Health Care Homes
Communications Project Overview
April 27, 2011
Health Care Homes in Minnesota
In 2008 the Minnesota Legislature passed reform legislation that takes a
comprehensive approach to healthcare. Health care homes are one
significant component of this legislation.
Goal of Health Care Homes:
 Transform how health care is delivered in Minnesota
 Encourage patients and families to be engaged in their health care
 Lower per capita health care costs
 Improve overall health
Certification by the Numbers:
 90 certified clinics
 972 certified providers
 1.35 million patients served by certified health care homes
Health Care Homes in Minnesota
con’t
Health Care Homes Communication Work Group (2010)
Goal

To educate consumers, clinicians, and other stakeholders about health care
homes and create enthusiasm for health care homes that leads to more
certified providers, clinics and participating health care consumers
Objectives of Our Work
 Develop a health care home certification emblem or seal to identify a certified
health care home

Develop clear and succinct messaging to describe the health care home
approach to care

Develop a communication plan to shape public awareness and drive
participation in the health care home initiative

Recommend resources for consumers and clinicians
Tunheim: Strategic Communications
About Tunheim
 21 years of helping organizations develop and execute effective
communications strategy
 Comprehensive communications and public affairs planning and execution
 Understand the critical role of communications in awareness building,
community engagement and education
 Arm organizations with the right strategies and tools to reach the right people,
in the right way, at the right time
Our Expertise
 Understand public health audiences and associated communications needs
 Research and analysis to inform messaging and strategy
 Develop messages that resonate and effect change
 Understand the health care issues facing our state and the need for thoughtful
reform
Tunheim: Experience
Public Awareness Campaign Expertise
Educate target audiences, increase the profile of initiatives and shape perceptions
 Policy changes: GoMinnesota! and the Long-Term Care Imperative
 Influence societal norms: Respect My Ride campaign and Start Noticing
 Public education: Medtronic Foundation, National Institute on Media and the
Family
Health and Human Services Experience
 United Health Foundation – public awareness of America’s Health Rankings
 SHIP – assessment, intervention selection and community outreach for three
grantees
 Start Noticing – awareness campaign on the effect of point-of-sale tobacco
advertising
 QUITPLAN Services – promote free tobacco cessation services
Stakeholder Engagement/Working with Multiple Diverse Constituencies
 Strategies informed by the perspectives and motivations of the audiences
 Focus groups, surveys, committee/task force development
Positioning To Your Potential
Shape Perceptions & Influence Behavior
Project Objectives
Primary Goal:
 Educate consumers, clinicians and other stakeholders about the health care
homes approach
 Drive a desire for health care homes that leads to more participating health
care consumers and more certified clinics and providers
Secondary Goal:
 Help certified health care home clinics and providers communicate effectively
about the approach
From Our Survey
Desired Outcomes/Purpose

Compelling and succinct tagline/descriptor

Description of health care homes that is meaningful to broad audiences

Message platform that appeals to the values of patients and families

Certification seal for certified health are homes

Comprehensive public education communications plan

Provider communications tool kit recommendations
Process
Who we listened to: Consumers
Consumers electronic survey: 472 respondents
General Health
 42% relatively healthy
 39% very healthy
 16% chronic medical condition
 3% various health challenges (not
chronic)
Age
 3% age 65+
 52% age 50-64
 29% age 35-49
 14% age 23-24
 1% age 18-24
Profession
 10% health care advocate
 57% general public
 33% health care professional
Geography
 50% suburban
 13% rural
 38% urban
Ethnicity
 91% white
 6% populations of color
Gender
 84% female
 16% male
Who we listened to: Providers
Provider electronic survey: 269 respondents
Profession
 62% primary care providers
 14% specialty care provider
 5% clinical staff
 3% certified health care home provider
 15% other
Familiarity with health care homes
 84% A team approach to delivering coordinated, patient-centered care
 84% An approach to health care in which patients, families and doctors work
together to plan for a patient’s care
 55% A primary care clinic
 9% A place where sick patients go to receive specialized care
 2% I don’t know
Who we listening to: Listening Sessions
Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities
 14 participants
 People with varying chronic and complex medical conditions
 Aids and interested individuals
Eastside Community Clinic
 16 participants
 Staff and patients
 Hmong, Latino and African-American
Key Findings: Value Proposition
Test Definition:
 A health care home is: A team approach to delivering coordinated, patientcentered health care in which primary care providers, patients and families
work together to make health care decisions to improve health and quality of
life.
The existing definition of health care homes resonates with providers:
 Providers define a health care home as:
 “a team approach to delivering coordinated, patient-centered care”
 “an approach to health care in which patients, families and doctors work
together to plan for a patient’s care.”

