Kristen Micheletti has been director of marketing for OSF Saint Francis Medical Center since June 1997. She held a variety of positions within the OSF HealthCare organization since 1992 including provider relations manager for OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington; marketing/communications specialist for OSF HealthPlans, Peoria; and marketing/communications manager for OSF Healthcare System, Peoria. Micheletti received her education in business administration from Illinois State University, and has a background in advertising, marketing, event planning, public relations and fund development. She previously worked for the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Easter Seal Rehabilitation Center in Bloomington and owned her own marketing consulting and advertising business.

Micheletti achieved national recognition for her legislative and personal advocacy efforts in child passenger safety awareness after the loss of her 14-month-old daughter Michelle in 1989. Through personal testimony and lobbying efforts to the Illinois Senate and House, Micheletti achieved victory in 1990 with the passage of a law that required all persons transporting small children to have them properly secured in child safety seats. In 1993 she became the national spokesman for the “Children At Risk” safety campaign, and appeared on Good Morning America. She received a safety advocate leader award in 1994 in a ceremony hosted by Advocated for Highway and Auto Safety. Micheletti serves on the Advocacy Committee of the Children’s Hospital of Illinois, is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International, and is on the United Way marketing and communications committee. She and her husband Randy and son Daniel, 7, reside in Bloomington, but will be relocating to the Peoria area this summer.

Tell us about your background in health care.

In the early 1980s, while I attended classes at Illinois State University, my original plan consisted of becoming a nurse administrator. I worked third shift in the emergency admitting area of Brokaw Hospital – now known as BroMenn Regional Medical Center – to put myself through college. I went to school during the day, taking required preclinical nursing courses such as anatomy and physiology, coupled with business administration classes. All of my friends were nurses and physicians, the only crew around at night.

I witnessed all varieties of minor and major emergencies at a young age: car and motorcycle accidents, domestic violence, suicide attempts, toddlers who had accidentally ingested their parents’ drugs, persons in full cardiac arrest. I saw people from all walks of life face their most vulnerable moments. While I was drawn to the intense environment, I discovered I didn’t have the emotional fortitude to deal with such stressful situations. I ended up dropping the nursing emphasis in my educational path and gravitated toward marketing positions after college. But the health care environment had gotten into my system.

What is involved in the health care marketing field?

Health care marketing is a fast paces, dynamic and complex field. Most people assume that marketing primarily translates to creating advertising campaigns, but in actuality, health care marketing must address a broader scope.

The target audiences that all hospitals must communicate with are threefold: employers and managed care clients, physicians and the general public. Each of these audiences has its own expectations and requirements.

Employers want data on cost and quality. Physicians want information on clinical research studies, specialty physicians, and available technology and equipment. The general public has its own list of what satisfies its needs, often unrelated to clinical practices. Health care marketing involves addressing each of these audiences.

So in addition to public advertising, a large portion of the marketing efforts focuses on sharing informational messages that educate consumers on health risks, wellness tips, and prevention. Researching the needs, wants and expectations of those audiences is also a key element of health care marketing.

How did you come to join the OSF family?

I came to know Anna Lee Fenger, assistant administrator at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, when I worked for the Bloomington-Normal Convention Bureau. We had served on a committee together. A few years after I left the bureau, Anna Lee called and recruited me to join OSF St. Joseph Medical Center as provider relations manager.

My responsibilities involved developing physician relations programs and serving as the hospital liaison to some of the area’s largest employers, including State Farm and Mitsubishi. I learned a great deal about how employers measure value and the type of quality data they expect. It was an eye-opener in the sense that I became experienced in communicating about and addressing another facet of health care – what some would call “the business side of medicine.”

I left St. Joseph’s when I accepted a position with OSF HealthPlans, the Sisters’ newly formed HMO, and I was one of the first ten employees of the new corporation. It was exciting being part of the team that was building the company.

Did you have much interaction with The Sisters of the Third Order when you worked at the corporate office?

I reported directly to Sister Frances Marie, president of the OSF Healthcare System board of directors, during my last eight months. I was nervous at first, but as time went by I came to know and develop a deep respect and understanding for the mission.

My biggest project at the corporate office was to produce the 1997 annual report. The theme included creating a pictorial time line of the Sisters’ history, and I was able to research and collect photographs from the OSF archives, some of which were over 100 years old. I was filled with awe as I comprehended the self-sacrifice of these women, and gained a sense of history and perspective that now helps me communicate what the organization is about. As the flagship hospital, OSF Saint Francis’ roots date back to the 1870s. I find it very meaningful to be part of an organization that has such a rich past and long-term commitment to caring for all people.

How would you describe the working environment at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center?

In addition to the fact that it’s very fast paced, I would describe the environment as incredibly exciting and varied. In the course of any day I may work on a variety of marketing issues that include transplant services, the OSF Stroke Network, In-School HealthCare programs, senior services, women’s health, and the south side Mother Frances Krasse Family Health Center, to name a few.

But what I’ve noticed most is the passion and dedication that physicians and staff exhibit as they work to provide superior care, advance healing, and improve access to health services.

