Business Development

Physician Relations: Increasing Referrals and Driving Growth

Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, principal at Barlow McCarthy

Connections between hospitals and doctors working outside the hospital aren’t as strong as they used to be. “So many organizations have realized we have completely lost touch with our primary care physicians,” says Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA, principal at Barlow McCarthy. “They don’t come to the hospital, they use hospitalists.” The pandemic has added to Read More

The Role of Physician Relations in Driving Growth

Jane Weber Brubaker

While health system marketing departments largely focus on consumers, physician relations professionals, aligned with business development, focus on building relationships with referring physicians, overcoming barriers, and growing referrals. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Connections between hospitals and doctors working outside the hospital aren’t as strong as they used to be. “So many organizations have Read More

Tips for Effective Service-Line Marketing at Your Health Care Organization

Dara Krueger, executive director of international marketing and marketing account services, Cleveland Clinic

As a health care marketer, you’re acutely aware of how important it is to not only acquire patients and drive patient volume, but also to engage and retain those patients in order to establish long-term brand loyalty and improve ROI. The history of service-line promotion dates back to the early 1980s when marketers built brand Read More

How to Set Your Health System Apart From Competitors? Try Niche Marketing

Jeff Bean, vice president for system marketing & brand, Geisinger

If niche marketing is defined as the business of promoting and selling a product or service to a specialized segment of a market, then Geisinger has powered its expertise for a specific population and area that is expected to grow going forward. Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) is rapidly becoming a distribution and shipping hub for e-commerce Read More

Geisinger 65 Forward Senior-Focused Primary Care Is Pure Niche Marketing

John Marzano

The over-65 population in northeast Pennsylvania is expected to double in the next decade. Geisinger is ready. // By John Marzano // Northeast Pennsylvania (NEPA) is rapidly becoming a distribution and shipping hub for e-commerce to reach roughly 60 percent of the U.S. within a day’s drive. Think Amazon Prime for a 1-to-2 day delivery Read More

Health Care Brand Positioning: Going From Good to Great

Chrisie Scott, senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Virtua Health

Health care brand positioning requires more than a clever tagline or slogan. It requires a strategy and rallying cry that inspires an organization and connects a community. It’s rare in marketing that you get to start from scratch on anything. Wherever you jump on the moving train, that’s your starting point, complete with legacy systems Read More

Virtua Health Has a Message for South Jersey: We Are “Here for Good”

Jane Weber Brubaker

Brand positioning is more than a clever tagline or slogan. It’s a strategy and rallying cry that inspires an organization and connects a community. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // It’s rare in marketing that you get to start from scratch on anything. Wherever you jump on the moving train, that’s your starting point, complete Read More

Five Ways to Stop Patient Prospects from Ghosting You

Jessica Walker is founder and CEO of Care Sherpa

If you spend scarce marketing dollars to attract new patients to your high-margin service lines only to have them ghost you, a solution may be within your REACH. // By Jessica Walker // Does your practice invest heavily in generating leads through your marketing channels — social media, website optimization, paid search — only to Read More

It’s a SHSMD Celebration — and You’re Invited!

Jane Weber Brubaker

SHSMD Connections 2022 will inspire, challenge, and empower health care professionals to reclaim their resilience, roll up their sleeves, and get creative in solving the industry’s biggest challenges today and in the future. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // When the Society for Health Care Strategy & Market Development’s SHSMD Connections 2022 conference convenes September Read More

VCU Health Proves Non-Traditional Marketing Methods Can Pay Off

Cynthia Schmidt, director of marketing, VCU Health

As a health care marketer, how do you get a consumer to care about where she goes for her mammogram? About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Studies have found that having screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality by 40 percent in women of average risk between the ages Read More

How VCU Cancer Center Used Napkins to Promote Mammography

Althea Fung

A message on a pink napkin delivered with your food truck order highlights convenience for workers in downtown Richmond. // By Althea Fung // About one in eight women will develop invasive breast cancer in her lifetime. Studies have found that having screening mammography reduces breast cancer mortality by 40 percent in women of average Read More

Behavioral Nudges Can Move Patients Forward in the Care Journey

Cathy Turner, director of health promotion and senior health, VHC Health

With new tools for rolling out the welcome mat at the digital front door, health care organizations today have the opportunity to provide frictionless online interactions and guided, personalized user experiences to acquire and engage patients. Using digital conversion tools and marketing tactics that influence consumer behavior, health care organizations can prompt individuals to take Read More

What is the Role of Marketing in Driving Growth for a Health Care Organization?

Sandra Mackey, Chief Marketing Officer, Bon Secours Mercy Health

“Growth means different things to different organizations at different times,” says Daniel Fell of Optum. “One thing is very clear, though. The role of marketing has never been more critical.” Here’s an excerpt from Fell’s new article: We recently turned to several leading health care marketers across the country, representing a variety of health care Read More

How To Take the Lead in Strategic Discussions With Senior Leaders

Jennifer Horton, vice president of strategy, Ten Adams

For many senior leaders of health care organizations, adapting to constant changes in the COVID landscape for the past two years has been all-consuming. Yet refocusing on strategic priorities is essential for organizations to move forward. Marketers can play a pivotal role in making that happen by facilitating brief and focused meetings with senior administrators Read More

Successful Physician Relations Require a Multifaceted Approach

Endeavor Management

“Successful physician relationship management has been a longstanding goal of health care leaders,” says John McKeever of Endeavor Management. “No doubt its importance remains, but success requirements continue to evolve. If your organization is questioning what industry leaders are doing to maximize results from physician relations, you are not alone.” Here’s an excerpt from McKeever’s Read More

Why Health Systems Must Manage and Accelerate Growth Going Forward

“Growth is important for every organization,” says Daniel Fell of Optum. “Whether it’s for-profits or not-for-profits, start-ups or established market leaders, every business depends on some level of growth to succeed in the near term. Growth is also essential to long-term sustainability, especially when navigating dynamic markets and overcoming unforeseen market disruptions.” Here’s an excerpt Read More

Avera Health Takes a Precision Approach to Improving the Patient Experience

Bruk Kammerman, senior vice president and chief information officer, Avera Health

// By Brian Griffin // Learn how one health care organization uses a unique new process supported by technology to enhance care and maximize the revenue potential of patient relationships. Avera Health is launching an innovative venture to improve the patient experience called Precision Patient Relationships (PPR)TM — a multifaceted marketing, clinical, and operational initiative Read More

Establishing a Case for the Social Determinants of Health

Susan Dubuque

// By Susan Dubuque // As payers shift to value-based reimbursement, paying attention to social determinants of health is no longer optional. When you think about supporting the health of your patients and building a healthier community, what comes to mind? A robust medical staff? Great technology? A beautiful new hospital facility? A wide range Read More