// By Ritch Eich // In my youth, I played several sports, like many boys of my generation. My friends and I didn’t know what sports camps or private lessons were. Often, our playing field was the street or an abandoned field next to the train tracks by an old cannery used to store excess Read More
“A hospital ‘call center’ often has been considered an irritating expense health care organizations have to endure, because people use phones and want to reach a doctor or patient in the hospital,” Andrea Simon, Ph.D. says. “But maybe it’s time to ask, ‘What if we’ve always been wrong?’” Andrea J. Simon, Ph.D. is a corporate Read More
So let’s say you’re out to build a hospital system’s brand. And let’s also say you’re in one of the biggest markets (Dallas-Fort Worth) in one of the biggest states (Texas), competing against some of the biggest regional names in health care. While you’ve got a $2.7 million budget to work with, exclusive of direct Read More
// By Ruth Padilla, MA and David Zirkle, PhD // Some savvy hospitals are turning to the latest technological advances to engage younger health care consumers. Millennials, who are defined as individuals between the ages of 18 and 34, will surpass Baby Boomers as the nation’s largest living generation in 2015. Also known as Gen Read More
In pursuit of high-quality, cost-effective care that revolves around the patient, many health care organizations seek new ways to foster system-wide collaboration. This concept involves breaking down barriers that have traditionally separated payers, providers, and patients to enable everyone to work more closely together to meet common goals. Such a way of doing business, commonly Read More
Is bigger better? For Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC), a 49-bed rural hospital in Grinnell, Iowa, affiliating with the larger Mercy Health Network in Des Moines has certainly had its benefits. Back in 2009, when GRMC first decided to explore creating an affiliation with a bigger network, there was growing recognition that for a community Read More
“It’s a marriage made in heaven,” notes Melissa Fors, Executive Director of Marketing Strategy for the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation: “In February 2014, two of the nation’s best-known substance abuse treatment organizations—Hazelden and the Betty Ford Center—said ‘I do’ to a merger. This agreement marked the culmination of more than 30 years of connectedness between Read More
// By Andrea Simon, Ph.D. // A hospital “call center” often has been considered an irritating expense health care organizations have to endure, because people use phones and want to reach a doctor or patient in the hospital. But maybe it’s time to ask, “What if we’ve always been wrong?” Maybe a call center actually Read More
Notable Health Care Advertising // By Peter Hochstein // So let’s say you’re out to build a hospital system’s brand. And let’s also say you’re in one of the biggest markets in one of the biggest states, competing against some of the biggest regional names in health care. Although, exclusive of direct marketing, you’ve got Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis In pursuit of high-quality, cost-effective care that revolves around the patient, many health care organizations seek new ways to foster system-wide collaboration. This concept involves breaking down barriers that have traditionally separated payers, providers, and patients to enable everyone to work more closely together to meet common goals. Such a way Read More
By Lisa Ellis Is bigger better? For Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC), a 49-bed rural hospital in Grinnell, Iowa, affiliating with the larger Mercy Health Network in Des Moines has certainly had its benefits. This affiliation was approved back in 2009, after GRMC’s leadership decided to look for new ways to position itself so it Read More
“Eighty percent of CEOs don’t really trust marketers,” says Mike Milligan, President of Legato Healthcare Marketing, Inc., citing a recent Fournaise Marketing Group survey of high-level decisions-makers. “This is painful for me to say because I’ve been on both sides of the health care marketing table. But I’ve also learned that before you can overcome a Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis The leadership at Kaiser Permanente recognizes the importance of not only caring for the people their health care system serves, but also of protecting the health of the communities where its members live, work, and play. That’s why, in addition to providing health and wellness services for its members, Kaiser Permanente Read More
By Melissa Fors It’s a marriage made in heaven. In February 2014, two of the nation’s best-known substance abuse treatment organizations—Hazelden and the Betty Ford Center—said, “I do” to a merger. This agreement marked the culmination of more than 30 years of connectedness between the two organizations. A Snapshot of the Two Organizations Hazelden, founded Read More
“The consumerization of health care means your customer is now in control,” notes Lindsay Resnick, Chief Marketing Officer of KBM Group: Health Services. “They are comparing prices, quality, convenience, and outcomes as they post reviews; and, refer friends and family—one way or the other. And a constant stream of technology innovation makes it easier and easier Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis When patients come to your hospital for services, do you take the time to spotlight your organization’s strengths and let them know how much you value their health and well-being? If not, you could be missing an important opportunity to improve your patient satisfaction ratings and also get them to recommend Read More
By Mike Milligan Eighty percent of CEOs don’t really trust marketers, according to a recent Fournaise Marketing Group survey of high-level decisions-makers. Eighty percent! This is painful for me to say because I’ve been on both sides of the health care marketing table. But I’ve also learned that before you can overcome a challenge, you Read More
[Webinar on Demand] Until recently, health care marketers have focused primarily on generating volume: putting as many “heads in the beds” as possible. But with recent changes in health care reimbursement, hospitals and health systems are transitioning from getting people into their facilities to keeping them healthy. And health care marketers are an important part Read More
// By Lindsay R. Resnick, MHA // The consumerization of health care means your customer is now in control: budgeting health benefits, choosing providers, and navigating care delivery options. They are comparing prices, quality, convenience, and outcomes as they post reviews; and, refer friends and family—one way or the other. And a constant stream 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 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 marketing and communications Read More
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to providing high quality care. For the past 25 years, this multi-disciplinary facility has been ranked in the top two cancer centers in the United States, according to U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis Most people know the University of Connecticut because of its success in running one of the top college basketball programs in the nation. But this small state school has also been gaining a big reputation off the court, too, through its cutting-edge health care organization, which has been accomplishing big things Read More
By Lisa D. Ellis The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston has always been on the cutting edge when it comes to providing high quality care. For the past 25 years, this multi-disciplinary facility has been ranked in the top two cancer centers in the United States, according to U.S. News & Read More
“If you’re designing a prevention or health improvement program, you want to increase your chances for success,” says health care marketing expert Susan Dubuque. “And that’s possible if you build your program on a solid foundation of ‘theory,’” she says. While talk of behavioral change theory may prompt yawning or eye rolls, Dubuque notes, it’s 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