‭ hristobal Velez‬

C
‭Professor Leiberman‬
‭October 30, 2023‬
‭Art of Stakeholder Management‬
‭Mid Term Project‬

‭Public relations are crucial to mitigating any challenges a company might face. One of‬

‭the crucial aspects of public relations and stakeholder management is understanding how to‬

‭communicate with people to maintain the image of the company. This paper will look into a case‬

‭study from the textbook “Applied Public Relations” by Lamb & McKee (2004). Case 17 titled‬

‭“Media Interest in Transplant Drama'' examines the events that took place surrounding Jesica’s‬

‭case in Duke University Medical Center. One of the first aspects to examine is how Duke regards‬

‭itself when it comes to their medical practices. Duke is renowned for being “among the nation's‬

‭top hospitals” and prides itself on being an intuition that has a “bench-to-bedside” relationship‬

‭with their research and patient care (Lamb & Kathy Brittain McKee, 2004). The “bench” is the‬

‭laboratory discoveries and inventions, whereas the “bedside” refers to the application of‬

‭discoveries and inventions to develop new diagnoses and treatment plans (Liao et al., 2023).‬

‭When it comes to Duke’s initial decision to provide the media with reports on only the‬

‭medical condition of Jesica, not the mistake made by the hospital, there are various reasons why‬

‭this might have been done. Firstly, one aspect to consider from this case is that hospitals are not‬

‭only ethically obligated to protect the privacy of patients but they are also legally obligated to do‬

‭so. Disclosing medical information without Jesica’s consent, or her family’s approval could have‬

‭breached HIPAA laws. Another aspect to consider is the level of uncertainty that the hospital had‬

‭regarding the reasons for the mistake made. The hospital could have delayed publicly stating‬

‭they made a mistake due to not having all of the details or investigating the cause of the mistake.‬

‭In the textbook, one aspect that is discussed in Chapter 3 is the importance of community‬

‭relations and the results that come from it. One of these results is that if a company or those‬
‭associated with the company engage in what the community regards as negative behavior “be‬

‭held publicly accountable” for such actions or results of mistakes made (Lamb & Kathy Brittain‬

‭McKee, 2004). Thus, the hospitals' desire to delay a claim to a mistake might be done to delay‬

‭both legal and moral liability that their stockholders place upon them.‬

‭Another crucial aspect of the case was the Santillan family and friends reaching out to the‬

‭public for the possibility of a second set of organs. Perhaps one of the most important strategies‬

‭and recommendations that the Santillan family could have employed is the use of emotional‬

‭storytelling. In chapter 5 of “Applied Public Relations” authors Lamb and McKee talk about the‬

‭self-interest of the media (2004). Specifically about the media's “focus on satisfying their‬

‭audiences' need for news and preferences in entertainment” the authors also went on to write‬

‭how “materials that contain no news or useful information are tossed” (Lamb & Kathy Brittain‬

‭McKee, 2004). Furthermore, by sharing Jesica’s story, and their family’s struggle as immigrants,‬

‭and appealing to empathy and compassion a compelling narrative can be created. This can‬

‭increase the likelihood of their story being picked up by the media and increase the possibility of‬

‭what the case described as a “direct donation” (Lamb & Kathy Brittain McKee, 2004).‬

‭In this case, it becomes apparent that there are 3 major concerns at hand. These concerns‬

‭are the patients' privacy rights, the needs of the Santillan family and friends, and the public's‬

‭right to know. One of the most crucial concerns to be taken into account is the needs of the‬

‭Santillan family. A hospital's purpose is not only to provide diagnosis and treatments but to also‬

‭respect the wishes of the patient or whoever is in charge of the patient's health. Providing Jesica’s‬

‭family with support and options for her treatment and the best ways to get another donor should‬

‭be prioritized. This is given that Jesica underwent major surgery and had appointed medical‬

‭power of attorney to Mack Mahoney. In addition to this, the family's needs and wishes will‬
‭dictate how much information they allow the hospital to divulge regarding Jesica’s condition.‬

‭Therefore, Jesica’s privacy will be the second most important concern. This is not only because‬

‭of the ethical component of oversharing patient information but the legality of giving detailed‬

‭medical information. It is also important to recognize that both of these concerns should be‬

‭prioritized almost equally. In the first chapter of the textbook, Lamb and McKee note that‬

‭“[practitioners] must consider the legal environment as a key component [which affects]‬

‭relationships with stakeholder groups” (2004). Therefore, from the standpoint of a hospital’s‬

‭decision-maker, the privacy and wishes of the patient or family should always be respected.‬

‭Along these principles, it is important to note that whilst respecting the patient's privacy a‬

‭hospital should inform the public. Firstly, they should inform the public of the mistakes made,‬

‭this can be done without revealing Jesica’s identity or providing extensive medical detail. This‬

‭way they are not only able to hold themselves accountable for their mistakes but also hold as‬

‭much transparency as possible with their stakeholders. It can also create the means to get‬

‭potential direct donors and inform the public of the urgency of the situation. Ultimately,‬

‭balancing these concerns involves careful decision-making and communication to not only‬

‭protect Jesica’s privacy but also create trust in the institution.‬

‭To conclude, Duke University Medical Center is one of the most prestigious hospitals‬

‭that believes in implementing the newest medical research for their patient's care. Given the‬

‭severity of Jesica’s case, they were apprehensive about giving the public any information on‬

‭Jesica’s condition. The Santillan family also could have engaged in emotional storytelling to the‬

‭media to not only pressure the hospital but also increase the likelihood of finding a donor for‬

‭their daughter. Finding a balance between patient rights, family needs, and the public can be a‬

‭hard task to do and requires careful planning and communication between stakeholders.‬
 ‭References‬

‭Lamb, L. F., & Kathy Brittain McKee. (2004).‬‭Applied‬‭Public Relations‬‭. Routledge.‬

‭Liao, C., Xiao, S., & Wang, X. (2023). Bench-to-bedside: Translational development landscape‬

‭of biotechnology in healthcare.‬‭Health Sciences Review‬‭,‬‭7‭,‬ 100097.‬

‭https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hsr.2023.100097‬