Hospital Marketing Journal

Physician Marketing – A Question of Balance

Part 2 of 3

by Scott Mosley, Vice President of Strategy

In a blog post last month, I outlined five strategic focuses as the foundation for effective physician marketing.  I’ll address the first two of these in this follow-up post and the last three in a subsequent post. Ten Adams’ experience leads us to focus on five vital areas as we work with clients on physician engagement and marketing. Administrative Leadership Engagement (Leveraging Openness and Operational Authority) Outreach Program/Coordinators (Extending Balanced, Personalized Sales/Service) Education/Medical Orientation (Providing Valuable Insights) Print/Electronic Communications (Providing Access to Credible Information) Data on Utilization/Referral Patterns (Identifying and Targeting Opportunity) As healthcare industry leaders, we need to find ways to create balanced relationships that work, engaging physicians as vital partners in successfully negotiating a dramatic shift in how healthcare is delivered. Strategic Focus #1 Administrative Leadership Engagement Leveraging Openness and Operational Authority Effective physician marketing starts with the attitude and positioning of the organization’s administrative leadership and management groups.  The posture of the management group typically reflects perspectives at the executive level of the organization, serving to amplify executive leadership's point-of-view on building quality working relationships with physicians. It is important to understand that physician engagement is a key responsibility shared by each of the organization’s top administrative leaders.  The impact of a solid, well-focused outreach program is enhanced immensely when the efforts of outreach coordinators (physician liaisons) are coupled with those at the executive level of the organization. The most important engagement is on the part of senior executives with direct administrative responsibility for key service lines.  Physicians and other medical practitioners understand and respect the influence that these senior leaders have over operations and the ability to directly respond to a physician’s operational issues and concerns. Strategic Focus #2 Outreach Program/Coordinators Extending Balanced, Personalized Sales/Service The outreach coordinator (physician liaison) sits at the intersection of hospital goals and physician/practice needs.  They are charged with "balancing" attention to the hospital's interests and needs/priorities of physicians, working to optimize utilization and referral patterns.  This role is absolutely vital today but will be even more so as healthcare reform elevates the importance of hospital/physician integration under accountable payment systems. The most effective outreach programs are designed to meet the needs of the organizations they serve.  These needs range from a strong focus on organizational growth (sales orientation) to a strong focus on resolving service issues (service orientation).  Most organizations’ outreach efforts reflect a balanced emphasis of sales and service with the majority leaning toward service.  This reflects the general evolution of healthcare as organizations across the country move toward fuller hospital-physician integration.  This sharpens the focus on collaborative efforts to improve clinical efficiency and service delivery. Experienced healthcare leaders point to three factors determining the effectiveness of outreach efforts, each worthy of attention. Driving Outreach with Individual Physician Data – selecting physician outreach targets using individual physician data analysis to maximize the impact and return on investment in the outreach program. Aligning the Focus of the Outreach Program with Hospital Strategy – alignment of the outreach programs principal focus and goals with organizational strategy to ensure the proper objectives drive the work of outreach consultants. Personalizing Outreach to Physicians – gaining the support and involvement of engaged physicians in performing outreach activities, taking advantage of existing relationships to enhance the overall effectiveness of the outreach program.

ACO WEBINAR - Pulling Off the Band-Aid: Easing the Pain of Healthcare Reform

Accountable care has arrived.  Some have begun to invest in a new level of performance and accountability. Others are not as far along. Where do you stand? Join us on April 17th at 3 pm eastern to learn ways your organization can smoothly transition from a volume-based to value-based ACO model of care. The concept of the ACO is beyond overwhelming when we start to think of the logistics of a transition. Learn where to start + some tips to help ease the growing pains along the way. Discover how wellness initiatives are a critical component to this transition, and learn ways to leverage your wellness initiatives as a critical element in the creation of a successful ACO. This complimentary online webinar is delivered by a panel of national experts in hospital marketing, lasts one hour and covers a variety of topics focusing on ways to smoothly transition during healthcare reform. Together, we will: Discuss the vision for the future of ACOs Explore a comparison of the volume-based healthcare model with the value-based ACO model Discuss programs that will yield the healthiest bottom line for the ACO Learn about the integrative medicine center and how it will ease the transition to an ACO Explore the importance of elevating wellness to the status of a Center of Excellence Discuss today’s reality of adverse health trends (and why wellness is more critical than ever before) Focus on the 10 keys to successful wellness initiatives Highlight ways to get your many audiences on-board with (and excited about!) wellness Review common components of corporate wellness Learn more about community health promotion Review a case study of a successful women’s wellness initiative (and plenty of anecdotes!)   FEATURED SPEAKERS: Russell Faust, PhD, MD Guest Faculty at Oakland University School of Business, Executive MBA Program in Healthcare, social media consultant and Chief Medical Officer for Anicca Media, LLC, a digital media agency helping physician practices + hospitals connect with their online patient communities + physicians. Jon Headlee: President, Ten Adams, applies his 20 years of healthcare industry knowledge developing + nurturing the strategic vision for hospital clients. Working closely with hospital executives, he helps 'connect the dots' between increasing revenue + developing brand leadership. As a speaker + author, Jon simplifies the complex and focuses on delivering quantifiable results for clients. Space is limited; so be sure to register at http://bit.ly/GSjmNg.

