MEET MARTHA VETTER
Passionate Hospice Advocate
 

As the founder and president of Transcend Hospice Marketing, you wrote in a recent Transcend blog about the "beauty and benefit of hospice." Please explain your personal passion for hospice.

Interestingly, my passion for hospice has never been "personal" in the sense of experiencing it with family or loved one. My passion evolved professionally when I saw first-hand the significant impact "education and awareness" has on how people perceive hospice. I love that in my professional life, I am able to help hospice organizations make such a positive impact on people's lives. Hospice is the "friend in the room" not enough people know about. I'm honored to be part of a team that understands this and has the passion and expertise to help spread the word.

In your role as president, you ensure that work for each hospice client meets the goals you've set internally and the individual hospice campaign goals. How do you do that?

Individual goals change and key messages vary from hospice to hospice, but our internal commitment to drive ALOS, census and bottom line results for our clients remains steadfast. Everything Transcend does is designed to drive reality-based results. When we can successfully do that, our hospices can be confident they will have the financial resources to sustain and grow their mission in the communities they serve.

You are past board president of a local Humane Society; currently active on the board of Spring Point Project, Minneapolis, Minnesota; and founder of your own philanthropic organization, Chicks for Charity. With that perspective, what do you feel is the role of a hospice board member?

Employees are the lifeblood of any organization. Board members are the skeleton. A strong board helps create a solid framework and foundation that makes it possible for a hospice to fulfill its mission. The best boards are made up of members passionate about their cause. It's not about "who's who" or how many boards someone sits on; it's about a passion for the mission and a commitment to serving. When board members have that commitment, success and funding usually follow. We rarely see a strong, successful hospice that wasn't supported by a wonderful group of people dedicated to serving on the board of directors.

A $100 donation to your hospice for the person who provides the best explanation for the saying Katy Bar the Door. It's been an ongoing trivia question at Transcend for years. Think you know? >>
 

In your marketing and public relations career, you and your team received the Public Relations Society of America's highest national honor, the Silver Anvil award. You have advised many clients on important public relations tactics. What do you feel are the most important basic PR tactics that hospices should utilize?

That's a hard one. I'm not sure there is one or two best tactics. Every hospice and every community it serves is different. Successful hospices have a plan – a strategy that is based on research and supported by appropriate tactics. PR tactics need to be executed in a timely fashion and then monitored and tweaked to verify and demonstrate success. When that happens and marketing communication professionals can go back to their boards with a proven success, it makes it easier to continue the marketing and PR initiatives that will enhance awareness and preference for your hospice.

It's not rocket science, but it is good science combined with great creative. When it works … Katy bar the door!

What's the best way to involve staff in your communications plan?

Be aware that the marketing communication efforts must be handled by a small team of people. If you allow everyone in your organization to have a say in the key messages or creative development of your materials, you will compromise your messages to the lowest common denominator. Your internal audiences need to be aware of your marketing initiatives, but it will hinder your results if they all are involved in their development.

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