Boulder Community Health

When news spread that one of their nurses had stolen pain medication meant for surgeries and replaced it with tap water, Boulder Community Health needed help managing the fallout. The hospital had taken all the correct actions, including alerting local police, the board of nursing and affected patients. But when previously unknown details about the crime became public, we had to act fast to protect the hospital’s longstanding reputation. In addition to managing media relations, we developed a proactive strategy that engaged third-party experts to share their assessment. By detailing how common drug diversion is nationwide, and that most hospitals simply fire offenders, leaving them free to work elsewhere, Boulder Community Health was positioned as an example of best practice and won multiple awards for its efforts to improve patient safety.