HCPro.com: The Doctor's Office

Every issue of The Doctor's Office offers practice management and marketing ideas that can save you money-plus marketing suggestions that can grow your practice.

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July 2008 (Volume 27, Issue 7)	view entire issue

Realize the potential convenience of new media
The online world defines new media as computer-enhanced communication that includes nontraditional ways of delivering advertising and marketing messages to your consumers. New media vehicles such as Web sites, blogs, and e-newsletters are overwhelmingly popular marketing tools in many industries, and for good reason. "People have long commutes to work. They are really busy and don't have time to read," says Kelly Robbins, MA, founder of A Marketing Connection, Inc., in Broomfield, CO. "Today you have to catch people's attention even quicker and touch them in a unique way."

Understand types of referral sources to reach out in the right way
If you're not connecting on a personal level with your fellow physicians, you'll probably be another specialty practice waiting around for referrals. However, to make a meaningful connection, you need to understand the different types of referring practices and tailor your outreach strategy accordingly. Every physician should be familiar with his or her sources of referral business.

Five steps to capture more self-pay revenue in your practice
As an increasing share of healthcare costs has been shifted by employers to their employees, copays and deductibles have gone up substantially. This increase has left providers with a significant amount of outstanding self-pay revenue to collect. In a recent interview, Jay Gonsalves, president and owner of the Action Collection Agency of Boston, offered his outlook on this topic. "I believe that health reform will create higher copays and deductibles for consumers to be responsible to have to pay, not unlike the direction managed care has been heading in the past years."

Find effective marketing from the right practice administrator
In an ideal world, you'd be able to hire an experienced professional marketing director to manage your program-that is if your practice is large enough and has room in the budget. But if someone else handles marketing development, such as a physician, a practice administrator, or another executive, it is vital that the person is able to devote the appropriate time to the job. Ideally, this is an individual who understands the importance of relationship building and customer service. This individual will make sure that physicians are on time for appointments and that they follow up appropriately with referring physicians.

Focus group veterans share their secrets
Of all the tools in a healthcare marketer's toolkit, the focus group is one of the most valuable. However, just as a carpenter shouldn't operate a table saw without proper training, a physician practice shouldn't conduct a focus group without the right knowledge. The foremost mistake medical groups make with this exercise is trying to accomplish too much in what should be a narrowly focused session, says Kenneth T. Hertz, CMPE, a senior consultant and principal at the Medical Group Management Association.

Try humor to reach the next generation of patients
How do you compete in a crowded market when other facilities offer unique services, such as spa-like amenities, or have the advantage of strong name recognition? For St. Mary's Medical Center in San Francisco, the answer was to reach out to the 20-somethings known as transitional professionals. Research performed by St. Mary's agency, Mortar PR in San Francisco, which included informal discussion groups with a variety of age and gender groups, as well as more traditional market research, showed that families were leaving the city and the elderly population was in decline.

Team building retreats: A time for renewal, reflection
The thought of holding a team building retreat might sound like a frivolous bonding experience to some busy physicians. But in the ever-changing and highly innovative healthcare industry, retreats can be a critical component in helping maintain your practice's focus on quality care and productivity. "The challenge for physicians is that they have to care for their patients, but they also have to manage their practice," says Randy Bauman, president of Delta Healthcare in Brentwood, TN. "They have to realize that not only are they in charge as a doctor, but they are responsible as a leader and a manager. They need to step back and look at their business with a strategic perspective."

Use exchange-traded funds to build a diversified portfolio
Editor's note: This is part one of a six-part series on specific ways to invest your money. Future columns will cover the following areas: alternative investments (hedge funds, private equity, real estate), mutual funds, fixed-income investing, separately managed accounts, and life insurance or annuities.

Other recently-published articles from The Doctor's Office:

Municipal bonds present risk—and opportunity

Evaluate your partners to assure the quality you want

Malpractice: Admissions and the medical apology

An elephant walks into a doctor’s office …

Tighten security measures to keep records safe

Sharing insurance cards poses serious healthcare risks

Swift action vital in fighting medical identity theft

Communication is key to ensuring accurate medical records

HIPAA refresher helps maintain medical record privacy

Design your practice layout to enhance patient privacy

Thwart drug seekers before they get into the exam room

Understanding, accomodating generational differences

Thirteen common HR mistakes and how to fix them

Put in the extra care when coding consultations in your practice

An effective exit interview generates honest feedback

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