SHSMD - Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development

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SHSMD - Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development Serving 3,700+ members, SHSMD, a professional membership group of the American Hospital Association

Who We Are
The Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD), a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, is the largest and most prominent voice and resource for healthcare provider-based planners, marketers, and communications/public relations practitioners nationwide. SHSMD hosts the largest and most comprehensive annual conference, with over 1000 attendees. We offer such unique and respected staples as the annual Futurescan environmental assessment and the By the Numbers benchmarking study, as well as three listservs, electronic and print newsletters, a job posting service, and other valuable resources. More than 4,000 healthcare strategy professionals have chosen to become members of SHSMD, reflecting our singular status in the field. Our Mission—Why we exist
The mission of the Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development, a personal membership group of the American Hospital Association, is to provide healthcare planning, marketing, and communications professionals with the most highly valued resources for professional development. Our Brand Promise—Where we are going
As a reflection of the changing healthcare environment and the intensifying pressures on healthcare strategy professionals, and in response to comprehensive research on our members’ needs, SHSMD is proud to unveil a new brand promise. Through the process of listening to our members, as well as thoughtful introspection, we have clarified who we are and where we desire to go as an organization. Our members told us how we could serve them better, and we plan to deliver. We have opened a dialogue with our members that we plan to keep open on an ongoing basis to continue to add value to SHSMD membership. SHSMD’s brand promise reflects a renewed commitment to our members, along with newly developed resources that will empower our members to perform at a higher level. By launching new resources—such as special interest group communities, back-to-basics workshops, and expanded benchmarking and best-practice studies—while retaining the best of current resources, SHSMD intends to demonstrate a heightened sense of responsiveness to members’ need for just-in-time resources.

SHSMD members: Your next Catalyst Conversations start tomorrow.Make time this week to talk through your next career step...
10/20/2026

SHSMD members: Your next Catalyst Conversations start tomorrow.

Make time this week to talk through your next career step or your organization’s next story with peers who understand the work.

📅 Oct. 21 | 12–1 p.m. CT
Promote Yourself: Building Your Case for Advancement
Join Kelly Johnson to discuss documenting your impact, communicating your value and making a stronger case for career growth.

📅 Oct. 22 | 1–2 p.m. CT
Effective Tools for Telling Your Brand Story for Small & Rural Members
Join Mark Crow and Terri J. Flood to explore practical ways to find, create and share stronger stories with limited resources.

These small-group conversations are for SHSMD members only and will not be recorded. Bring a question, share your perspective and learn with peers.

Register for Oct. 21:
https://ow.ly/3PWU50ZZ47g

Register for Oct. 22:
https://ow.ly/RNtr50ZZ47j

Your team spends the year charting the course for health care. Now’s the time to plan how you’ll celebrate them.Health C...
10/15/2026

Your team spends the year charting the course for health care. Now’s the time to plan how you’ll celebrate them.

Health Care Strategy & Market Development Week is November 15–21, 2026! Start planning a team celebration, gather stories that highlight your colleagues’ impact and make time for a personal thank-you.

Looking for a gift to accompany your appreciation? Explore Recognition Week apparel, drinkware, journals and more for the people who help move your organization forward.

Explore celebration ideas and gifts for your team
https://ow.ly/noZW50ZXlXn

We start tomorrow! What will you bring to your next social media campaign?A stronger video? A smarter approach to AI? A ...
10/12/2026

We start tomorrow! What will you bring to your next social media campaign?

A stronger video? A smarter approach to AI? A clearer way to show results?

SHSMD’s Social Media Strategies in Health Care certificate course runs October 13–29, with six webinars covering visual content, podcasting, platform strategy, employee advocacy, responsible AI and storytelling.

Build on the basics with practical techniques you can apply to the work already on your desk.

📅 Attend live or watch recordings.
🎓 Earn a certificate and digital badge by completing all six webinars, discussion questions and course surveys.

Join us — Explore the course and register: https://ow.ly/579M50ZWWji

Bring fresh ideas to your next planning session, campaign review or content update.SHSMD’s Q3 2026 resource roundup high...
10/12/2026

Bring fresh ideas to your next planning session, campaign review or content update.

SHSMD’s Q3 2026 resource roundup highlights the tools and insights members turned to for:

• AI visibility: Generative Engine Optimization Checklist
• Strategic alignment: Strategic Planning Canvas
• Planning for uncertainty: Scenario Planning Starter Tool for Health Care Strategists
• Marketing measurement: Practical perspectives on campaign effectiveness and ROI

Explore the collection of articles, tools, podcasts and webinars—and choose one resource to bring to your next team discussion.

Explore SHSMD’s Q3 resources: https://ow.ly/G7B850ZWVYG

Some resources require an active SHSMD membership.

