by Jennifer Busick At a health care center in Florida, patients who were undergoing radiology procedures believed they were receiving injections of a narcotic painkiller, fentanyl. What they didn’t know was that a radiology technician at the clinic was injecting himself with the fentanyl and then refilling the syringes with saline solution. Although fentanyl is Read More
by Lisa D. Ellis While many hospitals are grappling with how best to use their social media efforts, Advocate Health Care in Illinois seems to be leading by example. This faith-based health delivery system has developed a comprehensive social media strategy that supports its broader communications goals on multiple levels. Better yet, it includes an Read More
by Stewart Gandolf Clinical service department profitability is a constant challenge for hospitals. That’s nothing new. What’s changed, however, is just about everything else. The newly empowered patient now regards medical services with the critical eye of a retail shopper. The dynamics of health care reform, facility mergers and acquisitions and increasingly intense competition have Read More
While it may seem like any time of year is a good time to spread the word about your health care system, the open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act presents a particularly prime opportunity. This is a time of year when even people in good health have reason to pay extra attention to Read More
by Peter Hochstein Is there a best time of year for health care marketers to advertise? In light of current events, the answer may be yes. That special time is the open enrollment period under the Affordable Care Act. During open enrollment season, even people in good health have reason to pay extra attention to Read More
Many hospitals are acquiring physician groups at a rapid pace. But in the operational process of incorporating new practices into the larger organization, it’s crucial that hospitals don’t lose sight of their end goal: getting a good return on their investment. Daniel Weinbach of the Weinbach Group, Inc., in Miami, FL, points out that all Read More
by Lisa D. Ellis Many hospitals are acquiring physician groups at a rapid pace. But in the process of incorporating new practices into the larger organization, it’s crucial that hospitals don’t lose sight of their end goal: getting a good return on their investment. Thinking strategically Daniel Weinbach of the Weinbach Group, Inc., in Miami, Read More
Satisfied patients are a powerful marketing tool for health care organizations, as one hospital learned when it overhauled the scheduling and management of its operating rooms (ORs). The efforts led to increased efficiency and patient satisfaction and helped boost profitability. Dr. Adam Blomberg, Vice Chief of Anesthesiology and Co-Medical Director of the Surgical Services Executive Read More
Welcome to the fifth and final installment in our welcome series. (You can read the previous installments here.) Over the past several days, we’ve tried to give you a small sampling of all the great information we provide, from exclusive stories on brand management to in-depth case studies of successful health care marketing campaigns around Read More
Hello! Thanks for continuing to follow along in our ezine welcome series. If you missed any of the previous installments, you can check them out here. Brand management is a huge concern for many health care organizations these days, particularly given the trend toward consolidation of facilities and service lines. So we’re giving you a Read More
We’re back—and today we’ve got something special for you. (If you missed the first or second installments in our series, you can read them here.) Peter Hochstein is a veteran New York copywriter, and he’s written for some of the biggest and best in the industry. Over the years, his employers have included Ogilvy, Benton Read More
Hello again! We’re back with Part 2 of our welcome series. (If you missed Part 1, you can read it here.) Today, I’m asking for a favor. Will you tell me about your work? Specifically, I’d like to know: What are the 3 biggest challenges you face in your health care marketing efforts? Even if Read More
I’m pleased to welcome you to the brand-new Strategic Health Care Marketing weekly ezine. As you may be aware, my company, Plain-English Media, acquired Strategic Health Care Marketing and eHealthcare Strategy & Trends this summer from Health Care Communications. (If you’re interested, you can read the official press release about the acquisition.) For over 30 Read More
by Cheryl L. Serra Satisfied patients are a powerful marketing tool for health care organizations, as one hospital learned when it overhauled the scheduling and management of its operating rooms (ORs). The efforts led to increased efficiency and patient satisfaction and helped boost profitability. Dr. Adam Blomberg, Vice Chief of Anesthesiology and Co-Medical Director of Read More
// By Susan Dubuque // Last year, Strategic Health Care Marketing published a series of three articles on Racing to Wellness. This year, we delve further into the evolution of our profession in a rapidly changing environment. As we move away from conventional promotions intended to drive volumes, we will explore the reinvention of marketing Read More
by Peter Hochstein It all starts with mysterious-sounding music, images of equipment and people you can find at any hospital, and a young child’s voice. All together, they make magic. There’s a picture of a hospital bed with a teddy bear lying on it. “Secret lair,” confides a little girl’s voice, barely above a whisper. Read More
by Patricia Chaney With reimbursement cuts, increasingly price-sensitive consumers and payers, and the development of accountable care organizations, independent outpatient facilities stand to take market share from hospitals. Outpatient imaging and ambulatory surgery centers pose steep competition for hospitals in certain markets, but with all providers struggling to balance reimbursements and payer negotiations, there’s more Read More
by Cheryl Haas Whether the cause is super-sized portions, pedestrian-unfriendly suburbs, or too many hours in front of the computer (or some combination of the above), Americans are becoming bigger at an alarming rate. The growing numbers of morbidly obese adults and children are fueling an increase in weight-loss surgery and medical weight-loss management services Read More
by Sheryl S. Jackson Since its humble beginnings in 1895, the 20-bed Macon (GA) Hospital has grown to become the Central Georgia Health System. It comprises the Medical Center of Central Georgia, a 637-bed, full-service, acute care hospital, along with 30 entities that include other clinics, specialty-care centers, and community hospitals. In September 2014, the Read More
by Jane Weber Brubaker In October, a nurse who had extensive contact with Thomas Eric Duncan at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas became infected with Ebola. Although the worker had worn protective gear, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the infection was caused by a “breach in safety protocol.” (AP) Shortly thereafter, a second Read More
// By Susan Dubuque // Last year, Strategic Health Care Marketing published a series of three articles on Racing to Wellness. This year, we will delve further into the evolution of our profession in a rapidly changing environment. As we move away from conventional promotions intended to drive volumes, we will explore the reinvention of Read More
by Peter Hochstein Imagine you live in Aurora, CO. One attraction in this third-most-populous city in the state is the rich availability of recreational sports activities, including soccer fields, ice hockey mountain biking, and—well, you get the idea. While taking the kids to soccer practice, you suddenly see an alarming sight. A soccer player behind Read More
by Jennifer Redmond Implementation of the Affordable Care Act has created an equal share of opportunity and difficulty for health care providers. In an evergrowing market, providers are vying for the attention of consumers in creative ways, but some, in an effort to edge out the competition, are met with vehement criticism. This pressure to Read More
by Sandra Marchetti Backups and delays are a common, but always unwelcome, part of the health care process. Patient flow problems are a source of anxiety and long waits for patients, as well as frustration and inefficiency for providers. According to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, many U.S. hospitals have problems with achieving optimal patient Read More
by Cheryl Haas Devi Shetty, MD, is out to change the world of health care delivery through compassion, quality, and affordability. India’s most renowned heart surgeon and Chairman of Narayana Health has built a chain of 21 medical centers that cut costs so substantially that they can provide clinical excellence at a fraction of the Read More