Ochsner Health: Navigating the Unexpected Through COVID-19, Hurricane Ida and Other Challenges
The Ehrhardt Group’s work with Louisiana’s leading healthcare provider and largest nonprofit employer Ochsner Health began in early 2021, as the health system navigated the COVID-19 pandemic and exponential increased demand from media.
Since that time, The Ehrhardt Group and Ochsner Health have worked hand-in-hand to relay critical messages, develop innovative ways to address staff and community needs and elevate the system’s employees and initiatives aimed at vastly improving the health of our state.
- COVID-19 pandemic: Through the pandemic, The Ehrhardt Group worked seamlessly with Ochsner to craft and relay crucial information to educate and protect the public. From helping the community understand the severity of COVID-19 through key messaging to facilitating compelling TV stories and live shots at vaccination sites and events, TEG has worked with Ochsner to ensure that the health system has communicated strategically every step of the way.
- Media Triage Through Hurricane Ida: Leading up to, and in the aftermath of, Hurricane Ida, The Ehrhardt Group became the gatekeeper for fielding national, regional and local requests, advising the Ochsner team on which opportunities to pursue and recommending strategies for maximizing the impact of media coverage to great success.
- Telling their story: From telling patient stories and highlighting heroic staff to communicating vital health information to the public, TEG has worked to identify opportunities that showcase Ochsner’s excellence in the healthcare field. Hundreds of millions of people have seen stories about Ochsner Health that TEG facilitated.
The Results
- Secured more than 150 media stories across Louisiana and the U.S. for Vax Fest 2021, including Yahoo and San Francisco Chronicle as well as on MSNBC and NBC’s The Today Show. More than 11,000 vaccinations were administered in a two-day period.
- Garnered more than 900 stories locally, nationally, and internationally by strategically embedding news agencies AP and Reuters and The New Orleans Advocate inside COVID ICUs to show the seriousness of the pandemic. Outlets included Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report, LA Times, USA Today, ABC News, Reuters and their affiliates.
- Together with the Ochsner team secured 9,300 media mentions from August 28, 2021-September 4, 2021 on Ochsner Health working through Hurricane Ida. Stories were featured in outlets including the Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CNN, The Weather Channel, Associated Press, The Times-Picayune and affiliates around the country.
