Each week we email a tip or news that we are covering in Strategic Health Care Marketing. You can view the archives of this weekly ezine below.
A 2017 price transparency study published in the journal Hospital Pediatrics found 30 out of 45 pediatric hospitals contacted provided price estimates. Only 12 of the 30 that provided estimates had online price calculators. A new price transparency guideline from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which went into effect in January, is Read More
Your hospital may get high marks for caring for patients, but how well does it measure up in caring for your employees’ health? The Kansas Hospital Association (KHA) is taking a leadership role in encouraging a growing number of health systems to serve up more nutritious options in their cafeterias and vending machines, with the Read More
“While hospitals cater to everyone, their most influential consumers are women, who make 80 percent of health care decisions in America,” says Kathy Selker. Selker is president and CEO of Northlich, an independent full-service marketing and advertising agency. In our new article, Selker discusses how to connect with this key health care demographic. Here’s an Read More
The business of medical care has been rapidly changing in recent years, becoming much more focused on outpatient care. Marketers have an increasingly important role helping their health care organizations navigate the shifting dynamics as they align more closely with physician groups to better meet patient needs in new and different ways. “We are seeing Read More
For well over a century, Flagler Hospital has gone to great lengths to care for the physical health of residents living in St. John’s County in northeastern Florida. But while its commitment to health has remained constant over the decades, in recent years its focus has broadened beyond the physical aspects of providing inpatient care Read More
Want to increase your health care organization’s market share? Think like a consumer. That’s the advice of Dan Clarin, CFA, senior vice president of Kaufman, Hall & Associates, a health care consulting, software, and data company. Improving access to care, aligning price with value, and providing better patient experience are key to increasing market share, Read More
There are many reasons to write a book, but Michael J. Dowling, president and CEO of Northwell Health, identifies the need for an objective look at health care that takes positive achievements into account as well as challenges as his reason for co-authoring Health Care Reboot: Megatrends Energizing American Medicine. “I was growing increasingly frustrated Read More
Many great stories exist at Cape Cod Healthcare (CCHC), just waiting to be told. Yet until recently, there was a shortage of opportunities and avenues to share most of them, says Patrick Kane, senior vice president, communications and business development of CCHC. This prompted Kane to take matters into his own hands to create a Read More
Permanente Medical Group leaders set out to create a unified brand for its eight medical groups around the country, the health system’s physician leaders went on the road to engage with physicians and patients at every single location. The findings have enabled the medical groups to be developed as an “ingredient brand” to bring value Read More
In 2015, The Jewish Hospital — Mercy Health, a 184-bed acute-care facility in Cincinnati, was in the midst of a massive expansion project when a problem arose. “We were almost doubling the size of the hospital. During construction, we had to close our main entrance. So we had all of these altered routes of traffic. Read More
“There are about 2.5 million people addicted to opioids, but only 10 to 20 percent of them get help,” says Andrey Ostrovsky, MD, chief medical officer at Solera Health (and former CMO of Medicaid). Solera Health is an “integrated health network” that “connects patients, providers, and physicians to a network of partners who are preventing Read More
For better or worse, in 2019, most organizations find that their online reviews have a profound influence on patient choice of a physician. In practical terms, this means you need to stay on top of exactly what people are saying online about your providers and facilities. This will allow you to respond to their compliments Read More
What message is your organization’s culture sending to your employees? If it doesn’t tell the people you employ that you value their input, you’re missing an important chance to get them more engaged in your day-to-day operations. You may also be losing out on a valuable differentiator in a competitive marketplace. At Tri-State Memorial Hospital Read More
Studies show that patients do better when they understand their health and treatments and can speak frankly with their health providers and caregivers. Patient advocacy groups encourage talking in plain language, using everyday words, and speaking in easily understandable terms. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act defines health literacy as the degree to which Read More
If your health system is in a geographic region experiencing rapid growth, it makes sense to capitalize on that trend and expand right along with the population. Hamilton County, a suburb of Indianapolis, is “growing by leaps and bounds,” according to Seth Warren, president and CEO of Riverview Health. Riverview Health’s primary location in Noblesville Read More
The nation’s largest nonprofit health system, Ascension, has more than 153 hospitals in 22 states and 2,600 sites of care with 156,000 employees. It maintains health care services as well as a solutions division, which includes investment management, a ministry service center, and a venture capital fund. Despite its spread across varied regions and specialties, Read More
When you take the time to develop compelling calls to action (CTAs) tied to measurable outcomes, you can effectively engage people you want to reach on a very personal level. This can be key to your marketing efforts’ success. “Health care organizations must provide altruistic, valuable content to consumers in order to build engagement over Read More
The last time you went on vacation, you probably enjoyed five-star treatment from the staff at the hotels and restaurants you visited. But while customer service is paramount when it comes to dining and accommodations, most health care systems don’t think to treat their patients like valued guests. The danger is that if you’re not Read More
With a predicted shortage of physicians over the next several years, and increasing concern over physician burnout, a group of savvy thought leaders are focusing on improving physician satisfaction and engagement. Physicians are responsible for making most decisions related to patient care. Yet medical staff members often aren’t involved in the broader decision-making process around Read More
In the testimonial-heavy world of hospital advertising, is there a fresh way of doing a testimonial campaign? How well can it perform for you? And what can you do to increase the impact of the advertising? In our new article, SHCM contributor and veteran copywriter Peter Hochstein looks at a new type of testimonial that Read More
“In my ongoing conversations with industry leaders about what’s shifting in health care, five factors rose to the top of the list for 2019, as marketing moves to new dimensions, and closer to health system collaborative scaling of smart pilots.” In our new article, Linda MacCracken, senior principal, customer engagement at Accenture Health, and Strategic Read More
In our new article, David Marlowe, principal, Strategic Marketing Concepts, and Strategic Health Care Marketing Editorial Advisory Board member, shares results from five recent nationwide studies he’s conducted of what consumers consider to be “reasonable” wait times for routine, non-urgent visits. Will this type of information give marketers the hard evidence they need to stand Read More
We recently sat down with Priya Bathija, vice president of AHA’s Value Initiative, and Brian Griffin, SHSMD’s senior editorial specialist, to learn about the program, its scope, and its goals. Launched in December 2017, the Value Initiative’s mission is to be a change agent and provide thought leadership to the hospital industry as it moves Read More
Whether you’re a small organization with just a few marketing professionals or a large health system with an extensive marketing team — or perhaps you fall somewhere in between these two extremes — it’s worth taking the time to listen to your digital customers. The insights they provide can help you make small changes that Read More
What if your hospital is suddenly the center of national media attention for all the wrong reasons? What if a catastrophic event occurs and you must respond immediately? Do you know what to do? Do you have a crisis communications plan in place? In our new article, Paul Wood, vice president and chief communications officer Read More