Challenge
Since 1966, United Medical Center (UMC) has been a staple for healthcare in Wards 7 and 8 of Washington, DC. Its pending closure carries weight far beyond a simple administrative decision. For residents, staff, and leaders, it represents the loss of a community touchstone, one that has delivered care, comfort, and life moments for nearly six decades.
An environmental scan at the Ward 8 Health Council Meeting revealed two critical realities:
- Community members are genuinely curious about the details of the transition, UMC’s closure and the opening of Cedar Hill Regional Medical Center.
- There is more active pressure and concern around the new hospital’s readiness (capacity, services, opening date) than around UMC’s closure itself.
While many stakeholders appear to have accepted that UMC will close, they are still navigating deep emotions: uncertainty, nostalgia, concern for access, and questions about long-term health equity in Wards 7 and 8.
The challenge:
How do you guide a community through the closure of a historic healthcare institution while keeping them informed, reassured, and inspired to stay engaged with their own health and wellness?
Hypothesis
If we listen carefully to community voices, communicate clearly and consistently, and honor the emotional weight of UMC’s closure, then we can:
- help residents feel informed instead of left in the dark,
- maintain trust during a fragile transition, and
- leave behind a lasting culture of health and wellness that outlives the hospital itself.
Key insights driving this hypothesis:
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Curiosity is an opportunity, not a threat.
When people are asking questions, they’re giving you a chance to show up with answers, care, and presence. -
The closure is emotional, but the energy is forward-looking.
Residents are already talking about what’s next: access, equity, services, and the new hospital. A strong campaign can connect UMC’s legacy to the community’s future. -
Every stakeholder needs both information and affirmation.
From city officials to elders, from staff to former patients, each group deserves to feel seen, guided, and “forever united” around shared wellness ideals.
Angell Jacobs
UMC Board Chair
Solution
The “Forever United” Campaign
“Forever United” is a closure communications campaign designed to:
- inform stakeholders about the details and timing of UMC’s closure,
- honor the hospital’s legacy in Wards 7 and 8, and
- leave the community with an everlasting passion for health and wellness.
At its core, the campaign recognizes five key stakeholder groups:
- Former and current patients
- Ward 7 & Ward 8 residents
- UMC staff
- Washington, DC city officials
- Area emergency officials
The campaign’s mission and vision guide every touchpoint:
Mission
To inform Wards 7 and 8 of necessary information regarding the closure of United Medical Center, and leave the community with an everlasting passion for health and wellness.
Vision
A historic moment in the community that celebrates the legacy of UMC, curates a calm closure process, and inspires a healthier, more unified Ward 7 and 8.
Pillar 1 — Listen First, Then Lead
The campaign begins with listening, not broadcasting.
Through attendance at the Ward 8 Health Council Meeting and close attention to what residents, leaders, and officials were saying, the campaign surfaces:
- primary concerns around access, timing, and services,
- the community’s emotional temperature, and
- the key voices leading health conversations in Wards 7 and 8.
This listening phase ensures that “Forever United” doesn’t speak at the community, it speaks with them.
Pillar 2 — Inform with Clarity and Care
“Forever United” relies on visual, tactile, and written tools to make closure information easy to access and even easier to pass along:
Informational Flyers
Designed to turn “word-of-mouth” into accurate, verified information, these flyers:
- outline closure timelines and key transition details,
- use UMC’s corporate colors and imagery, and
- include simple health and wellness tips to reinforce ongoing care.
Community & Patient Letters
Thorough, plain-language letters mailed to:
- Ward 7 and 8 residents, and
- UMC patients,
ensure that even those who are elderly or not digitally connected receive clear information. The letters carry both facts and feeling, balancing logistics with empathy.
Exterior Banners
A “Forever United” banner on the exterior of the hospital becomes a visible, daily reminder of:
- the closure,
- the campaign’s themes, and
- UMC’s gratitude for decades of trust and service.
Pillar 3 — Leave a Lasting Impression
Even after the doors close, the relationship doesn’t have to.
Hallway Banner Flags
Throughout UMC’s corridors, banner flags carry campaign imagery and key phrases. They allow patients, staff, and visitors to feel the campaign’s presence in the hospital’s final days.
Wristbands
“Forever United” wristbands offer a simple, tangible keepsake for stakeholders to carry forward:
- a reminder of UMC’s legacy,
- a symbol of ongoing commitment to health and wellness,
- an easy way to spark conversation long after closure.
These items ensure that the spirit of UMC lives on as more than a memory, but it becomes a movement statement that people can literally wear.
Pillar 4 — Media Circuit & Storytelling
To broaden impact, the campaign uses a two-part media circuit:
In-Flight Outreach
UMC proactively connects with key area outlets; television, radio, and digital, to:
- offer opportunities to share closure details,
- clarify the transition timeline, and
- reassure audiences about emergency coverage and continuity of care.
This includes outreach to regional news and radio stations, ensuring the message travels beyond the hospital walls.
Post-Flight (Suggested)
Following the campaign, a portrait-style mini documentary is proposed to:
- capture voices behind the closure,
- document UMC’s legacy, and
- offer a reflective, human-centered look at what this transition means for Wards 7 and 8.
This content can live online indefinitely, serving as both archive and tribute.
Flexible Implementation Pathways
“Forever United” was intentionally designed with flexible implementation pathways so the campaign could scale to meet the evolving needs of United Medical Center during its closure process.
Rather than locking the strategy into a single spending model, the campaign offered:
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Essential Communications Tools — Letters, media outreach, and core informational materials to ensure accurate, accessible closure details for the community.
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Brand & Legacy Enhancements — Visual elements like banners, flags, and wellness messaging designed to reinforce unity and honor UMC’s decades of service.
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Extended Engagement Options — Additional storytelling, digital assets, or community-facing activations that could be added as needed to deepen emotional connection.
Each pathway was designed to uphold the same core mission:
to keep Wards 7 and 8 informed, reassured, and united around wellness throughout the transition.
Closing a community hospital like United Medical Center is more than a logistical milestone, it is an emotional moment for everyone who ever walked its halls. “Forever United” turns that moment into a guided journey, giving stakeholders information they can trust and a message they can hold onto. It tells Wards 7 and 8, “We are still with you, even as our doors close,” and leaves behind a ribbon of health, wellness, and unity stretching far beyond the building itself.
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