University Of Iowa Health Care Seeks Marketing Agency

The University of Iowa – UI Health Care – is seeking a Marketing and Communications Agency of Record. The chosen agency will work with the department to develop marketing strategies, advertising, and other deliverables that align with the overall goals of UI Health Care.

Background

UI Health Care is unique among comprehensive academic medical centers. Composed of UI Hospitals and Clinics, UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, and UI Physicians, UI Health Care is truly integrated, under a single leader, and working from one integrated strategic plan. Faculty, staff, and students provide health care in an environment devoted to innovative care, excellent service, and exceptional outcomes. The hospital employs more than 9,000, including 1,600 physicians and dentists and nearly 2,200 professional nurses who are focused on providing an outstanding patient experience for all. The adult hospital has 761 inpatient beds, and the newly built UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital has added 134 pediatric inpatient beds. More than 960,000 patient visits take place in UI clinics every year. UI Hospitals and Clinics is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of the nation’s best hospitals, with many of its clinical specialties ranked among the top 50 in the country.

Recognized as one of the best hospitals in the United States, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is a regional referral center and the clinical nucleus of UI  Health Care. UI Hospitals and Clinics provides world-class family-centered health care, extensive medical research, and comprehensive teaching programs for many health care professions. Faculty, staff, and students provide health care in an environment devoted to innovative care, excellent service, and exceptional outcomes. The hospital employs more than 9,000, including 1,600 physicians and dentists and nearly 2,200 professional nurses.

University of Iowa Physicians is the largest multi-specialty medical and surgical group practice in Iowa. More than  900 physicians in 19 clinical departments provide specialized comprehensive care for patients and serve as the medical staff of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and as faculty for the UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine. UI Physicians provides specialty outreach clinics with community and provider partners across Iowa, and in off-site specialty and primary care clinics, primarily in Johnson County and eastern  Iowa. UI Physicians has operational oversight to the UI Hospitals and Clinics Patient Appointment Center UI Health Care’s multi-specialty clinic at Iowa River Landing, which has more than 80 providers and is located in an upscale retail center in nearby Coralville.

Objective and Intent

The purpose in requesting qualifications is to acquire the strategic agency to build on our strong brand platform. UI Health Care seeks a partner in this effort, recognizing that continuity of messages, regardless of medium, requires in-depth shared knowledge and understanding of UI Health Care, its services and programs, and its market position. The successful supplier will be expected to work collaboratively with an internal marketing and communications department and other UI partners to fully execute the developed plan. UI Health Care seeks a supplier that is knowledgeable and experienced in health care marketing, particularly for large multi-site health systems and academic medical centers.

Scope of Services

The successful supplier will work in partnership with the University and will be expected to fulfill the following scope of services including brand strategy, campaign, planning, creative execution, and reporting on performance metrics related to strategic marketing communications:

• Proven track record in development and execution of integrated marketing strategy and brand management in the healthcare industry.
• Internal capacity to provide high level of customer service and engagement, coupled with work for other clients. ”Full-service” agency, either internally or  through sub-contracts with external experts. (For example, digital media strategy and execution might be sub-contracted to a firm specializing in digital media.)
• Ability to work collaboratively with other marketing and communication partners.
• Ability to demonstrate effectiveness of marketing and communication campaigns to meet client strategic goals. Focus on quantitative testing and quantitative performance metrics; track record of obtaining outstanding outcomes.
• The successful supplier will work closely with UI Health Care Marketing and Communications staff and other UI Health Care partners, including but not limited to, our customer relationship management agency, public relations firms, Iowa-based marketing and communication agencies, and research companies to develop strategies and campaigns that are consistent with the overall organization strategy and maintain the integrity of the UI Health Care brand.

Proposal due by 3/31/2017 to:

University of Iowa
Purchasing Office
Iowa City, IA 52242

Ruder Finn, APCO Worldwide & Makovsky PR have strong healthcare PR practices.