Physician Marketing – A Question of Balance

by Scott Mosley, Vice President of Strategy

Over the course of my career, few things have consistently presented more significant challenges than development of physician relationships.  Search the published literature and you’ll find very little of a comprehensive roadmap for building physician referral volume.  There is really no set formula to guide a process which is, by necessity, tailored to individual physicians guided by their particular practice dynamics. Dr. Stephen C. Beason, author of Engaging Physicians: A Manual to Physician Partnership, points out that “physician support of a particular health system is based on factors that many healthcare leaders don’t recognize, leaving well-intentioned leaders to wonder in frustration why physicians maintain a distance in their hospital relationship.”  I’d suggest this common dilemma is rooted in failure to understand the nature of the hospital-physician value proposition. The Value Proposition In the end, physicians do for a healthcare organization what the organization has done for them.  They will partner with healthcare leaders when trust and confidence are earned, clinical efficiency is consistently demonstrated and they are provided meaningful input in guiding the priorities of the organization.  They must have faith in a true “balance” between the needs of the hospital and needs of the physician in setting the organization’s agenda.  This faith in a “balanced” approach to guiding the hospital’s development is the essence of effective physician marketing. Physicians and health system leaders want the same things.  They depend on each other to achieve their respective goals.  Good outcomes are assured in the presence of trust and collaboration – the foundation for an engaged relationship.  This is the primary source of mutual value to the healthcare organization and its medical partners; an engaged, mutually-beneficial working relationship.  It’s hard to achieve and even harder to maintain. Communications Synergy The importance of synergy across the full scope of communications can’t be overstated.  The organization's messages targeting physicians and consumers must reinforce each other.  The goal is a sense of confidence, shared by the medical community and the patients they treat at or refer to your organization. Achieving this shared sense of confidence is a function of three things.  First, the way that people who provide service and support to physicians and patients conduct themselves.  Hiring the right people, training them well and providing them with the right incentives are all of vital importance.  Secondly, being crystal clear in how the organization frames its messaging and the image it promotes.  Finally, views on the quality of the organization’s clinical products and processes are a vital factor in building confidence with physicians as well as the general public. Strategic Framework Ten Adams believes that there are five strategic focuses at the core of effective physician marketing. Administrative Leadership Engagement Outreach Program/Coordinators Education/Medical Orientation Print/Electronic Communications Data on Utilization/Referral Patterns I’ll address each of these focuses in subsequent blog posts, but let me offer a closing thought for this post: The era of integration has arrived.  It’s time to re-evaluate all our customer relationships – and include the physician in this process.  Physicians are a healthcare organization’s best customers, affording the greatest marketing opportunity, when we create relationships that work.  We are destined to negotiate a dramatic shift in how healthcare is delivered, together.

Hospital Marketing Leadership Webinar:

