There’s no softening the blow when a community faces a devastating loss, as Dallas did recently when five police officers were murdered and nine others injured. As seen in New York City after 9/11, though, devastation can also be the catalyst for banding together and inspire ordinary citizens to support each other like never before.
In the aftermath of the Dallas tragedy, the staff at Legacy ER and Urgent Care, which serves North Texas, expressed their solidarity with the Dallas Police Department (and all law enforcement) in a very visible way on Facebook, posting photos of physicians, nurses, and front desk and office personnel all dressed in blue throughout the facility. Legacy’s page also displayed the following heartfelt status update:
“Legacy has and always will be a supporter of our local heroes who serve and protect every day. Today our teams wore blue for #BackTheBlue day in Texas in honor of the murdered officers last week and all of those killed in the line of duty.”
Urgent care’s mission is to offer relief to those in need. Surely—as Legacy ER and Urgent Care demonstrated—that can extend beyond helping patients through physical illness and injury. Similarly, social media is an effective marketing tool, but can be utilized for so much more. Facebook (or Twitter, etc.) can be the voice of the center in communicating directly to the community it serves in times of crisis.
The next time natural disaster, or a horrific fire, or similar tragedies occur near you consider reminding your community that you and your staff are also their neighbors, and that you share the same losses and triumphs.
Sometimes the best way to improve community outreach is through community support.