Managing an organization through a crisis requires thinking about responses before a crisis occurs. All healthcare foundations can learn from our 1st hand case study.

1. Crisis Communications:
Having a plan to deal
with the unimaginable!

2. 1. Introductions
2. Review of session goals
3. What is a Crisis?
4. DH media story – Oct 2013
5. Principles of a Crisis Communications Strategy
6. Working with the media
7. Case Studies
8. Q & A
Agenda

3. Two basic forms:
Smoldering – an issue has been forming for awhile
and the organization is aware of it. This crisis can be
exacerbated by lack of action prior to the information
being made public.
Explosive – a crisis that catches everyone by surprise.
Three is not time to prepare for this crisis and it can
feel chaotic.
What is a Crisis?

4. “Crisis at DH”

5. Media coverage
GLOBAL TV
http://globalnews.ca/news/879344/delta-hospital-forces-90-year-old-woman-to-take-taxi-in-middle-of-the-
night/
CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/90-year-old-s-delta-hospital-discharge-details-disputed-
1.1932035
Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/10/02/90-year-old-discharged-without-shoes_n_4033740.html
The Vancouver Sun
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Blind+year+sent+home+from+Delta+Hospital+taxi+middle+night/8990230/story.html
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Fraser+Health+defends+decision+send+senior+away+from+Delta+Hospital+middle+night/90
18778/story.html
News 1130
http://www.news1130.com/2013/10/02/senior-apparently-forced-out-of-delta-er-in-middle-of-night/

6. How Delta Hospital
Foundation responded
• Briefing notes prepared for staff and Board
• Letter to community sent to our contacts
• Letter to community was posted on social media and website
• Continued to promote the positive feedback and stories we
receive daily on our social media pages as always
• Prepared a positive news story that was pitched to local media
before our impending capital campaign launch
• Postponement of face-to-face and tele-fundraising

7. How the public
responded
• The Foundation received both positive
and negative emails and phone calls

8. Basic Principles of
a Crisis Strategy
1. The majority of work in successfully dealing with a crisis
occurs prior to a major event.
2. Honesty, Transparency, Integrity
3. Maintain control of messaging
• Who speaks, and when?
• What media channels should you use?
• Keep staff and key volunteers informed

9. When Crisis hits...
Plan, Plan and Plan some
more...
4. Before anyone speaks or reacts, hold a
strategy session
• Identify key stakeholders
• Prioritize issues
• Set tasks (and approval mechanism)
5. When the strategy session is over, the
team must have a united response

10. Working with media
• The media have a job to do
• Do not fight with them, but do maintain
control
• One point of contact for media outlets –
under no circumstances should anyone
but the approved board members or
staff engage with the media
• Remember: nothing is “off the record”

11. Preparing a media
statement
Two components to the media
statement:
1. Media Primer
2. Media release

12. 1. Describe in less than three sentences the issue you are
being interviewed on.
2. Clarify the objective of the interview: what key message
are you delivering?
3. Who is the audience?
4. Identify 5 key points you would like to address in the
interview.
5. Isolate positive key words from speaking points above.
6. Create three 5-10 second statements for use during the
interview
Media Primer
Template

13. Preparing a media
release
Media release
• Key information
• Clear messaging
• Answer the five Ws: Who, What,
Where, When, Why

14. Media Release
• Will inform the public and give the media a
sense of the story
• Timing of the release can be important in a crisis
situation
• Recognize and respect media deadlines
• Keep simple and to one page if possible

15. Social Media
• Develop a SM presence as apart of the general
communications strategy. Do not attempt to use a new social
media channel in the wake of a crisis.
• Use SM to get your message across in it’s entirety (not edited
by a journalist)
• If a SM user is highly critical or inflammatory of the Foundation,
acknowledge this on-line, but deal with it off-line. DO NOT get
into a fight on social media with a user.
• Abuse, harassment and foul language should not be tolerated.

16. • No two scenarios are the same
• Commonalities in the approach
• Every situation will have learning moments
• Debriefs are integral to improving
Scenarios

17. Scenario A:
A train derailment has occurred in the city and a
massive explosion has engulfed close to five
acres of a local industrial park in flames. A local
State of Emergency has been declared by the
city and the hospital has activated it’s
Emergency Operations Centre. Mass casualties
are inevitable and all regional hospitals are
preparing to accept the injured.

18. Scenario B
Your organization is the most supported not-for-profit in the
city. Over the course of it’s existence it has raised millions of
dollars to enhance and support core health services for the
residents, businesses and travellers through the community.
An annual audit raised some red flags about donor funds. It
seems there are some anomalies in the financial statements
and upon first glance, approximately $150,000 has gone
missing. This allegation has yet to be proven by a forensic
audit, but this is a small community and there is a rumour
around town that the executive director is skimming donations
from the Foundation.

19. Scenario C:
Dr. John Smith has been working in surgical day care at your
hospital since 2008. He has a wonderful reputation in the
community as a caring and kind surgeon. He participates in
events with the Foundation because he believes in the hospital
and is a city resident himself. The College of Physicians has just
announced that Dr. Smith was under investigation for writing
illegal narcotic prescriptions for profit. The result of the
investigation found him guilty of writing fraudulent prescriptions.
The story broke yesterday afternoon, and now foundation donors
are calling the foundation office wondering what is happening with
their beloved Dr. Smith and if these allegations are true.
The health authority has taken the media lead on this issue,
however, local media is calling the Foundation asking for an
interview.

20. Scenario D:
Bob Jones has been on your Board for three years. He has
made generous annual donations to the Foundation, which
has helped establish his philanthropic reputation in the
community.
A recent police investigation has resulted in charges
approved against Bob in relation to money laundering and
organized crime activity. He was formally charged
yesterday with Embezzlement and Fraud Over $5,000, and
released on bail.
Bob’s donations to the Foundation are considered
Proceeds of Crime, and while the police do not have
forensic evidence to seize the funds, the reputation of the
Foundation is under attack.

21. Your hospital is an aging facility that is in need of
infrastructure improvements. Hospital administration
has known for at least five years about some issues,
however there has been little investment into those
areas. This morning, a sewage pipe burst in the long
term care facility on site, flooding part of the building. All
residents have been evacuated to temporary
accommodation. HAZMAT is on the scene and other
hospital departments are on evacuation standby.
There has been extensive news coverage throughout
the day and as a result people are calling the
Foundation wondering what is happening
Scenario E

22. Recap:
1. The majority of work in successfully dealing
with a crisis occurs prior to a major event.
2. Honesty, Transparency, Integrity
3. Maintain control of messaging

23. Recap:
4. Before anyone speaks or reacts, hold a
strategy session
5. When the strategy session is over, the
team must have a united response

24. Thank You
Lisa Hoglund lisa.hoglund@dhfoundation.ca
Veronica Carroll veronica.carroll@dhfoundation.ca