Summit Health Cares for People, Not Patients, in First Ad Campaign

In 2019, City MD, a large urgent care provider in the New York area, merged with Summit Medical Group, an independent medical group, to form Summit Health. Six months later, Covid-19 appeared, and “added curves into how we could introduce ourselves to New York,” says Matt Gove, chief marketing officer of Summit Health.

The merged company is now ready to reintroduce itself with a trio of 30-second ads that follow three different medical needs, and a 1:45 brand spot that edits them together. A new tagline, “Care at Every Connection,” serves as an extension of Summit Health’s new brand platform, emphasizing compassionate and responsive point of care. 

The campaign, created by Elmwood, focuses on the connection between doctor and patient—and maintaining it—especially during trying and isolating times.

“Healthcare is so sterile and antiseptic, yet it has the most human, real stories that can engage with people,” said Meg Beckum, executive creative director of Elmwood. “There’s so much opportunity to tap into empathy.”

In one ad, Frank, a custodian and avid bike rider, experiences fatigue and calls his doctor. Knowing Frank rarely calls in, the doc gets him in front of a cardiologist to rule out anything serious. Frank’s fine and back to biking by the ad’s conclusion.

The other ads involve a pregnant mom who needs to reschedule an ultrasound when life gets hectic, and a middle-aged woman who needs urgent care after falling. The urgent-care doctor actually calls in a favor, asking his own orthopedist to squeeze his patient in. Talk about “Care at Every Connection.”

Campaign elements also include print, out of home, digital and social media. Gove notes that the campaign will run through the end of the year at the least, and likely until next spring.