AI Empowered: reskilling your healthcare marketing team

In the last post of our AI Empowered series, we explored how AI can help healthcare marketers demonstrate their value and enhance their work. We also shared examples of how the Fathom team has implemented AI tools into our workflow.

Now that you better understand the tools available and how they can help your team collect data and create content, we move on to the next step of the process: actually getting your team to utilize AI. For many healthcare marketing leaders, a common challenge lies in reskilling and upskilling their teams to harness the power of AI. Here’s a step-by-step plan to ensure a smooth transition.

the process of integration and education

establish a cross-functional AI council

Before implementing AI, it is vital to establish what AI means for your organization. Here are some questions a cross-functional AI council can explore:

• What are our goals with AI?
• How will teams use AI within our organization?
• What will AI look like in our organization’s future?
• Are some of our people already using AI?
• What data and technology do we need to adopt AI?
• How do we ensure data privacy and security comply with HIPAA?

Collaborate with others to answer these questions. You can promote diversity, enrich ethical output, and foster an inclusive AI integration process by including many viewpoints. Additionally, if you have people in your organization who are already passionate about AI, invite them to join the council—their enthusiasm will help drive experimentation and solution development, especially among teams hesitant to use AI.

gain leadership support

Leadership endorsement is crucial in AI integration. To gain leadership’s support, come prepared to share: 1) the benefits of AI, such as improving patient engagement and marketing outcomes, 2) perspectives from all levels of the organization, and 3) answers to common questions. (See pages 3 and 4 in our AI Empowered guidebook). If leadership is impressed with your knowledge of—and enthusiasm for—AI, they will be more likely to lend their support.

develop a strategy

With an AI council in place and leadership’s approval, you now have what you need to begin strategy development. Outline the purpose, benefits, and expected outcomes of AI integration. What specific areas of interest do you want your team to focus on? What educational programs do you want to utilize? Webinars? Lunch and learns? Intranet posts? Conferences? 

It’s also vital to ensure clarity and transparency in all communications regarding AI initiatives so that your team understands the program's expectations and goals. Remember that the mere mention of AI may cause some people to worry about its possible negative implications, such as job loss.

build a foundation on shared understanding

As team education begins, it’s important to start with the vision and ethical standards before jumping into AI’s practical applications. Once the foundation is in place, you can begin to share what AI can accomplish in the realm of healthcare marketing.

We’ve helped clients acclimate to AI by using programs like ChatGPT as an everyday tool. AI isn’t just for work; you can use it to plan a vacation, learn fun facts, create recipes, set up a productive morning, find local restaurants, and more. Becoming comfortable with AI in their personal lives can help your team identify its best uses in the workplace.

implement learning + development programs

Begin to build foundational knowledge through workshops, online courses, and webinars. One of our favorites is “AI for Everyone” from DeepLearning.ai. Encourage team members to identify AI-focused workshops and webinars—they may find one not yet on your radar. 

For industry-specific insights, encourage attendance at seminars and conferences to stay abreast of industry trends and learn new tactics from other marketing teams. Another program we recommend specifically for marketers is “Piloting AI for Marketers” from the Marketing AI Institute. 

As your team learns, promote cross-functional collaboration and experimentation on projects. This will help the team apply AI concepts in a controlled, experimental environment and inspire innovative thinking.

initiate pilot projects + incremental implementation

To help your team further develop expertise, find small marketing projects that could benefit from AI with minimal effort. These projects will demonstrate AI’s value and gradually expand AI integration. Find out where your team members are excited to make a difference with AI and brainstorm the possibilities.

continued education

Healthcare marketers must ensure their AI knowledge is up to par and that they have learning resources to continue developing their own and their team’s skills. Our AI Empowered guidebook will help you explore AI’s massive potential.