Beginning in 2017, articles about healthcare innovations and advancements at Willis-Knighton Health System have been included in academic research findings in BMC Health Services Research. Seven additional articles have been published that highlight patient-focused marketing strategies at the health system.  Authors of these articles are James K. Elrod, Willis-Knighton Health System president and CEO, and John L. Fortenberry, Jr., Willis-Knighton vice president and professor and chair of the Elrod Department of Health Administration at LSUS. 

The most recent articles were published in the BMC supplement titled “Engaging Patients, Enhancing Patient Experiences: Insights, Innovations, and Applications,” and detailing the health system’s efforts to transform the patient experience, fostering satisfaction and loyalty.  They include:

•  “Formulating Productive Marketing Communications Strategy: A Major Health System’s Experience”
• “Establishing Good Samaritan Programs in Healthcare Institutions: A Method for Enhancing Patient Experiences and Increasing Loyalty”
• “Target Marketing in the Health Services Industry: The Value of Journeying off the Beaten Path”
• “Driving Brand Equity in Health Services Organizations: The Need for an Expanded View of Branding”
• “Healthcare Establishments as Owner-Operators of Digital Billboards: Making the Most of Excellent Roadside Visibility and High Traffic Counts to Better Connect with Patients”
• “Am I Seeing Things Through the Eyes of Patients? An Exercise in Bolstering Patient Attentiveness and Empathy”
• “Catalyzing Marketing Innovation and Competitive Advantage in the Healthcare Industry: The Value of Thinking Like an Outsider”

BMC Health Services Research is an open-access, peer-reviewed journal that deals with healthcare management, delivery, access, and allocation of healthcare resources, among other topics.

The full supplement can be accessed by clicking here.

This particular collection complements prior articles authored by Elrod and Fortenberry that profile innovations pioneered by WK. Their complete body of work can be accessed at https://www.wkhs.com/research/academic.