“One South: Portrait of a Psych Unit,” a new HBO documentary debuting on Max June 25, follows young adults dealing with anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. The project, from veteran filmmakers Alexandra Shiva and Lindsey Megrue, also had help from a Hollywood outsider: Northwell Health, New York’s largest healthcare network.
It’s an example of how nonprofit Northwell is pushing harder into filmed entertainment. Since 2019, Northwell has helped create five documentaries, including “Lenox Hill” (2020) and “Emergency: NYC” (2023) on Netflix, which followed doctors and nurses on the front lines, and “The First Wave” (2021), on Hulu, a film from Oscar-nominated Matthew Heineman that turned the camera on first responders in the early days of COVID.
Hospitals have traditionally been slow to evolve their marketing because of concerns about patient privacy. In a relatively risk-averse category, Northwell stands out as a marketer in taking on controversial topics like gun violence, mental health, and war. Its films have racked up acclaim and Emmy awards; “The First Wave” was shortlisted for an Oscar.
Lee S. Weissman/Northwell Health
Northwell isn’t just trying to draw attention to those hot-button topics but making sure people think of it first when they need medical care. In the case of “One South,” it wanted to raise awareness of its suicide prevention program.
Northwell wants to take a page from Disney’s Marvel
Northwell started using filmed entertainment as a way to persuade consumers after it rebranded from North Shore-LIJ Health System in 2015. It sees itself taking a page from no less than Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe, with its heroes and villains and rich stories unspooled over time.
“It’s about character and character development, it’s about heroes,” said Ramon Soto, Northwell’s CMO. “We got to see individuals at their most vulnerable state, how the team really puts the patient at the center of everything they do. I can’t buy enough 30-second advertising to share the breadth and depth of that story.”
“Lenox Hill” and “Emergency: NYC” followed, drawing on the popular hospital procedural format. “Emergency: NYC” was the fifth most viewed original streaming series for the week it launched in March 2023, per Nielsen (US viewers, TV screens only) and was viewed for nearly 40 million hours in the first half of 2023, putting it in the top 2% for engagement, according to Netflix data. Northwell’s own research showed people who watched “Emergency: NYC” were 17% more likely to consider using Northwell services compared to those who hadn’t seen it.
Encouraged by those results, Northwell is ramping up. While some of its projects like “Lenox Hill” came out of filmmakers pitching Northwell, the health network is getting more proactive about promoting the stories it wants to tell, like ones about its employees and clinical programs and technologies like biomedicine where it wants to be seen as an expert. It now has five projects in various stages of development, including a major motion picture that’s in the “embryonic” phase, Soto said.
Warner Bros. Discovery
Northwell doesn’t finance movies directly, but gives filmmakers the right to film in its hospitals. Northwell also spends time and money making sure patient privacy is protected. In return, it insists on some editorial control. Soto said Northwell would “try not to edit any storylines” but ensures its hospitals are depicted as safe environments where patients’ rights are safeguarded.
With “The First Wave,” Heineman had final cut while a Northwell representative was always present to make sure he had permission for everything that was filmed, he said via email. Following pandemic health and safety protocols made filming challenging at times, but ensuring everyone’s safety was a top priority.
“Our visions for ‘The First Wave’ were definitely aligned,” he wrote. “We both wanted to show the stark realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, but also document the incredible heroism of the doctors, nurses, and hospital staff that were risking their lives to treat people amidst the crises.”
Lots of other big brands are getting serious about making Hollywood-style entertainment as viewers increasingly tune out traditional TV ads. Some are trying to get distribution by major streamers to make sure their projects get seen (and in some cases, share the cost or even make some money).
Northwell embraces the purpose-driven label
Northwell’s use of entertainment is rare among healthcare companies, most of which are highly cautious about how they’re portrayed, said Jen Cowan, VP of entertainment at Omnicom agency The Marketing Arm, which doesn’t have a relationship with Northwell.
“It’s a great opportunity to show who they are and how they reach their patients and all the ways they take care of people,” she said of the newest film. “And HBO is well known for docs, so it has a built-in audience. It’s a huge risk to take but obviously a smart, calculated one.”
Some CMOs have retreated from commenting on social issues, as they’ve seen companies like Bud Light and Disney become a lightning rod for controversy.
Soto said the company has stuck to talking about mental health and other healthcare issues while avoiding being prescriptive in its messaging. For example, it’s made a big push on the subject of gun violence over the years, focusing on preventing injuries, identifying people at risk for gun violence, and convening healthcare leaders in forums.
“We really try to be apolitical,” Soto said. “Where an issue enters healthcare, we feel like we have the license to use our voice. Purpose can be under attack. We feel safe when it’s specifically about healthcare delivery.”
