Soft music. Muted colors. A warm-toned voice over touting stellar care. A smiling healthcare team with b-roll shots of hand-holding and teaching moments that just so happen to take place next to perfectly-made beds, within recessed-lit rooms, and in surprisingly close proximity to cutting-edge technology and new equipment.

Marketers and PR agencies know how to highlight the positive and make people, processes, and programs look and sound real good. These kind of ads always make me a little nervous for organizations – yes, even those that do not employ me. I always think, “I hope that’s true,” because healthcare reality – starkly different – can be a shocker.