Your SHSMD membership can do more than sit in your inbox.Join us Oct. 15 for SHSMD’s 2026 Member Orientation and get a p...
10/08/2026

Your SHSMD membership can do more than sit in your inbox.

Join us Oct. 15 for SHSMD’s 2026 Member Orientation and get a practical look at the resources, connections and opportunities available to help you make more of your membership.

Whether you joined last month or have been with SHSMD for years, there may be a few benefits you haven’t put to work yet.

📅 Oct. 15 | 12–1 p.m. CT
💻 Virtual | SHSMD members

Register:
https://ow.ly/wp8Y50ZW2G1 SHSMD

Not a member? Join SHSMD today to access this event and many other member benefits, resources and professional development opportunities.

Join SHSMD:
https://ow.ly/evAo50ZW2G4 SHSMD

Two Catalyst Conversations. Two chances to sharpen how you show up at work.On Oct. 21, Kelly Johnson leads Promote Yours...
10/06/2026

Two Catalyst Conversations. Two chances to sharpen how you show up at work.

On Oct. 21, Kelly Johnson leads Promote Yourself: Building Your Case for Advancement, focused on showing your impact, building visibility and making a stronger case for career growth.

On Oct. 22, Mark Crow and Terri J. Flood lead Effective Tools for Telling Your Brand Story for Small & Rural Members, with practical ideas for telling stronger stories with lean teams and limited resources.

Both are exclusively for SHSMD members.

Save your spot:

Oct. 21: https://ow.ly/Zve650ZU3bB

Oct. 22: https://ow.ly/pJlI50ZU3bE

An AI draft still needs your judgment. A platform shift calls for a fresh approach. Your next report needs to show what’...
10/06/2026

An AI draft still needs your judgment. A platform shift calls for a fresh approach. Your next report needs to show what’s working.

Build the skills behind those decisions with SHSMD’s Social Media Strategies in Health Care certificate course, October 13–29.

Across six webinars, explore how to:
• Use AI while protecting accuracy and your organization’s voice
• Choose platforms and content based on audience behavior
• Connect social media performance to organizational goals
• Build trust through visuals, podcasts, storytelling and employee advocacy

Designed for health care marketers and communicators who already know the basics and want practical techniques they can apply immediately.

Attend live or watch recordings. Complete all six webinars, discussion questions and course surveys to earn a certificate and digital badge.

Explore the course and register:
https://ow.ly/Vg8A50ZU0jY

What’s next for health care starts with what we do next.The   conversation is continuing—from putting AI to work thought...
10/02/2026

What’s next for health care starts with what we do next.

The conversation is continuing—from putting AI to work thoughtfully to making digital experiences easier to navigate and building trust through every interaction.

These are big questions. Baltimore gave us space to explore them, compare approaches, and consider what they mean for our organizations.

Here are a few more moments from the learning and exchange that filled those three days.

Back at work, what’s one idea you’re ready to explore with your team?

Help shape what’s next for SHSMD in 2027.Share your expertise, connect with health care strategy peers and build your le...
10/01/2026

Help shape what’s next for SHSMD in 2027.

Share your expertise, connect with health care strategy peers and build your leadership experience through volunteering. Explore committees, working groups and flexible opportunities such as Micro-Volunteering to find your fit.

Already a SHSMD member? Apply by October 9, 2026.
Not a member yet? Join SHSMD, then submit your volunteer application. Membership is required to volunteer.

Explore volunteer opportunities: https://ow.ly/aS7I50ZTzpA

Join SHSMD: https://ow.ly/9c8550ZTzpz

Clear communication helps people access care.This Health Literacy Month, take a closer look at the messages your organiz...
10/01/2026

Clear communication helps people access care.

This Health Literacy Month, take a closer look at the messages your organization shares—from appointment letters and billing statements to instructions after surgery.

Can patients understand what to do next, why it matters and where to get help?

For health care marketers and communicators, plain language is more than a writing choice. It is part of advancing healthcare.

Explore SHSMD resources to support clearer, more accessible communication:
🔹 MySHSMD Community — Connect with peers and exchange ideas. Members only.
https://ow.ly/tCAx50ZTxQ1

🔹 Rapid Insights Podcast — Hear perspectives from health care leaders.
https://ow.ly/TRqs50ZTxQ6

🔹 SHSMD Resource Library — Find communications resources and practical tools. Some resources require membership.
https://ow.ly/cWpm50ZTxQ8

🔹 2027 Health Observances Calendar — Plan ahead for education and outreach.
https://ow.ly/6rB050ZTxQ2

What is one change your team has made to help patients understand—and act on—health information?

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155 N Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL
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