Strategically Reshaping Healthcare Branding and Communications

Building a brand requires aligning diverse stakeholder interests, that of board members, executives, clinical leaders, front-line workers and community voices, into a unified, compelling message. It challenges a leader to translate institutional values and strategic goals into a brand identity that is both aspirational and operational. A brand is not just a logo or tagline, but a system-wide reflection of culture, priorities and trust.

At Mount Sinai Health System, defining the “Relentlessly Advancing Health” positioning was a milestone. It tapped into the organization’s New York roots and led to the “We Find a Way” campaign—both a bold brand statement and strategic repositioning. This evolved into an advertising campaign targeting women of the “sandwich generation” (ages 35–65 caring for older and younger family members), using empathetic, expert messaging: “We Get You and We’ve Got You.” This progression from brand purpose to audience-based messaging drove meaningful, relatable communications.

Navigating high-pressure moments like the COVID-19 pandemic and a nursing strike also shaped my approach. Transparent, compassionate communication was critical to maintaining trust and morale. Earlier experiences of launching the Children’s brand at NewYork-Presbyterian and revitalizing Lighthouse Guild provided a strong foundation for aligning brand with mission, outcomes, and community expectations.

Aligning Marketing Strategies for Enhanced Patient Engagement

To meet the growing demand for personalized and digitalfirst experiences, we’ve invested in data-driven marketing strategies that prioritize patient preferences and behaviors. At Mount Sinai, this includes leveraging digital platforms to deliver more tailored messaging to specific audiences. We’ve used these tools to inform the creation of campaigns that guide patients from awareness through to care decisions, ultimately providing those who are looking for information with what they need.

We’ve also structured content strategy to provide answers to what people are looking to find. We are highly attuned to the way people are finding information using generative AI and are adapting our digital approach accordingly. We also leverage our strategic partnerships to reinforce brand affinity and position Mount Sinai as an innovative partner in health.

Turning Health System Challenges into Meaningful Opportunities

One of the most persistent challenges is managing communications in an environment of rapid change—be it due to policy shifts, leadership transitions, or health crises. During the pandemic, we focused on delivering clear, science-based messaging and empathy-led campaigns that positioned Mount Sinai as both a clinical authority and a source of comfort. Similarly, during labor disruptions or organizational restructuring, we strive for proactive, transparent communications.

Another major challenge is demonstrating ROI in a cost-conscious industry. We’ve partnered with other teams to build measurement frameworks, tying campaign performance directly to patient volumes and service line growth. These insights inform how we spend our dollars and help with leadership alignment for marketing initiatives. By focusing on these outcomes we continue to elevate marketing’s role as contributor to both mission and organizational growth.

Trends Shaping Patients and Communities Connect

A clear trend is the integration of healthspan, which is optimizing health across the course of a person’s life, into the healthcare narrative and the care of patients. Healthspan shifts the focus from disease states to a patient’s overall lifespan to enhance quality of life. As an academic medical center, Mount Sinai can be a scientifically based lifelong partner in well-being, as well as a provider during illness.

Technology is also reshaping engagement with patients. From wearable integration and predictive analytics to content personalization, digital tools will provide a path to scale innovations. The future of healthcare marketing lies in balancing high-tech delivery with high-touch empathy and figuring out the ways to scale these innovations.

Impact of Strategic Communication in Healthcare

I have recently assumed responsibility for System Strategic Communications at Mount Sinai. It is an important step in aligning our voice, values, mission and vision with our workforce as the primary audience.

In a complex, high-performing healthcare system, internal communication goes beyond sharing information; it fosters trust, transparency, pride and unity across thousands of employees in diverse roles. Effective strategic communications ensure that every team member, from front-line clinicians to senior leaders, understands not just the “what” of decisions, but the “why” and “how,” empowering them to act with clarity and purpose. This is especially critical during periods of transformation or rapid growth, when consistent messaging can reinforce culture and shared goals.

Strategic communications also play a vital role in employee engagement, morale and retention. Clear, timely inclusive messaging fosters a sense of belonging and pride, which are key drivers of workforce satisfaction. It also offers leadership a feedback loop, surfacing insights and enabling a two-way dialogue that builds credibility and responsiveness. By shaping the narrative of who we are and where we’re going, strategic communications becomes more than an operational function. It is a strategic pillar supporting culture, alignment and long-term success.

Forward-Looking, Purpose-Driven Healthcare Marketing

To make a long-term impact in healthcare marketing, professionals must blend business acumen with empathy and story-telling. The ability to analyze data, understand customer segments and align marketing with organizational objectives is critical, but so is the capacity to tell compelling human stories and build trust.

Navigating a regulated environment demands ethical rigor, creativity within constraints, and an adaptive mindset. My own experiences during crises, strategic rebrand and cultural shifts have underscored the importance of being both strategist and steward.

Additionally, leadership and cross-functional collaboration are essential. Marketers must act as internal unifiers, bringing together clinicians, administrators and workforce and community voices to create aligned messaging and shared purpose.