Providers believe the main benefits of health care homes from patients are:
 coordinated care (56%)
 better health outcomes (22%)
Key Findings: Value Proposition
con’t
Test Definition:
 A health care home is: A team approach to delivering coordinated, patientcentered health care in which primary care providers, patients and families
work together to make health care decisions to improve health and quality of
life.
The disconnect?
Consumers don’t place a high value on core elements of the initial
definition.

Consumers most highly value:
 personal input in all medical decisions (83%)
 primary care provider aware of health history (75%)
 quick access to health professional when sick (74%)
 access to preventative health care (73%)
 primary care provider explains all options (70%)
 care coordination (60%)
Key Findings: Outcomes

Health Outcomes
 Providers believe better health outcomes is an important benefit of heath
care homes for patients.
 Only 16% of Consumers believed their health would improve if they were
given a care coordinator and a personalized care plan.

Who benefits from health care homes?
 The vast majority of Providers believe health care homes benefit a
variety of patients, not only patients with chronic health problems
(although 8% believe only patients with chronic conditions benefit).
 Many Consumers believe health care homes would only benefit people
with chronic and complex conditions.
Key Findings: Core Messaging Concepts

Personal input in all medical decisions

Relationship with provider and specialist

Access to desired care

Increase efficiency of care

Holistic approach

Value of care coordination

Cost-savings/affordability

Better health outcomes
Key Findings: Challenges
Common Misperceptions
 Home health care
 Nursing home
 Care for people with chronic or complex conditions
 A place or singular location
Barriers
 Lack of understanding
 Consumers don’t believe health will improve
 Cost/payer confusion
 Concerns around personal choice/restrictiveness of approach
 Perceived as a new level of bureaucracy
Message Development
Message Development Descriptor
Descriptor

Purpose: A concise phrase to accompany the phrase “health care home” that
captures the attention of consumers and make them think “This might be for
me!”

Use: To be used with the term “Health Care Home” in written, oral and online
communications.
Message Development Definition
Definition

Purpose: A description of health care homes that highlights key benefits and
entices consumers to learn more. Use of simple language and concepts that
are easily understood.

Use: To be used by MDH, DHS and certified providers in written, oral and
online communications to provide consumers with a clear understanding of
health care homes.
Message Development Message Platforms
Message Platforms

Purpose: Simple, consumer-friendly points to help communicate key
elements of health care homes that resonate with consumer values and
explain core components of a health care home approach to care.
Consumer-friendly messaging includes minimal jargon and aims to appeal to
what the consumer wants to hear and needs to know.

Use: For use by MDH, DHS and providers in written, oral and online
communications where a more detailed level of information is relevant and
valuable.
Message Platform Architecture
Building the Message Platform
Descriptor
Health Care Home
Better health made easy
Definition
Health Care Home
Better health made easy
A clinic or provider that is certified as a health care home offers
personalized care with your team of providers and specialists to meet
your health care needs and improve your health.
Value Messages

Welcoming – Anyone can use, and benefit from, a health care home.

Personalized – A health care home puts you at the center of your health
care. Your team of providers and specialists is focused on you and your
needs.

Relationship-based – Your providers and specialists are aware of your
health history and your care team works closely with you to improve your
health.

Unrestricted – A health care home can help you choose the best provider
and specialists for your needs and helps you share information with your care
team.

Organized – A health care home coordinates services and shares information
to minimize confusion and prevent duplication and gaps in care.

