Veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein suggests an interesting proposition: “Run some hospital advertising that flat out calls your potential patients nerds. Nah, come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t work, and might prompt some irate letters to your CEO. Well then, how about offering advice that sounds financial, and encourages people to ‘go Read More
Sometimes the best marketing opportunities come from just naturally doing the right thing for the people you serve. That’s certainly been the case for Beaumont Health, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Its commitment to caring for the community extends beyond addressing people’s physical health to also supporting their mental and spiritual well-being through an array of Read More
Some of the greatest champions for your health care organization no doubt come from your service communities. A new campaign from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) shows how champions are newly motivated and empowered to take the lead in raising funds for causes they care about. Millennials and Generation Xers often naturally add viral elements Read More
// By Rich Phillips // The past few years have seen noteworthy transformation within health care strategy and marketing. An important shift is underway from “awareness” marketing focused on brand building to “conversion” marketing focused on patient acquisition. While this shift is necessary, it remains insufficient. The emerging emphasis by health care CEOs on retention Read More
“Before anything, Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wants you to know that the campaign her department launched is not an advertising campaign. It’s a branding campaign, she insists,” says veteran copywriter and regular SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “It wasn’t about drawing more people or business,” she explains. Read More
What Your Health Care Organization Can Learn from a New Decentralized Fundraising Campaign That Leverages Generational Giving Trends // By Lisa D. Ellis // Some of the greatest champions for your health care organization no doubt come from your service communities. A new campaign from the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) shows how champions are newly Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Here’s a bright idea: Run some hospital advertising that flat out calls your potential patients nerds. Nah, come to think of it, that probably wouldn’t work, and might prompt some irate letters to your CEO. Well then, how about offering advice that sounds financial, and encourages Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Sometimes the best marketing opportunities come from just naturally doing the right thing for the people you serve. That’s certainly been the case for Beaumont Health, headquartered in Southfield, Michigan. Its commitment to caring for the community extends beyond addressing people’s physical health to also supporting their mental and Read More
“One of the great pleasures of [Strategic Health Care Marketing] is tracking the innovative marketing approaches that are key to building consumer engagement,” says Linda MacCracken, senior principal at Accenture (and member of the SHCM Editorial Advisory Board). After numerous conversations with providers and technology innovators, and from reviewing trending analytic indicators, she has identified Read More
// By Linda MacCracken // One of the great pleasures of this journal is tracking the innovative marketing approaches that are key to building consumer engagement. After numerous conversations with providers and technology innovators, and from reviewing trending analytic indicators, I have identified five key factors in building strong customer engagement. How do these topics Read More
Do you wear a fitness tracker to count your steps or follow other health-related measures? Many people who access health care services within your system also probably use the latest devices to monitor details like activity level, amount of sleep, and blood pressure. All of this information can paint a valuable picture of health status Read More
You probably wouldn’t buy an appliance or book a cruise without knowing what it will cost. Yet historically, health care systems have expected patients to undergo various diagnostic tests, procedures, and treatments without any idea of what they will be charged. But times are changing quickly. While most patients are not yet comparison-shopping based on Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Do you wear a fitness tracker to count your steps or follow other health-related measures? Many people who access health care services within your system also probably use the latest devices to monitor details like activity level, amount of sleep, and blood pressure. All of this information can paint Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // Today’s latest expert-source matching tools can be a valuable part of any health care organization’s marketing strategy. One such expert-matching service called Expertise Finder was formed by a former journalist to help writers and media outlets find researchers and other experts with specific knowledge and data to share. Services Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Before anything, Rachael Kagan, director of communications for the San Francisco Department of Public Health, wants you to know that the campaign her department launched is not an advertising campaign. It’s a branding campaign, she insists. “It wasn’t about drawing more people or business,” she explains. Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // You probably wouldn’t buy an appliance or book a cruise without knowing what it will cost. Yet historically, health care systems have expected patients to undergo various diagnostic tests, procedures, and treatments without any idea of what they will be charged. But times are changing quickly. Today, as consumers Read More
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
// By Lisa D. Ellis // This is a pivotal time in health care as conditions continue to shift rapidly, posing new challenges for health care organizations, regardless of size, structure, or location. That’s why SHSMD’s latest publication offers a roadmap that can be tailored for any situation, to empower marketers and strategists to help 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
// By Lisa D. Ellis // 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 also present similar opportunities and challenges for fundraising, too. Here’s how two health systems recently used CRM and data-related services and tools to strengthen their Read More
// By Lisa D. Ellis // 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 Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // Uh oh! Something isn’t quite right about the race car driver in a TV spot. He’s a bit too pudgy. He seems overly fidgety. Instead of wearing a race car driver’s fireproof suit, he’s sporting a short-sleeved polo shirt. And as he floors the gas pedal 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