During the last board meeting of Selfless Health, Sam Snide, the chair of the board finance committee, challenged the need for a marketing department. According to Sam, the flagship academic medical center has a strong enough reputation to attract patients. He further stated that advertising by members of a profession is unseemly. The system CEO has asked you to prepare a memo to the board outlining what, if any, role (beyond advertising) strategic marketing plays in health system operations. Consider such aspects as corporate culture, population health, brand identity, and organizational structure.
Support your observations with relevant citations and at least two scholarly references. Memo page length should be 4-6 pages, not counting any cover, references or tables/figures.