Top SHSMD Resources: Q3 2026
How do patients choose care? How can marketing demonstrate growth? And what does it take to be found in an AI-driven search experience? Explore the articles, tools and conversations SHSMD members turned to in Q3, with practical ideas to bring back to your team.
Generative Engine Optimization Checklist
Help AI-powered search tools find and accurately represent your organization. Use this practical checklist to review structured data, content quality, provider and service line information, and internal links.
Most-Clicked Articles
3 resourcesThe three most-clicked Q3 stories from News Scan, a members-only resource, cover patient choice, marketing’s role in growth and the next wave of health care AI.
How Patients Choose Hospitals: Key Priorities From the 2026 U.S. News Survey
U.S. News & World Report · Most clicks
What matters when patients choose a hospital? Explore the role of physician relationships, location, safety, cleanliness, technology and online reviews.
Best for: Marketing, strategy and patient experience
Read the article↗How Marketing Is Becoming a Health System Growth Engine
Becker’s Hospital Review · 2nd in clicks
See how marketing teams are influencing strategy, patient access and service line growth while making a clearer case for their contribution to the business.
Best for: Marketing, business development and leadership
Read the article↗ChatGPT’s Health Launch Is Foreshadowing the Future of Healthcare
Forbes · 3rd in clicks
Explore how connected personal health data and AI-assisted experiences could shape more personalized health care and support the work of clinicians.
Best for: Digital strategy, marketing and leadership
Read the article↗Most Popular Downloads
3 resourcesThree practical resources members turned to for AI visibility, employer support and a clearer strategic plan.
Generative Engine Optimization Checklist
Members onlyAudit structured data, content quality and internal links to help AI-powered search tools understand and accurately represent your organization.
Best for: Marketing and communications
Explore the checklist↗Justification Letter to Join SHSMD
Word document (.docx)
Customize this letter to explain the value of SHSMD membership and request employer support for the membership cost.
Best for: Prospective members and team leaders
Download the letter (.docx)↗Strategic Planning Canvas
Members onlyBring mission, strategic priorities, initiatives and KPIs together in a one-page framework your team can use to align planning with execution.
Best for: Strategic planning and leadership
Explore the canvas↗New from Q3 2026
2 resourcesExplore possible futures and make employee recognition more inclusive with these two practical resources.
Scenario Planning Starter Tool for Health Care Strategists
Members onlyPrepare for multiple plausible futures with a four-step framework for environmental scanning, trend analysis, scenario development and backcasting. Members can download guided prompts and a worksheet to test assumptions, identify risks and opportunities, and plan for uncertainty.
Best for: Health care strategists and hospital or health system planning teams
Explore the starter tool↗Employee Recognition & Awards Program Builder
Members onlyDesign a recognition program that reaches more employees. Explore layered awards, peer recognition and year-round opportunities to celebrate individual and team contributions.
Best for: All member segments
Explore the program builder↗Blog Highlights
2 resourcesTwo perspectives on using AI well: start with reliable marketing data and keep human judgment at the center of the work.
The Phantom ROI Crisis: Why Healthcare CMOs Are Funding Blind AI Models
July 21, 2026
Inconsistent campaign tracking can weaken even advanced AI analytics. This post explains why clean inputs and shared tracking standards matter when measuring marketing’s impact.
Best for: Marketing
Read the post↗The Human Side of AI: Why Generative AI Is About Judgment, Not Replacement
August 18, 2026
Consider where automation can reduce administrative work and give teams more time for judgment, empathy and strategy, with human review built into the process.
Best for: All member segments
Read the post↗Spectrum Articles
2 resourcesQ3’s leading Spectrum articles examine how marketing leaders can demonstrate value and how integrated data can improve strategic decisions.
For Health Care Marketing Leaders: Rome May Be Burning, but They Don’t Have to Succumb to the Flames
Health care marketing leaders face financial pressure, changing demand and rapid AI adoption. Explore ways to strengthen their strategic role and demonstrate organizational value.
