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.
At the annual meeting of the Society for Healthcare Strategy & Market Development (SHSMD) in September 2017, a group of health care strategists from the Middle East came all the way to Orlando, Florida to attend the presentations. When they introduced themselves to SHSMD representatives, they revealed that they had made the trip to attend Read More
Close examination of your referral patterns may bring to light some surprising gaps in your current practices that could be impacting your revenues. That was recently the case at Tampa General Hospital (TGH), says Katie Alexander, director of physician relations at TGH. But once her organization identified the problem using a Physician Relationship Management (PRM) Read More
When most people think of Customer Relationship Management (CRM), it’s usually in the context of service line promotion and prospecting for patients. But CRMs present similar opportunities and challenges for fundraising, too. The most effective health system fundraising campaigns focus time and effort building personal relationships with perspective donors. But for many health care organizations Read More
Is your organization truly on the same page as your physicians? If not, you may be missing important opportunities to maximize the quality and costs of the care you provide. Poor alignment among management and medical staff can cost you greatly—in lower patient satisfaction, lower physician retention, and reduced profit margins. “The relationship between physicians Read More
Following the ups and downs of health reform efforts is a lot like watching a tennis match. Spectators may find themselves getting dizzy as they try to follow the ongoing political battle raging in D.C. involving attempts to repeal some or all of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and replace it with a Republican-backed plan. Read More
The journey to selecting a health care system is not unlike the way people decide to buy a car, book a vacation destination, or hire a plumber. In fact, the basic consumer journey model can be adapted to almost any industry, according to Stephen Moegling, chief growth officer at Franklin Street, a health care brand Read More
Think back to the last time you went to a restaurant or store, and your server or sales clerk took the time to ask how your day was going or made an effort to form a personal connection. This probably made you feel welcome and left you with a favorable impression of the establishment. Incorporating Read More
Health care marketers today face many conflicting priorities, such as: Promote your organization widely. Protect patient privacy. Develop strong relationships with the media. Prevent journalists from coming into protected areas. Personalize your service lines. Don’t share patient names and details. Can all of these goals happen simultaneously without violating the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Read More
Health care marketers have lots of hurdles to overcome to achieve their organizational goals, and one of the biggest to conquer is ensuring your organization meets HIPAA requirements in all that it does. In a new story, we discuss how to effectively engage health care consumers via social media without violating patient privacy concerns. Jay Hodes, Read More
Duluth, a four-season city with 11,000 acres of green space alongside the great Lake Superior, has miles of trails and over 100 parks, providing a suitable back drop for a multitude of recreation activities. “The quote above, from Duluth, Minnesota’s Parks and Recreation website, helps to explain a population trend that inspired a hospital advertising Read More
Is your health system marketing its laboratory services to people outside your network? If not, there may be untapped opportunities worth pursuing. “Laboratory outreach, the practice of making hospital lab services available to customers other than patients, is gaining traction as hospitals increasingly view labs as potential revenue generators. In fact, lab outreach programs today Read More
When it comes to marketing your health care services, you may find yourself grappling with the challenge of personalizing your promotional materials without being able to share any specific information about your patients. This paradox can make it difficult to market your organization to the full extent. That’s also the case for pharmaceutical companies, which Read More
A quick search of the Psychology Today online directory for therapists in New York City turns up close to 5,500 options. With that much competition, the most successful practices are hard-pressed to find a way to stand out. Robert Reiner, PhD, executive director and founder of Behavioral Associates, a behavioral health practice on the Upper Read More
Health care organizations increasingly focus on improving the patient experience as reimbursement levels are now tied to this essential measurement. Further, when patients aren’t satisfied with their medical care or how office staff treats them, they are apt to shop around for a new provider. Yet all too often, areas where health care organizations invest Read More
“You know you’re in rural America when the front page of the local newspaper features a story about one of its delivery truck drivers finding his route blocked by a pair of obstinate moose,” observes Peter Hochstein, veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor. “It happened in Gloversville, New York, population 15,315, and once the center of Read More
“The health care sector lacks the rich marketing history of industries like retail or automotive, but today’s patients are more empowered than ever and the behaviors they display when seeking health care services or products largely mirror their shopping journeys for apparel, electronics, or any other household product,” says Susan Gullion, associate director of search Read More
The faces of two beautiful toddlers practically jump off the Star Telegram’s website, their vibrant expressions and sparkling eyes captured so clearly on the screen that it’s hard to believe that both of these youngsters are no longer living. Tragically, these children—who did not know each other but are both believed to be victims of Read More
Should your health care organization start a speakers bureau? Most experts say, “Yes”—and a few of them offer important advice for making sure yours achieves all of your organization’s desired benefits. “Speakers bureaus are great reputation-building tools for organizations as they increase awareness of the organization and they also provide a way to build the Read More
“Much has been written about marketing health care products and services to millennials, and for good reason,” says Ken Robbins, CEO and founder of digital agency Response Mine Interactive. “Since millennials are coming into disposable income and are extremely health-conscious, it makes good sense to understand how to reach them. But marketers cannot afford to Read More
When a young woman named Kommah was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, she was told she had just a 5 percent chance of surviving. Gus, a firefighter, had to forgo saving others’ lives to focus on his own fight against leukemia. Today, both Kommah and Gus have beaten the odds, thanks to Read More
Piedmont Healthcare’s prescription for staying current in the competitive marketplace includes partnering with Walgreens, one of the largest drugstore chains in the United States. To this end, Piedmont will take over operation of quick-care clinics in 27 Walgreens stores in the metro Atlanta region starting this August. This will enable Piedmont to provide easy-to-access locations Read More
Have you ever truly wondered what it’s like to walk in your patients’ shoes? Many health care marketers today view patient experience in the context of how well a person interacts within the various touchpoints of his/her health care system, as well as by how satisfied the patients are with the care and information they Read More
At a children’s hospital in Massachusetts, families of patients trying to park their cars in the very crowded multilevel garage will find a valet waiting at the top level to take the vehicle for them if the lot is full. This helps to relieve parents’ stress and makes a difficult day a little easier. In Read More
“If somebody ever produces a list of the best places in America to get sick, Cleveland will have to be high on the list,” notes copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “The 1.2 million people of Cleveland and surrounding Cuyahoga County have a choice of three teaching hospitals. One of them, Cleveland Clinic, has Read More
Some of the latest headlines from top academic medical centers today seem more fitting for ESPN than for a health care brand. This is thanks to the fact that a growing number of organizations are signing increasingly complex and integrated agreements with NFL, MLB, and NBA teams. Just these past few months, landmark partnerships have Read More