Living the Dream of CRM at Ochsner Health System

// By Jane Weber Brubaker //

Is it possible for health systems to have their own version of “set it and forget it”? Can they really set up campaigns in their CRMs and let them run automatically based on pre-set rules?

Maybe not right out of the gate, but with diligence, healthcare marketers can learn to crawl, then walk, then run when it comes to making the best use of their CRM systems to achieve organizational goals.

Chelsea Lockhart, marketing manager, Ochsner Health System

Magic. That’s how Chelsea Lockhart, marketing manager at Ochsner Health System, describes having the ability to deploy personalized email campaigns triggered in real time based on data changes. “In the CRM marketing world, I’m going to call it magical, because it really is,” Lockhart says.

Lockhart and Ochsner colleagues Brittany Graffagnini, assistant vice president of marketing, and Kylie Worley, senior marketing specialist, presented at SHSMD Connections Bytes virtual conference in late October.

Brittany Graffagnini, assistant vice president of marketing, Ochsner Health System

It’s not the technology alone that creates the magic, of course. It’s the right tool coupled with the right strategy for building relationships with consumers. Like many health systems, Ochsner had to move away from promoting itself to focusing on consumers’ needs.

“We shifted to thinking about when a patient would need [information] the most, and when they would be most likely to respond based on what they’re going through in their life, at meaningful key moments,” says Graffagnini.

Kylie Worley, senior marketing specialist, Ochsner Health System

Ochsner’s CRM is firing on all cylinders, churning out 50 personalized campaigns a day, but it still requires care and attention. “We’re creating this constant feedback loop,” Worley says. “We’re able to continue to hone our strategy.”

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