Increase physician referrals at your facility

"Developing a 'practice story' can be motivating to the [staff]," says Lynn Steffes, PT, president of Steffes & Associates, a consulting firm in New Berlin, WI . "Extract the highlights and you'll have something special to say about your services."

Determine the appropriate referrals

Next, decide to whom to tell your story. These individuals could include

When considering which physicians to target, remember to focus on doctors who treat the patients who you want to see. For example, if a physician sees mostly Medicare beneficiaries and you aren't a Medicare provider, you're wasting your time trying to develop a referral relationship with him or her.

"You have to understand when a physician can refer to you," says Nancy Beckley, MS, MBA, president of Bloomingdale Consulting Group in Brandon, FL. Before establishing relationships, do your research.

Beckley also suggests printing a report from your billing system that lists the referring physicians for all of your patients in the past year. When you look through the report, you'll see clusters of physicians who referred a lot of patients, and also many physicians who referred only one patient each. Think about how many new patients you could begin treating if each of these physicians referred two patients to you in the coming year, instead of just one.

"You could increase your referrals by 50% if each of those doctors sent you two patients," says Beckley .

Also touch base periodically with those physicians who refer many patients to you, although you most likely have already developed a solid professional relationship with them.

Refine the list by determining which physicians referred a patient to you for an unlikely reason, as they may not refer to you again in the future. Determine where the remaining physicians work, what insurance coverage their patients have, and create a file containing this information.

"Take a select number of doctors and get as much information as you can on them before you put your finger on the phone," says Beckley .

Tip: If you have a specialty program, you may be able to expand your geographic referral zone because patients will travel farther for services that they can't get closer to home.

Make a connection

Now that you have a preliminary list of physicians to target, connect with them by

Relying strictly on mail probably isn't your best bet, says Steffes. "Too many people get caught up sending out letters or brochures, but there are so many competing providers," says Steffes. "You really want a physician to be able to put a name with a face."

And don't be discouraged if you don't get to meet with or speak directly to the physician. Often, receptionists, nurses, or referral managers can be just as helpful in solidifying the referral as the physicians themselves.

Encourage patient feedback

At the end of treatment, do your patients often thank you for helping them? If so, ask them to pass that praise on to the referring physician.

"Great patient care is the most powerful connector," says Steffes. "When patients thank a doctor for sending them to you, it leaves a huge impression."

Don't be shy about encouraging patients to pass along positive feedback, says Beckley . "There's no reason a therapist can't say, 'If you've enjoyed your treatment and you feel it helped you, we'd appreciate it if you let your doctor know.' "

Also ask patients to write down their praises and include these notes in the discharge summary. Physicians can then see that they made a wise choice by referring their patient to you.

Give and take

Physician referrals are not a one-way street. Just as doctors can help you build your practice, you can do the same for them. For example, a patient may come to you first, and you may refer him or her to a physician with whom you have a relationship before beginning the plan of care.

"I call it the great equalizer, when therapists start referring to physicians," says Steffes. "The physicians start to realize that we are another point of entry into their office, and it levels the playing field."

You may also want to follow up on any patients with complicated treatment plans. "Follow up on a complex patient [by going] back to the doctor to ask how things are going," says Steffes. "It shows a genuine concern for the patient's care."

Relationship upkeep

Remember the old saying-it's harder to gain a new customer than to keep an old one. So once you have all the referral relationships that you can possibly handle, you want to make sure that they remain active partnerships. To do so, continue following up with patients and physician offices.

In many states, therapists have some form of direct access, and physicians will look to you to provide them with patients as well.

Also consider attaching satisfaction surveys to discharge summaries so physicians see that you meet patient needs on an ongoing basis.

"There are two important steps in getting great referrals," says Steffes. "First you must deserve them, and [second] you must ask for them."