How Mayo Clinic Responded Directly to a Damaging News Report

By Carlin Twedt:

No organization is immune from crises.

A CNN report on Aug. 13 titled “Escape from Mayo Clinic” alleged that Mayo Clinic had held a patient against her will and refused her request to transfer to another hospital, an assertion that officials of the health care facility have strongly disputed.

The crisis unfolded over 18 months, from the time Mayo Clinic learned about the pending report—while the patient was still in the hospital—to Aug. 13 of this year, when CNN broke the story.

Karl Oestreich, Mayo Clinic’s director of media relations, cites the strong internal and external responses that the organization undertook to counter what it called the reporter’s “pre-determined narrative” about the situation.

Ginger Plumbo, manager of issues and crisis communications, describes Mayo Clinic’s first step: addressing the report internally. It invited front-line care staff to listening sessions on the day the report went live, so those employees could meet with Mayo Clinic leaders for support. The listening session was well received, so it scheduled another for Aug. 17.

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