It’s also an environment of reverence, where I’m reminded daily of the cycle of life and death. I’ll be working at my desk when a lullaby will play over the intercom system signaling the birth of a baby – another life entering the world. One day three lullabies played in a row. I could only smile as I thought, “triplets!” At other times a “code” will be announced, and I can’t help but pause knowing that someone is fighting for his life.

What is the size of your staff and scope of responsibility?

I’m responsible for the marketing department, which has three staff with shared secretarial support, and media services (audiovisual, printing services, graphic design) with eleven employees. There are over 200 hospital departments to support with activities such as event planning, community screenings, printing, advertising and other basic marketing needs.

We sponsor a lot of health awareness and prevention events, and coordinate production of two community outreach pieces: the Choose Health quarterly newsletter and the Community Health Education Directory – a listing of over 120 classes, seminars, support groups, etc.

I am also responsible for ongoing development of the OSF Saint Francis Web page. It’s a great tool for those who use the Internet. Our overall goals involve providing people with the information they needs, when they want it – which means 24 hours a day. The Internet and the Ask OSF Call Center are two new ways to accomplish that. Consumers want and expect more involvement in their health care decisions and treatments, and have gotten very resourceful in seeking additional information.

I feel that my role is important because the marketing effort must support our extensive community outreach, health education, and information sharing on what is available here at OSF Saint Francis. Marketing communications are critical to letting consumers, employers and referring physicians know what we have available. There’s so much that people don’t know about our advances, quality and services.

Other leading institutions such as Mayo and Johns Hopkins University frequently call Saint Francis to ask our physicians and staff just how we go about achieving such excellent outcomes or operate new therapy for breast cancer patients.

Your first introduction to OSF Saint Francis involved a personal tragedy, the loss of your daughter Michelle.

Yes, my little girl died in the emergency room at Saint Francis in June 1989, despite the best efforts of attending pediatric trauma specialists to save her life. Michelle was traveling with her grandmother when the accident occurred. Michelle had started fussing, and her grandmother, in an attempt to comfort her, removed her from her car seat and placed Michelle in her lap – after also unbuckling herself. Moments after they resumed driving another car ran through a stop sign and smashed broadside into the driver’s side. Michelle suffered extensive skull fractures and brain damage. Her little heart just kept shutting down. Michelle’s car seat sat unscratched and untouched, still belted into the passenger side.

How did you first begin to cope with Michelle’s death?

I believe that as adults we must serve an advocate role for our children. We must protect children as best as we can. After Michelle’s death, I became very active in seat belt legislation. At the time of Michelle’s death, the law had a strange loophole that only required children to be belted in they were riding in their parents’ car. I worked hard to change that law. Those efforts led me to become involved at a national level for child passenger safety.

It was very rewarding to get support and be involved with the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Red Cross and various advocacy associations and insurance coalitions. I had the opportunity to appear at an event in Washington and on Good Morning America. I think that my success was due to the fact that as legislators, parents and grandparents heard Michelle’s story, they momentarily felt the horror of stepping into my shoes. That horror left them with a permanent impression to use car seats. The emotional credibility I carried made the difference. Let’s face it, statistics and data on fatalities is fairly boring.

How did the tragedy affect your life?

The loss of a child is not something most people can truly understand, nor are they willing to discuss. Initially I went to many counseling sessions and met monthly with a child loss support group Compassionate Friends. It was literally a lifesaver.

On an emotional level, I can reflect that the tragedy was like a nuclear blast. Every thought that I had about the future and the way life was supposed to be was gone. The person I was before the accident died the night Michelle did. I had to rebuild myself from the inside. The fact that family was involved made the grieving process much more complicated and painful. And was I really mad at God. I felt abandoned.

Looking back now, almost nine years later, I think the most difficult part of dealing with Michelle’s death – after the immediate months of shock – was the lingering numbness I felt toward life. It took a long time to feel joy again. Our son, Daniel, who was born eighteen months later, helped the joy return. Still, there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about Michelle.

What insights can you share on the healing process?

That it truly is an ongoing process. Just coping at first seems almost impossible. As special days, anniversaries and seasons come and go each carries with it the weight of grieving, of your loved one not being there. You deal with regrets and overwhelming emotions and the most personal issues of inner strength and faith. I can say now that I like who I am and I am a much deeper, more compassionate person. I live my life and make my choices with more intensity. I haven’t failed to notice the gifts of compassion, love and support that have come though others that have helped me heal. In fact, a big amount of healing occurred for me last year, right after I started at OSF Saint Francis.

Would you share that story with us?

In her ending Michelle died without me, in the company of highly trained strangers. By the time I arrived at the emergency room, nearly three hours after her death, they had all gone home. An avalanche of pain buried me as I held her still little body. I never knew who had tried to save her, and more importantly, if anyone had held her.

These details didn’t matter to me in the months immediately following the accident, but over the years that private grief and guilt of not being with her haunted me.

