acknowledged the target audience’s attraction to the area and the inconvenience of leaving it for healthcare. A versatile theme line easily tailored to each healthcare offering launched the campaign with “We go the distance on vaccines, so you don’t have to.” Healthcare, orthopedics, emergency services and lab services replaced “vaccines” in other communications materials, uniting the hospital’s comprehensive capabilities under one message delivering the promise of convenience. Employing local newspaper, digital banners, social media, FSIs, self-mailers, bus wraps, email and a landing page, the campaign established MCH as a beacon of healthcare excellence in the local area it serves.