Public relations is a vital tool for healthcare organizations to strengthen their reputation, educate the public, and build trust with patients, physicians, paraprofessionals, and the broader community. Yet many physicians, practice administrators, and healthcare executives remain hesitant to invest in PR because of outdated or incomplete assumptions about what it actually does. At BoardroomPR, our team of experienced public relations and digital marketing professionals is often asked about these misconceptions. Let’s set the record straight and debunk some of the most common PR myths.

Myth #1: PR = Press Releases Only

Reality: In healthcare, effective PR goes far beyond issuing announcements about new hires, procedures and technologies. A strong communications strategy includes patient-centered storytelling, physician and executive thought leadership and a multiplatform communications approach. A well-rounded PR program ensures your key messages reach patients, referring providers, payers, and the community across multiple channels—in a way that is accurate, ethical, and aligned with your clinical and business goals.

Myth #2: “Any Press Is Good Press.”

Reality: In healthcare, the wrong kind of attention can be far more damaging than no attention at all. Negative or inaccurate coverage can erode patient trust with physicians, attract regulatory scrutiny, and impact partnerships or funding. Not all publicity is beneficial. The goal of PR in a medical setting is to secure accurate, balanced, and strategic visibility that reinforces your clinical excellence and commitment to patient care—not to chase headlines at any cost. An experienced PR team helps you assess when to engage, how to respond, and, just as importantly, when it is in your best interest not to comment.

Myth #3: PR Guarantees Media Coverage

Reality: Public relations is not the same as advertising—especially in healthcare. You can’t “buy” credible news coverage the way you buy an ad. Earned media comes from building strong relationships with health and medical journalists, crafting timely and clinically relevant story angles, and positioning your practice, hospital, or physicians as trusted experts. Because this coverage is earned, not guaranteed, it carries greater credibility with patients, referring providers, and the community. Partnering with a public relations agency like BoardroomPR gives you access to longstanding media relationships and the strategic expertise needed to get the right medical stories in front of the right audiences at the right time.

Myth #4: PR Works Overnight

Reality: In today’s healthcare landscape, effective PR means showing up consistently across multiple touchpoints—not just in one article or announcement. People are getting information from many places: traditional media, your website, social media, email, community talks, health fairs, and professional conferences. One press release, newsletter, or Instagram post won’t move the needle. But a coordinated presence over time—sharing expert insights on LinkedIn, patient education on your website and social channels, and thought leadership at events and panels—builds recognition, reinforces your expertise, and steadily grows trust in your organization.

Myth #5: Only Big Companies Need PR

Reality: PR isn’t just for national hospital systems or academic medical centers. In many cases, smaller practices, specialty groups, and community hospitals stand to gain the most, because strategic communication helps them stand out against larger competitors, educate patients, and build trust locally. Whether you’re an early-stage practice or a well-established institution, PR amplifies your expertise, strengthens your reputation, and helps ensure the right audiences understand the value of the care you provide.

Myth #6: No Need for Marketing-Communication Pros, Leave it up to AI

Reality: AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not a replacement for human strategy, judgment, and relationships. Algorithms can help with research, idea generation, and drafting, but they can’t read a room, anticipate how a message will land, or pick up the phone and pitch a nuanced story to a reporter. Effective PR requires emotional intelligence, experience, ethics, and deep knowledge of your brand. The best results come when PR professionals use AI to enhance their work—not replace it—combining smart technology with human insight to craft messaging that truly resonates.

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