When I began working for OSF Faint Francis last year I felt myself drawn to the LifeFlight helicopter. Every time I saw it, I wondered if LifeFlight would have made a difference for Michelle, who had arrived by ambulance. I had a chance to go up in the helicopter with the audiovisual staff to shoot new aerial photos of the medical center’s campus.

A LifeFlight nurse was part of the crew that day, and I immediately felt an unexplainable bond with her. She had the kindest eyes and warmest smile. I looked to her name tag: Michelle McNeil, R.N. Right before takeoff I found myself telling her about my Michelle – about what had happened eight years ago.

After a few moments she gently interrupted me with a revelation that astounded both of us. “Kristen,” she said, “I know your story. I was the one who took care of your daughter when she came into the ER. I’ll never forget that night. You never forget the children.”

What happened next?

Only one thought entered my mind. I fought to gather the breath to speak and I asked her, “Did you hold her?” She nodded her head yes. The helicopter lifted off, and as it ascended Michelle McNeil extended her arm across the helicopter and took my hand. As I felt the soft touch of the woman who held my daughter in her dying moments all I wanted to do was hold her. I couldn’t stop the impossible thought that by holding her I could finally hold my little girl and reverse the fact that I wasn’t there for her in her final moments.

We talked for some time after the flight, and for the first time in eight years I felt a sense of peace knowing that my Michelle had the loving arms of Michelle McNeil in place of mine. I believe I experienced grace.

What impact did Michelle’s death have on you in a professional sense?

At the time of her death I worked for the convention bureau. After a two month absence I returned to work, and while I truly had enjoyed my position and was involved in a lot of community functions, my priorities had dramatically changed. I found that I wanted to perform work of a nature that related to giving back to others.

A year later I became director of development for Easter Seal’s Bloomington office. I threw myself into fund-raising efforts and program development marketing for disabled and special needs children, resulting in an increase in donations by 50 percent.

But after that first year at Easter Seal I was really drained emotionally, and needed a break. I took some time off and ran my own marketing consulting company for a few years, working mainly with midsized and small businesses in the service industry.

Then, in 1992 Anna Lee Fenger’s phone call brought me back into the health care field. While I enjoyed running my own company there seemed to be something missing. I found purpose and the depth I was seeking at OSF St. Joseph in helping to deliver the most intimate of all services – health care. I understand that it is through the experiences of living and dying that each of us comes to question and face our deepest issues: what we have done with our lives, what our lives and the lives of loved ones have meant to us, how we have loved those around us and what’s really important.

The health care environment brings us to face these issues and questions. Living, dying, sudden illness, tragedy – all these experiences help us see how we relate to life and God, showing us both the strengths and weaknesses of our faith and our fears. Working in this environment holds great value to me, and the organization’s culture reflects it. We are not a business. We are people caring for one another.

What projects are you working on now that excite you the most?

There are so many exciting projects that demonstrate the outreach efforts of OSF Saint Francis. A great example is our toll-free medical call center, 888/6 ASK OSF, where nurses are available to give medical advice and physician referrals and process class registrations 24 hours a day. We celebrated our 100,000th call this year, and I’m working closely with the call center staff to expand this great resource to the community.

The benefits of the Ask OSF Call Center really hit home for me recently when I picked up my son Danny from the after-school day care and he lifted his shirt to reveal his beginning outbreak of chicken pox. Of course, the physician’s offices were closed. I dialed the Call Center to find out what I needed to do and they gave me all sorts of information on easing his itching and fever, and on the contagious period.

Another project is the women’s health center, which will occupy dedicated space within the expanded Susan G. Komen Breast Center with a planned opening this summer. It was exciting to work with a dedicated group of physicians from a variety of specialties to address the special health care needs of women. National statistics show that of the ten most common surgeries, seven are exclusively performed on women – four are obstetrical; three involve women’s reproductive organs.

In focus group studies we found that additional support systems and educational resources for women are needed. As we plan for programming it’s rewarding to know that we will be offering services that women are asking for – services that will impact women’s emotional, spiritual and physical health in a positive way.

What do you like most about your work?

The people I work with, the variety of projects and challenges, and the fact that there’s a larger purpose and mission to what we do. I have a terrific marketing staff, and the nurses and physicians dedicated to their unique disciplines are inspiring.

OSF Saint Francis really has a family-like culture and I feel a sense of belonging. My husband Randy, who also commutes to Peoria and works in Caterpillar’s administration building, is very supportive and helps me with a lot of the logistics when I have 7:00 a.m. meetings, or need to stay a little later.

But it’s gotten very old to have both of us traveling and leaving at different times. We’re looking forward to moving to the Peoria area and eliminating the two hours of commuting time each day.

How do you keep your enthusiasm up on those bad days that hit all of us?

I don’t think I really have bad days. There are days when I get stressed. Or there are times when I need creative inspiration. Then I just walk through the patient care areas, visiting the neonatal intensive care unit, watching a child play for a moment during a therapy session taking place in the children’s hospital. It brings back perspective, and I feel reenergized knowing that miracles are happening here everyday. The doctors, nurses and therapists are what make OSF Saint Francis so special. TPW