Best for: Marketing
Read the Spectrum article↗How Health Systems Can Harness the Power of Integrated Data to Inform Decision-Making
See how WashU Medicine brought market, industry and internal data into a shared dashboard to guide planning, identify growth opportunities and support investment decisions.
Best for: Strategic planning
Read the Spectrum article↗Podcasts
2 resourcesListen to Q3’s most popular conversations on human experience, sustainable growth and meaningful marketing measurement.
The Human Experience and Sustainable Growth
Published August 28, 2026
Jason Wolf of The Beryl Institute explores how connecting patient, employee and community experiences can strengthen trust, loyalty, culture and organizational growth.
Best for: All member segments
Listen to the episode↗Essentials of Measuring Marketing Campaign Effectiveness and ROI in Health Care
Published August 7, 2026
Johns Hopkins Medicine experts discuss campaign setup, data modeling and dashboards that connect marketing activity to patient conversions, appointments and revenue.
Best for: Marketing
Listen to the episode↗Webinars
2 resourcesExplore two Q3 sessions on helping patients find your organization and navigate to the right care.
From Fragmented to Found: Building an AI-Ready Healthcare Brand
Presented September 9, 2026
Learn how consistent naming, brand messaging, supporting evidence and external profiles help AI platforms find, understand and accurately represent a health care brand.
Best for: Marketing, communications and digital
Explore the webinar↗AI-Powered Website Search: Improving Patient Access and Content Discovery
Presented August 5, 2026
Explore how search behavior can reveal patient needs and content gaps, and how AI-powered website search can reduce friction on the path to care.
Best for: Marketing and digital
Explore the webinar↗MySHSMD Community Conversations
5 discussionsExplore five Q3 discussions across MySHSMD communities, from marketing tools and managing social comments to rural trends, fundraising and hospital magazine delivery. Sign in to MySHSMD to explore these member conversations.
HubSpot
Members onlyExplore a peer discussion about HubSpot and connect with members considering marketing tools for their organizations.
Best for: Marketing
Explore the discussion↗Managing negative/hateful social comments on digital platforms
Members onlyHow do health care teams handle negative or hateful social comments? Explore this member discussion on managing comments across digital platforms.
Best for: Public relations, communications and social media teams
Explore the discussion↗Rural Trends / Landscape
Members onlyExplore a member discussion on rural health care trends and the changing landscape. Bring a rural perspective to your next planning conversation.
Best for: Strategic planning and rural health leaders
Explore the discussion↗Fundraising to support strategic priorities
Members onlyExplore how fundraising can support strategic priorities. Connect with peers around a practical question for small or rural organizations.
Best for: Small or rural organizations and fundraising teams
Explore the discussion↗Preferred Digital Delivery Options for Hospital Magazine
Members onlyExplore digital delivery options for a hospital magazine, a practical communications question shared in the Children’s Hospital and Marketing communities.
Best for: Children’s hospital communications and marketing teams
Explore the discussion↗Coming Up Next
2 programsBuild on the quarter’s themes with learning opportunities in social media and strategic planning.
Social Media Strategies in Healthcare: 2026 Certificate Course
October 13–29, 2026
Build practical skills in video, platform strategy, podcasting, employee advocacy, responsible AI and community storytelling through six live webinars. Recordings are available after each session.
Best for: Marketing and communications
Explore the course↗Strategic Planning in Health Care Credential Series
January 26–February 26, 2027 · Registration now open
Develop a plan that connects assessment, priorities, execution and measurement. Complete the program requirements to earn the SHSMD Strategic Planning in Health Care credential.
Best for: Strategy, planning and business development
Register now↗Go beyond the quarter’s highlights
Find more tools, education and peer perspectives to support your next project. Resources marked “Members only” may require you to sign in with an active SHSMD membership.