Mr. Deffaa became LifeBridge Health’s inaugural chief marketing officer in 2018. He leads internal and external communications relating to marketing, branding, and public relations for the system, which includes over 13,000 employees and more than $2 billion in annual revenue. Mr. Deffaa has transformed marketing efforts from episodic outbound communications to a holistic approach, with a focus on reducing friction and increasing convenient access to information and care. He and his team create dynamic and responsive marketing assets, many of which are digitally based and always available. Among these assets are a new responsive mobile app, a redesigned and re-imagined website, a digitized call center, and a customized CRM system. He has also spearheaded the Care Bravely movement, a research-backed initiative aimed at deepening engagement and helping the organization to stand out to customers and prospective employees. Additionally, he has led LifeBridge in innovative community health movements like the acquisition and investment of $85 million in a community hospital in an economically-challenged part of Baltimore, the launch of mobile vaccination and health clinics, and programs that tackle gun violence.
