Urgent Care

Expand Your Virtual Care Options to Improve Access and Attract New Patients

Jeff Stewart, system director of strategic marketing, CHRISTUS Health

There are many ways to expand health care access through virtual care. When CHRISTUS Health launched its “On Demand Care” urgent care service in May 2022, some clinicians were concerned about visit erosion from the primary care provider patient base. That didn’t happen. “Our primary care physicians who were initially skeptical, as you can imagine, Read More

Virtual Care Stays True to the Brand at CHRISTUS Health

Jane Weber Brubaker

There are many options for expanding access through virtual care. CHRISTUS Health’s thoughtful approach is guided by its mission, and its recognized brand attracts new patients. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // When CHRISTUS Health launched its “On Demand Care” urgent care service in May 2022, some clinicians were concerned about visit erosion from the Read More

A Strong Retail Presence is a Gamechanger for Summit Health

Summit Health

The story of health care over the past two years is the story of provider organizations adapting to extreme circumstances and constant change, which continues to this day; as of this writing in late December 2021, the U.S. reported 488,000 new COVID-19 infections, breaking its single-day record. But back in August 2019, no one knew Read More

Summit Health: Why a Health System Without a Hospital Makes Sense

Matt Gove, chief marketing officer, Summit Health

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // The story of health care over the past two years is the story of provider organizations adapting to extreme circumstances and constant change, which continues to this day; as of this writing in late December 2021, the U.S. reported 488,000 new COVID-19 infections, breaking its single-day record. But back Read More

Retail Health Is Expanding Into Uncharted Territory

James Gardner

“Traditional primary care is being disrupted, right in front of our eyes,” says sales and marketing consultant James A. Gardner. “Blink and I suspect you soon won’t recognize it.” Here’s an excerpt from Gardner’s new article: Look around and new competitors, new thinking, and new delivery models are seemingly everywhere. Venture-backed startups, large employers, government Read More

Attention Shoppers! What’s Next in Retail Health?

cvs-health-healthhub-services-and-care

// By James A. Gardner // Unmet needs and unsolved problems always attract the attention of growth-seeking business leaders. Many see primary care as an exciting opportunity to compete, disrupt — and win. Traditional primary care is being disrupted, right in front of our eyes. Blink and I suspect you soon won’t recognize it. Look Read More

CX Is a Key Weapon in the Battle for Market Share

Indigo Urgent Care Logo

“Disrupt or be disrupted.” That’s the advice Shari Campbell offers to anyone in traditional health care who is concerned about losing market share to retail health care stores as Walmart, Amazon, CVS, and others move into the business. Campbell, marketing director, retail health at MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Washington, says MultiCare Health began to Read More

Can Traditional Health Care Hold Off the Retail Invasion?

James Gardner, marketing strategist and retail health expert

// By Jim Samuel // We’ve all been expecting it, but now that Walmart, CVS, Amazon, Walgreens, and others are upping their games, the question is more important than ever. Can traditional primary care and health systems survive the retail health onslaught, and what do they need to do to maintain market share and thrive? Read More

Who Says Radio Is Dead?

Stacy Fender, associate marketing director at CoxHealth

In Peter Hochstein’s new story, he explains how a radio-focused advertising campaign enabled a regional hospital system to significantly increase its telehealth and urgent-care traffic, with relatively low media and production costs. Here’s an excerpt: Radio tends to be a medium that reaches people while their minds are on something else. There are exceptions, of Read More

Want More Bang for Your Hospital’s Advertising Bucks? CoxHealth Found Cost Effectiveness with Real Market Impact (Hello, Radio!)

Debbie Harris, group account director, Walz Tetrick Advertising

// By Peter Hochstein //A radio-focused advertising campaign enabled this regional hospital system to significantly increase its telehealth and urgent-care traffic, with relatively low media and production costs. But a caveat: Radio works best when the message is simple.What’s radio for? Largely it’s there these days to keep you company while you drive the car Read More

The Voice of the Customer Is Getting Louder

How to make the shift from transactions to relationships // By Jared Johnson // Health care is really good at creating transactions, but not so good at creating relationships. Today’s consumers are frustrated at health care brand experiences that fail to meet their expectations. Visionary health care organizations are listening more and more to the Read More

The Surprising Success of a Health Care Spokes-Puppet

Ely Thurmond, Patient Plus director of strategic initiatives

“You can do terrible things to a puppet for popular amusement that aren’t funny when they happen to real people,” says veteran copywriter and SHCM contributor Peter Hochstein. “You can make him horribly ill. You can afflict him with a swarm of bees. You can break off his leg, or worse. Almost no matter what Read More

Looking for a Memorable Symbol for Your Health Care Services? Here’s What Happened When a Chain of Urgent Care Clinics Got a Spokes-Puppet

Peter Hochstein

// By Peter Hochstein // Meet Bebo. He’s preposterous. He’s orange. He’s always sick or injured. And he’s helping Patient Plus clinics in Baton Rouge, Louisiana carve out a strong identity in a highly competitive market. You can do terrible things to a puppet for popular amusement that aren’t funny when they happen to real Read More

What Do Consumers Want From Your Health Care Organization?

Dan Clarin, senior vice president of Kaufman, Hall & Associates

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

Think Like a Health Care Consumer to Increase Market Share

Wendy Stark Healy

// By Wendy Stark Healy // 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 Read More

Piedmont Healthcare Partners with Walgreens on Walk-In Clinics

Matt Gove, chief consumer officer at Piedmont Healthcare

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

How Piedmont Healthcare Sells Patients on its New Walk-In Retail Clinics

Matt Gove, chief consumer officer at Piedmont Healthcare

// By Lisa D. Ellis // 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 Read More

Retail Health Care: Meet Your Customers Where They Are—Literally

Christi McCarren, RN, MBA, CPHQ, Senior Vice President of Retail Health and Community-Based Care, MultiCare Health

It used to be that if you built a good health system, people would come. But in today’s hectic world, many organizations find it necessary to extend their services to places their patients frequent instead. In fact, these days, organizations providing the highest-quality care are a given, but how that care is delivered—and where—have become the Read More

Making That Sale: Taking a Retail Approach to Health Care

Christi McCarren, RN, MBA, CPHQ, Senior Vice President of Retail Health and Community-Based Care, MultiCare Health

// By Lisa D. Ellis // It used to be that if you built a good health system, people would come. But in today’s hectic world, many organizations find it necessary to extend their services to places their patients frequent instead. In fact, these days, organizations providing the highest-quality care are a given, but how that Read More