Internal Communication During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Internal communication is important at healthcare organizations, particularly in times of crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis that has heavily impacted healthcare organizations around the world, Southcentral Foundation included, and SCF’s leadership has taken steps to regularly communicate with employees during this time. Following are some examples of ways SCF has stepped up internal communication during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Regular messages from the President/CEO. SCF’s President/CEO regularly provides updates on actions SCF is taking in accordance with its Emergency Management Plan. The updates contain clear information about what phase of the plan SCF is currently in, and what this means specifically for the workforce. Target dates are also given for phases of the plan, along with the acknowledgement that dates may change based on circumstances related to the pandemic. These messages take the form of both email communication and video addresses.
• COVID-19 daily updates. Each day, a COVID-19 daily update is emailed to all SCF employees. These updates include information about COVID-19 tests performed by SCF, COVID-19 cases at the Alaska Native Medical Center, any relevant information about specific elements of the Emergency Management Plan, and any other COVID-19-related news that would be beneficial for employees to know.
• Notice of additional cases of COVID-19. Information is collected every day, including weekends, about cases of COVID-19 in all areas of Alaska, including those not served by SCF. This information is then compiled and emailed to employees in a daily notice detailing the number of new COVID-19 cases, and where those cases are located in the state.

SCF has placed a high priority on keeping employees informed of developments in both the COVID-19 pandemic and SCF’s response to it. For more information on how SCF is responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, sign up for the free Nuka Fireside Chats series here, or contact the SCF Learning Institute. Also, feel free to let us know how your organization is responding to the pandemic in the comments below!