title: Approaches to organizing public relations functions in healthcare.
abstract: This article provides health care audiences with a framework for understanding different perspectives of the role and functions of public relations in healthcare organizations and the resultant alternatives for organizing and enacting public relations functions. Using an example of a current issue receiving much attention in US healthcare (improving rates of organ donation), the article provides examples of how these different perspectives influence public relations goals and objectives, definitions of 'public', activities undertaken, who undertakes them and where they fit into the organizational hierarchy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Marketing, Walker College of Business, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28607, USA. guybs@appstate.edu
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Guy
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aldridge
authors.forename: Susan D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Roggenkamp
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011641:Public Relations; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States