ROI, Measurement & Accountability for Hospital Marketers

Hospital executives are confronted everyday with demands for accountability for all expenses, including their traditional marketing campaigns as well as new media.  Asked to do more with less, hospital marketers are forced to build the hospital brand, develop and implement patient acquisition strategies, promote their integrated physician practices and all of this on tight and dwindling budgets.  It’s tough enough convincing hospital administrators of the importance of marketing without having to also show them that the proposed marketing campaigns are working optimally.  Being able to measure and report ROI for hospital marketing campaigns is an important and vital step in this overall process.  Unfortunately, measuring marketing results and reporting ROI for hospital marketing campaigns can be challenging.  In the healthcare industry, it’s a lot easier to measure an increase in referrals – broken down by each referring physician – than it would be to try and figure out how many patients checked in after viewing or reading a particular advertisement.   This is particularly true because patients are not good at reporting why they’ve chosen one hospital over another. The healthcare industry has gotten a bad rap at reporting marketing effectiveness ROI.  In the 2009 HealthLeaders Media Industry Survey, marketing leaders at hospitals and health systems were asked what emphasis their organization will place on measuring the ROI of marketing efforts in the next three years. The largest number of respondents (85%) said they'll use a mix or anecdotal and financial evidence to measure return, although only 6.74% say they'll employ hard, financial ROI measurement exclusively. Do you feel somewhat behind the times regarding the most recent methods to measure successful hospital marketing? Do you need some assistance figuring out how to demonstrate return on your hospital marketing investments?  Are you interested in learning where to start and what mistakes to avoid? Ten Adams and Hospital Executive Today, and producer, Social Media Training, Inc., are teaming up for a live Webinar, entitled, Hospital Marketing Leadership:  ROI, Meaurement and Accountability for Hospital Marketers.  The webinar will be held on Thursday, November 17, 2011, from 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm eastern and includes such well-known speakers as: Chris Boyer, Director of Digital and Communications, Inova Health System Jon Headlee, President, Ten Adams Jake Wengroff, Frost & Sullivan, Global Director of Social Media Strategy and Research  Topics of discussion will include: Discover 5 Steps to measuring the success of your marketing campaigns Learn why accountability is the fastest road to marketing success Learn how to be accountable to and communicate with the New Hospital Consumer Learn how to get better results with a smaller budget Connect the dots from your hospital marketing strategy to ROI Understand how new media & social media can allow you to achieve more with less Case studies of successful hospital marketing strategies Don’t miss this great webinar so you can learn to take the best approach to measuring your hospital’s marketing effectiveness and ROI.    Space is limited.   To register go to https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/422117334

Hospital Branding Webinar:

How to Stand Out in the Sea of Sameness

“Hospital branding” is an important topic today – the center of many discussions among hospital marketing professionals throughout the U.S. With many hospitals merging or consolidating, and the pressure from high operating costs, hospitals need to find and send the message that spells “value” to their prospective patients. Understanding “hospital branding,” how it is defined, how it is accomplished, and what strategies and tactics can be employed to make it work, is a marketing concept that needs some answers. Because this topic is so important, Ten Adams is sponsoring an informative Webinar entitled, Hospital Branding: How To Stand Out In A Sea of Sameness. This free Webinar will be held on Monday, October 10, 2011 for one hour, starting at 10:00 AM (Pacific Time). The Webinar is open to anyone interested in hospital and healthcare marketing. Jon Headlee, President of Ten Adams, said, “Ten Adams is proud to sponsor this upcoming event. We realize how difficult it is today for hospitals to make those all-important branding decisions – to develop their marketing strategy amidst a tough economic climate, where they are forced to deal with increasing regulation and inadequate reimbursement, and despite all of those challenges, trying to figure out how to bring in more patients to boost revenue.” The hospital and healthcare industry have grown and matured to a state where they must make some difficult decisions regarding their branding, in order to compete for future market share. The Webinar is designed to help marketers and administrators understand a variety of branding issues - to see that the hospital brand is so much more than just the logo and tagline, encompassing the entire patient experience. This online training is delivered by a panel of national experts in hospital branding, covering such topics as: What makes a great hospital brand? The importance of delivering a great experience A powerful brand is much more than a name, tagline or logo How brands are built from the inside-out, but sustained from the outside-in Discover how to find your hospital’s key brand differentiator How strong brands drive patient volume and increase revenue How and where your hospital brand is being judged every day Social media’s impact on your hospital’s brand & how to get better at managing it Keeping everyone happy: great brands are sustained by great communication Case studies and anecdotes Speakers at the Webinar include: Jake Wengroff: Global Director, Social Media Strategy & Research, Frost & Sullivan Dan Rogers: CoFounder of Bearings Branding Jon Headlee: President of Ten Adams Guest Hospital Speaker: To be announced shortly The Premiere Sponsor is Ten Adams. Webinar Host: Social Media Training, Inc. and Media Sponsor: Hospital Executive Today. Click here to register: Sign up https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/244860142