Prominent digital leader Reed Smith has joined national healthcare communications consultancy Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc. to integrate digital leadership into the firm’s collective counsel and smartly grow the firm’s capabilities in this area, officials announced today.
Ranked in the top 10 of America’s strategic communications firms for healthcare and focusing exclusively on providers – health systems, academic medical centers, hospitals and health services companies – Jarrard Inc. leads clients through moments of change, challenge and opportunity. The shift to digital represents one of these moments as providers are increasingly turning to digital to address their most important challenges, ranging from consumerism to reputation management.
“Healthcare has lagged most other industries when it comes to effectively using digital tools to interact with their consumers,” Smith said. “We’ve reached an inflection point where providers can’t just use digital tools without first hardwiring digital thinking into their organizations.
“I’m excited to begin working with our clients to explore how digital can impact not only consumers but organizational culture.”
In addition to founding the Social Health Institute, Smith is a founding advisory board member for both the Mayo Clinic Social Media Network and the health and wellness track at the SXSW Interactive Festival.
Prior to joining Jarrard Inc., Smith spent more than 15 years in healthcare marketing – first as a hospital marketing director, then overseeing product development for the Texas Hospital Association and later as a strategist working with some of the world’s largest healthcare brands and providers.
“Digital has evolved, and healthcare providers don’t need more digital solutions; they need digital leadership with real world experience that can collectively advance their resources in a scalable way and ultimately gain the results they crave,” said David Jarrard, CEO of Jarrard Inc.
“This focus on our clients’ most pressing needs and an understanding of the industry’s future drivers has always guided our growth and evolution as a company. We are delighted to have found in Reed a seasoned digital expert with roots in the provider space that bring our clients the results they are looking for.”
Smith will work alongside Molly Cate, a founding partner of the firm and Chief Innovation Officer, to bring digital work to life across each of the firm’s three practices: National & Academic Health Systems, Regional Health Systems and Health Services Companies. In addition, the firm has formed an embedded digital team to study market demand, better understand client needs and determine the best practices for digital execution.
“Digital is a gray area for the industry, but an increasingly important one,” said Cate. “This is where we shine: We use our gifts to help healthcare providers solve their most important issues and do so with a unique blend of pragmatism and big thinking. We’re excited to join forces with Reed and look forward to growing these services in a meaningful way.”
About Jarrard Inc.
With offices in Nashville, Tenn. and Chicago, Jarrard Phillips Cate & Hancock, Inc. is a U.S. top 10 strategic communications consulting firm for the nation’s leading healthcare providers experiencing significant change, challenge or opportunity. Founded in 2006, the firm has worked with more than 400 clients in over 40 states and served as a communications advisor on more than $60 billion in announced M&A and partnership transaction communications. The firm specializes in M&A, change management, issue navigation and strategic positioning.
For more information, visit jarrardinc.com or follow us @JarrardInc.
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