Meet Barlow Respiratory Hospital
For patients who have extremely complicated respiratory conditions, physicians transfer patients to specialists at institutions such as Barlow Respiratory Hospital for their expertise and quality care. During this time of transition, the patients’ families have the added challenge of choosing a respiratory hospital without being able to visit or tour before the patient is transferred.
Barlow Respiratory Hospital is globally recognized for excellence in treating medically complex patients dependent on a ventilator to breathe. Founded in 1902, it is the only not-for-profit long-term acute care hospital in California. Charitable support helps the hospital continue on with its dedication “to creating a positive difference in the lives of individuals with chronic critical illnesses and complex respiratory conditions in post-acute settings.”
One Team, One Goal
Every department at Barlow embraces the hospital’s “best outcomes” mission - including the small but highly impactful marketing and public relations department. Julia Robinson Shimizu, Director of Public Relations, is the driving force behind elevating the hospital’s brand experience for families exploring Barlow as their next step. Prior to COVID-19, Barlow’s social workers and nursing teams would meet with prospective families and patients in person, providing them with printed materials such as patient care brochures, pamphlets, and an Admissions Book. The printed materials are of highest quality and professionally produced to reflect Barlow’s brand traits: proven, experienced, trusted - and are meant to give the patient or family a sense of confidence and peace of mind.
Big Projects, Big Success
Julia had started a combined print-and-digital strategy prior to COVID-19, but the mandated social distancing protocols accelerated her efforts since nurses, social workers and staff could no longer meet in person to discuss patient options. Julia chose Issuu to create and distribute content and publications that are critical to patient education; fund-raising campaigns; and corporate communications.
When Julia started at BRH three years ago, she took the initiative to learn and use Issuu for her own market-ing and communications projects rather than outsource to an external design firm. In a very short period of time, Julia was able to upload, enhance, convert and share the Barlow Admissions book for staff to email to patients. Newsletters and the Outcomes book sent to donors and patients are created and published with Issuu, and made available as embedded digital flipbooks on the hospital’s website. Materials sent to important charitable individuals and organizations as part of the Rebuild Barlow campaign are also designed and distributed with Issuu. Based on her own personal experience, Julia is confident that other staff members could quickly learn and use Issuu if she ever needed the help.
Making a Difference
Barlow Respiratory Hospital remains unwavering in its quest for best outcomes, and its employees carry forward that vision within their important disciplines. For Julia, Issuu has become an essential software platform she uses to provide rich, engaging donor and patient materials that help families make important health decisions.
Why Barlow Uses Issuu
Comforting, tactile experience:
Flipbooks retain feel on flipping pages of printed materials.
Professional, high-quality:
Embed flipbooks in websites with full-screen reader for first-rate viewing experience
Wide scale reach:
Add links of flipbooks, newsletters, Admission or Outcome Book within email, social, blogs
Better than PDFs:
Eliminates frustrating, clunky step patients go through to download PDF software in order to read PDF files
Easy, quick success:
Anyone at the hospital can quickly learn, upload and publish in minutes
