By Mary Johnson
Hartford Business
December 24, 2007
http://www.hartfordbusiness.com/news4079.html
According to crisis management experts, Saint Francis is moving in the right direction in response to a recent pedophile scandal that has shocked the community.
As of press time, Saint Francis had purchased two full-page ads in The Hartford Courant as well as radio spots on AM station WTIC 1080 during the drive time. It is also addressing the matter on its Web site, promising to do what it takes to resolve the matter.
Until the discovery of thousands of slides and videos of child pornography at the former West Hartford home of the late Dr. George Reardon, former chief of endocrinology at Saint Francis Hospital, the hospital's communication campaign focused on touting its new joint replacement institute, the construction of a new modern tower and its successful fundraising efforts.
 |
| Christopher Dadlez |
Now, its campaign is in response to an onslaught of civil suits against the hospital, alleging that it was negligent in failing to prevent Reardon's alleged abuse.
Who knew that a little remodeling in a West Hartford home could unearth a cache of 30-year-old secrets — and plunge Saint Francis Hospital into a public relations nightmare?
The victims — about 34 identified at last count — have begun to come forward. To date, about 15 lawsuits have been filed — 12 individuals are named in a suit represented by Avon attorney Susan K. Smith, and three Jane and John Doe cases are represented by the firm Stratton Faxon from New Haven.
Round Two
Saint Francis had been down this road before with child abuse allegations regarding Reardon between 1991 and 1993, when Smith represented about a dozen individuals who claimed that the doctor had abused them. In 1993, the state Department of Public Health revoked the doctor's license.
But in this round, with more than 50,000 photographs and 100 films as evidence, Saint Francis is taking a different tactic than it did more than a decade ago, said Attorney David Moore, Smith's law partner. "It's the physical evidence and the nature of the physical evidence that drove many people to both the police as well as to lawyers to determine what they could or could not do," Moore said. "As more stories come out, more folks start to realize that they were impacted by what the doctor did and begin to talk. And once they begin to talk about it, they think about what they can do about it," he said, noting that the 1992 plaintiffs agreed to a settlement with Saint Francis.
Crisis Communications
Child abuse is a morally objectionable scandal, and it contrasts with the image Saint Francis has worked hard to create, that of a caring, state-of-the-art hospital.
The formula for managing such a public relations nightmare has three elements, said Mike Greece, head of the New York office of Padilla Speer Beardsley. The public relations firm handled the PR for an acoustics manufacturer that was named a possible source of the material that burned so quickly in the deadly Rhode Island nightclub fire four years ago.
The first key element is to be open and honest. The second is taking responsibility. And the third is taking steps to fix the problem.
"They're all equally important," Greece said. And if they are all followed, "the public tends to be very forgiving."
The hospital's reaction has been in the form of a direct address from hospital President and CEO Christopher M. Dadlez to the community.
"I promised to update our community on our progress in the wake of shocking reports of child abuse by the late Dr. Reardon, a physician at our hospital until 1993. These issues continue to command our full attention at Saint Francis," Dadlez' message in the Hartford Courant begins.
The advertisement goes on to discuss a toll-free, confidential phone line Saint Francis has set up for callers seeking counseling. It also mentions the hospital's cooperation with West Hartford police and Dadlez' efforts to work with local officials to reform existing care practices, a move that could help right future wrongs.
Saint Francis' radio ads mirror efforts in the Courant, supplementing an update with a show of compassion toward the victims and an appeal the community's support and patience. The prominence of these ads as well as the launch of the confidential counseling service indicate genuine sympathy. It's a move that local media relations specialist Duby McDowell calls "impressive."
"[Saint Francis] has been proactive and didn't waste time," said McDowell, of Duby McDowell Communications. "Too often, large organizations run for cover when they're at the center of an onslaught."
The hospital also clarifies that many current hospital employees — Dadlez included — were not there years ago, when the events reportedly took place. It could appear as though the hospital is sloughing off blame, but McDowell says she understands the desire to separate themselves from the past.
Plus, Dadlez follows up the separation with helpful and concerned comments, she added, so the effect remains positive.
"If they're smart, right now, they're putting together a long-range plan," McDowell said.
Saint Francis needs to stay proactive in the dissemination of information, she continued. It needs to assure the community and prospective patients that it sympathizes with the victims and that it wants to do whatever it can to make things right.
Moore, the attorney whose firm is representing 12 individuals, expects many more plaintiffs to surface but is pleased and hopeful with the hospital's approach so far.
"We are cautiously optimistic that Saint Francis will follow through with what they have indicated they desire — a speedy and fair resolution," he said.
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.