Hats Off to a Great Idea
In this time of genius marketing wizards trying to capitalize on every square inch to attract eyeballs, Madison VA’s Geoff Mongiat may have brought a prideful tear to their eyes.
Mongiat, Madison’s My HealtheVet coordinator, had to think outside the box to help educate patients about his program. With the motto, “My Health, My Care: 24/7 Online Access to the VA,” it is designed for patients to use it at their convenience to refill prescriptions, view upcoming appointments, check health records, and send secure messages to providers.
“When you think about advertising on an electronic billboard, flyers, or other stationary items, so much has to go right for those to be successful,” Mongiat shared. “Even if people happen to notice the ad, they still need to retain the information and act on it. We want to make certain every single patient understands the importance of My HealtheVet and how easy it makes refilling medications or accessing health records. At the end of the day, serving our patients is our top priority.”
Guidelines are lengthy and detailed on how to promote the My HealtheVet program, but it doesn’t limit creativity, and that’s what Mongiat monopolized on. Mongiat reached out to the local engineering team that he noticed wearing hats all day, every day, and thought it made for an opportunity to help spread the word about the program.
Troy Olson, maintenance mechanic work leader, was open to the suggestion and implemented the new hat design. “It has been received well,” Olson said. “Several patients have been intrigued to know that My HealtheVet offers online access to their medical information.”
“I am not asking them to explain the intricacies of My HealtheVet,” Mongiat said. “If our employees are asked about their hat, they can easily explain that it’s an online resource and patients can receive more information in the Patient Education Resource Center (PERC).”
To access or create your My HealtheVet account, visit https://www.myhealth.va.gov. For specific questions about the My HealtheVet program, contact Mr. Geoff Mongiat at 608-280-7173 or email geoffrey.mongiat@va.gov.