Sales and Promotion

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HMPS 2023: Join the Crowd in Austin, April 17-19

Jane Weber Brubaker

This year’s Healthcare Marketing & Physician Strategies Summit is the perfect place to renew, refresh, and recharge with your industry peers. The Summit’s fully-packed program will send you home with plenty of actionable ideas to help your organization succeed. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // If you’re ready to roll up your sleeves, unwind, and Read More

How UAMS Stays in Touch with Referring Providers

Keith Whitworth, director of marketing, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS)

Email has become a powerful tool in UAMS’ physician outreach toolkit. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // Marketing is all about understanding the needs of your market and finding ways to show how your product or service is the best solution for meeting those needs. As marketers, you know that part of your challenge is Read More

What to Expect From WebMD’s Acquisition of Mercury Healthcare

Jeff Herman, senior vice president of product management, Mercury Healthcare

When WebMD announced its acquisition of Mercury Healthcare in June 2022, the press release focused on patient engagement solutions. The headline reads “WebMD Health Corp. Acquires Mercury Healthcare, Building on Leadership in Patient Engagement Solutions.” But we learned that WebMD’s strategic vision is broader, also encompassing provider engagement. In a video explaining the vision, Ann Read More

WebMD and Mercury Healthcare: What the Acquisition Means for Physician Strategies

Jane Weber Brubaker

WebMD Provider Services seeks to align physician and consumer strategies holistically, using data and analytics to guide the journey from both sides. // By Jane Weber Brubaker // When WebMD announced its acquisition of Mercury Healthcare in June 2022, the press release focused on patient engagement solutions. The headline reads “WebMD Health Corp. Acquires Mercury Read More

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

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

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

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

Sneak Peek at HMPS 2022

Judy Neiman, president, the Forum for Healthcare Strategists

Looking to recharge and reconnect? Head to the 27th Healthcare Marketing and Physician Strategies Summit in Salt Lake City, May 16-18. Not only will you finally be able to emerge from the metaverse of nonstop Zoom meetings and spend quality time with your peers — in person — the lineup of sessions will give you Read More

The Growth Imperative and Why Marketing Must Lead

Daniel Fell, marketing consultant and senior strategist at Optum

// By Daniel Fell // Growth is far from one-dimensional and shouldn’t be thought of in terms of new patients and new revenue only. Growth is important for every organization. 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 Read More

Report From the Front: Weathering COVID’s Ongoing Storm

Ann De Los Santos, director of physician relations and strategic growth, Ascension Texas

In spite of the population of Austin, Texas growing by a net of 150 people a day — and with it, an increase in demand for services — surgical volume at Ascension Texas dropped during the pandemic’s early days, when Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order mandating a pause in elective surgeries. “Our leadership Read More

Riding the Waves of COVID and Pushing Progress in Physician Relations

Jennifer Lofgren, regional director of network development, Loyola Medicine

// By Jane Weber Brubaker // The urgent need of health care organizations to make up for lost business during the pandemic creates an opportunity for physician relations teams to become the critical communications link between service-line leaders and high-priority referring physicians. In spite of the population of Austin, Texas growing by a net of Read More

Consumer Voice Is Essential to Launch of Medicare Advantage Product

Darrell Beneker, director of consumer insights, Advocate Aurora Health

// By Sheryl S. Jackson // There’s no substitute for market research when launching a new product and designing a campaign to support it. Advocate Aurora Health relied heavily on consumer research to support the launch of its Medicare Advantage plan.  The success of Advocate Aurora Health’s launch of a Medicare Advantage product can be Read More

Communicating Employee Vaccine Mandates: A Formula for Success

Don Stanziano and Emile Lee

Geisinger Health has implemented communications for the organization’s employee vaccine mandate that have helped to increase compliance by 27% in just two months. Learn about the effective strategies marketing leaders developed that you can use at your organization.

A new Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar for health care marketers and strategists

Presented on November 10, 2021

Your Presenters:

  • Don Stanziano, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, Geisinger Health
  • Emile Lee, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Geisinger Health

Watch Now »

Lessons from 11 Innovative Health Care Marketing Campaigns [Special Report]

Advertising Worth Noting

// By Peter Hochstein //

This exclusive SHCM special report is filled with real-life health care marketing success stories…from the best use of television ads, to innovative print campaigns, to smart radio spots and more.

Here, you’ll see what’s working well for other hospitals and health care facilities around the country so you can adapt the best work of others to your own marketing campaigns and boost your ROI. It’s an exciting time to be in the health care field, and we want to help you make the most of it.

Our goal for this report is to get the creative ideas flowing for your next successful campaign at your facility. I am confident you will come away with some new ways to present your unique offerings and strengths to your target market.

Read more »

Lessons from Retail: How Health Care Can Win by Adapting to Changes in Consumer Behavior

Annie Haarmann and Adeline Ashley

Discover how ProMedica uses customer feedback and a digital-first approach to consumers to achieve stellar results across more than 400 facilities in 28 states.

A Strategic Health Care Marketing webinar for marketers, communicators, and strategists at hospitals, health systems, and physician groups

Your Presenters:

  • Annie Haarmann, Head of Strategy and Consulting, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Reputation
  • Adeline Ashley, Director of Digital Strategy and Marketing Communications, ProMedica

Learn how to harness the power of digital to deliver a more retail-like experience in a changing environment. You’ll see real-world examples and learn best practices from health care leaders and industry disruptors.

Watch Now »

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

How Technology Is Saving the Graduate Medical Education Interview Season

Jason Reminick, MD, MBA, MS, CEO and Founder, Thalamus

Jason Reminick, MD, MBA, MS was stranded. In the fall of 2012, the then fourth-year medical student was gearing up for a series of residency interviews when Hurricane Sandy, a Category 3 hurricane, came barreling through the Northeast, making it impossible for him to attend his in-person interviews in New York City. “All the bridges Read More