Comprehensive – A health care home is designed to help you meet all of
your health care needs, from preventive care and common illnesses, to urgent
care and treatment of chronic and complex conditions.
Fact-based Messages

A health care home:
 Is for everyone.
 Lets you make decisions about your health.
 Offers a closer relationship between you and your health care providers.
 Coordinates your health care so that your chosen providers and specialists
have the most up-to-date information about your health.
 Can help you with all of your health care needs, from preventive care and
common illnesses to urgent care and chronic and complex conditions.
 Keeps track of your health history and helps you plan for better health.

A health care home is not:
 A nursing home or home health care.
 A restrictive network.
 A service that only benefits people living with chronic or complex conditions.
Next Steps: Public Education
Next Steps: Public Education
page 1
Prioritized recommendations for initial public awareness campaign

Online
 Consumer-facing website
 Updated MDH website
 Search engine optimization (SEO)

Marketing Materials
 Brochure
 Presentation
 Video of visual representation
 Infographic
 Video profiling 3-5 different consumers
 Tip sheet for consumers
 Event displays
Next Steps: Public Education

Media Relations
 Media kit (electronic)
 Desk side meetings with reporters
 Story mining database
 News releases/pitches at key milestones

Stakeholder Engagement
 Health advocacy organization events
 Newsletter placement
page 2
Next Steps: Provider Resources

Provider Tool Kit
 Template news release
 Letter template announcing certification for patients
 Brochures
 Patient tip sheet
 Talking points
 FAQ
 Template article(s) for provider newsletters
 Posters
 Consumer website information
 Infographic
 Copy (for website, brochures, etc.)
 Waiting room video
 Template advertisements
 Certification seal and usage guidelines
Stephanie Fox, Vice President
Stephanie Fox joined Tunheim Partners in 2006 and specializes in corporate, crisis and public policy communications
for business, education, health care, hospitality, and nonprofit initiatives. As a team leader, Stephanie seeks to
thoroughly understand the clients and their environment; she is a dynamic strategist who works to ensure clients’
objectives are met.
During her tenure, Stephanie has provided communications counsel for clients such as Target, the Minnesota Private
College Council, Hays Companies, Meet Minneapolis, Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, the Solid Waste Management
Coordinating Board, Ameriprise, and many others.
Prior to joining Tunheim Partners, Stephanie worked for Treasure Island Resort & Casino where she headed the public
relations department. Concurrently, she worked for the Prairie Island Indian Community on its public affairs and
community relations efforts.
Stephanie serves on the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce Public Policy Committee and is a member of
the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Healthcare Committee.
Stephanie’s career as an advocate began at age nine when she started her own environmental group to reduce acid
rain. Unfortunately, the effort was quickly squashed when her family realized the posters Stephanie distributed at the
local college campus listed the family’s home as the organization’s headquarters and meeting location.
Stephanie received her graduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with a B.A. in
history and an M.A. in journalism and communications.
“We must free ourselves of the hope that the sea will ever rest. We must learn to sail in high winds.”
– Aristotle Onassis
Eliza Appert, Account Director
Eliza Appert specializes in strategic communications. Since 2007, she has developed and implemented a variety of
media campaigns and research analysis projects for corporate, government and nonprofit clients. From corporate
communications to media relations, Eliza’s work benefits from her thoughtful approach to communications initiatives,
understanding of client objectives, and attention to detail.
Eliza’s work at Tunheim Partners spans national media tours and story placements, internal and external
communications audits, and public awareness campaigns. She has previous experience in economic communications
at Wells Fargo, political advocacy through the Center for Victims of Torture, and cause-based marketing at Cone, Inc.,
giving her a diverse base of communications knowledge.
Eliza is driven by her desire to help clients position themselves as good corporate citizens. She gained her
appreciation for the importance of social responsibility through an education based on a global approach to business,
politics and social accountability.
Eliza holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations with an emphasis on global conflict, cooperation and justice
from Tufts University. She serves on the board of directors for the St. Croix Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross.
In her spare time, she enjoys skiing and traveling.
“At the heart of my politics has always been the value of community, the belief that we are not merely individuals
struggling in isolation from each other, but members of a community who depend on each other, who benefit from
each other's help, who owe obligations to each other. From that everything stems: solidarity, social justice, equality,
freedom.” – Tony Blair