Issue

A report by the Pennsylvania Department of Health said inadequate staffing in the hospital’s emergency room directly contributed to the deaths of two patients.
Strategy

La Torre Communications designed and executed a crisis communication campaign, including:

• Devised a strategy that accurately communicated how state officials misinterpreted information in its findings.
• Worked with hospital and corporate officials on talking points for media interviews.
• Provided media training for local hospital official in anticipation of interviews.
• Worked to prevent CRMC officials from aggressively attacking the state’s findings until a full internal investigation was complete and all the facts were known.
• Once the facts were clear, scheduled interviews with all local media covering the story.
• Maintained contact with state Department of Health officials to create more trust and understanding of CRMC’s position.

Result

The Department of Health issued a press release retracting its findings as “unfounded.”  This led to a front-page story in the Harrisburg Patriot-News: “State sees no link in patient deaths, staffing.”