Dignity Health says "Hello humankindness"

National effort seeks to bring humanity and human connection back into health care

San Francisco, CA – July 15, 2013 – Dignity Health, one of the five largest hospital networks in the country, today kicked off a major national effort to engage and inspire people to promote acts of humankindness within the health care industry and beyond.

Hello humankindness is Dignity Health's response to two realities that have increasingly shaped the American cultural landscape and a health care industry moving towards reform:

• The institutionalization of health care. America's health care system is at a genuine inflection point that will take one of two directions over the next couple of years. Providers will either become mega businesses where patients are numbers in the system, or they'll prioritize care over cost and adopt new models to serve patients. Recent primary research conducted by Dignity Health found that what people most want in a health care experience is to be listened to; to be treated as a person, not a patient.
• The decline of civility in society. From online bullies to road rage, being uncivil is a new normal. According to a survey on Civility in America, KRC Research found that 86% of Americans say they have been victims of incivility. Hello humankindness seeks to remind people that despite this reality, acts of humankindness, big and small, happen every day.

"What's missing in the public discourse about health care is the fact that while medicine has the power to cure, it's humanity that holds the power to heal," said Lloyd H. Dean, President/CEO of Dignity Health. "At Dignity Health, we believe the time has come to change not only the discourse, but the lens through which policies and decisions about health care are being made."

The Hello humankindness platform is designed to start a national conversation and inspire a grassroots movement. Dignity Health has developed a multi-year, multi-faceted program that includes engaging its workforce and the public in improving the health and wellbeing of their communities. Dignity Health will highlight acts of humankindness by harnessing the power of real stories, images, and actions.

The campaign will utilize all forms of communication, including print, television, online channels, and social media. "Countless acts of humankindness take place every day and they inspire the best in all of us," said Mark Klein, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, and Marketing at Dignity Health. "We want to find and amplify that truth in every way we can. By showcasing real world situations, we hope to perpetuate and inspire more acts of humankindness within the health care industry and beyond."

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