Brand in Action: How a Grassroots Mission Is Redefining Patient Experience

Welcome to the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. On today’s episode, we’re joined by Mark Ostrom, founder of Joy Collaborative—a unique nonprofit that designs and delivers custom “Joy Rooms” and transformative environments for youth with life-limiting conditions. These are far more than feel-good renovations; they’re deeply personalized spaces engineered to uplift, empower, and restore dignity, independence, and creativity for both the individual and their family. As host Sara Payne notes, Joy Collaborative might not look like a traditional healthcare brand, but it has lessons that every healthcare marketer can—and should—learn. In this insightful conversation, Sara and Mark explore what it truly means to design with purpose—treating the whole person, earning authentic trust, and creating experiences that fundamentally change the stories families live every day. Mark shares his own journey from commercial design to purpose-driven nonprofit founder, the power of personalization, and why physical space is an overlooked but critical part of patient experience and healthcare outcomes. Together, they uncover how grassroots movements can produce brand-level impact, and why meaningful change depends on tackling problems directly, compassionately, and through authentic collaboration. If you’re ready to reimagine “patient experience” and see how health marketing can become a catalyst for healing, trust, and genuine community, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Thank you for being part of the Health Marketing Collective, where strong leadership meets marketing excellence. The future of healthcare depends on it. Key Takeaways: Designing for the Whole Person Is Essential—Not Optional: Mark illustrates that personalization isn’t just a marketing buzzword; it’s about asking deep and sometimes uncomfortable questions to truly understand a patient’s or family’s daily challenges. By addressing everything—from mobility and sensory needs to dignity and community—Joy Collaborative’s work embodies the importance of designing solutions that honor and support the whole human experience. Spaces Profoundly Shape Health Outcomes and Trust: The concept of “patient experience” must go beyond digital touchpoints or bedside manner. Mark shares stories of how transforming physical environments—like youth homeless shelters or mental health clinics—creates trust, reduces stress, and accelerates healing for both clients and staff. As Sara notes, empathy, research, and true understanding of the audience’s reality are key. Collaboration and Grassroots Energy Drive Real Change: From builders and designers to donors, volunteers, and families, Joy Collaborative succeeds by rallying diverse stakeholders around a shared purpose. Mark discusses the importance of alignment and how mutual respect, gratitude, and a clear mission can turn volunteers into brand advocates and partners into champions—proving that authentic, community-powered campaigns resonate and sustain. Caregivers and Communities Are Critical to Healing Journeys: Healing isn’t individual—it’s collective. Mark explains that addressing only the patient’s needs is never enough; caregivers, staff, neighbors, and even volunteers are all part of the “ripple effect” of authentic care and support. This is an important reminder for healthcare marketers to always include and respect these broader influence networks in any campaign or experience. Purpose in Action Starts With Listening, Not Telling: True purpose-driven brands don’t just broadcast top-down stories— they listen, research, ask, and co-create. Mark describes the intensive, iterative process Joy Collaborative uses to dig into families’ real needs and avoid cookie-cutter solutions. For healthcare marketers, this highlights the value of humility, empathy, and the courage to be purpose-led even when the answers are complex. Join us on this episode of the Health Marketing Collective to reimagine how experiential design and authentic, purpose-driven work can set new standards for trust, healing, and lasting impact—in healthcare, marketing, and beyond. [embed]https://youtu.be/nJR9I2zf_Lg?si=9DieR7fLSJSyovHV[/embed] About Mark Ostrom With three decades in the architecture and design industry, Mark took the bold step of combining his love for design and his passion for helping others into Joy Collaborative. Founded in 2019 on a shoestring budget, Mark launched Joy Collaborative as a 501(c)3 nonprofit as a group of impassioned doers and volunteers who help create spaces for those with life-limiting conditions. Projects are completed for single families, as well as larger program organizations. The spaces, known as Joy Rooms, are created through partnerships with the architecture & interior design community and financial donations from the corporate community. To date, Joy Collaborative has completed 15 projects with over 7,000 individuals accessing Joy Rooms in the Twin Cities. The organization is enriched by partnerships with Affinity Plus Federal Credit Union, Gardner Builders, the Hubbard Foundation, Tradition Companies, and other generous organizations contributing to the well-being and advancement of those in need of joy.