Physicians Practice - September 2008 - (Page 83) CME START IT UP: PATIENT RELATIONS SHOUT FROM THE ROOFTOPS BY L AURIE HYL AND ROBERTSON, BA HOW TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT ABOUT YOUR NEW PRACTICE It’s a favorite daydream of many new practice owners: becoming “self-sustaining” so that they no longer have to spend time soliciting business and can really get down to patient care without distraction. And while no successful practice ever stops attending to patient relations, plenty of practices do eventually reach a point at which they don’t need to focus resources on formal marketing. In the beginning, you need to make connections with potential patients and sources of patients, marketing yourself and letting people know what you have to offer. “People like my office, they like the experience, they refer their friends and family, and I don’t have to do any marketing,” says West Virginia dermatologist Beth R. Santmyire-Rosenberger. “We haven’t done much advertising for the past year, and we’re booked. Most of our referrals are word of mouth.” But in specialties that were previously the domain of the wellconnected super-doc with a stable of referral-funneling colleagues, patients are now shopping around LEARNING OBJECTIVES After completing this article, readers will be able to: • Use key physician characteristics in • Employ community outreach their marketing campaign to improve practice visibility and recognition. strategies as a means of attracting and retaining patients. long-term patient relations planning. • Evaluate the role of technology in WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM capital on precious extra minutes a lot more, even with referrals in with patients. Make sure they hand. “Things have changed,” says have a stellar experience from the Marilou Terpenning, MD. “Today, very first scheduling phone call to many of my patients ‘interview’ me the final bill and beyond before deciding to receive (patient satisfaction treatment with us.” surveys, anyone?). Because of this ABOUT THIS SERIES As Santmyirepropensity for Have you been pondering striking out on your own, making the leap from Rosenberger doctor-shopemployed associate to practice owner? Or are you notes, “An ping, many just starting out in practice, and wondering if it’s opinion of me practices will worth going even deeper into debt to start your own and my office need to begin venture rather than getting “a job”? is formed building in Whatever your situation, Physicians Practice is here to before people time for help with our comprehensive six-part guide to starting a even meet extended conmedical practice. In addition to the pre-opening day planning advice you may have seen in other such me.” How sultations and guides, we’ll delve deeper into the key milequickly the simply consider stones you’ll need to meet for success long phone is answered, them part of the after you cut the ribbon. how pleasant the cost of doing busireceptionist is, whether ness, as in Terpenning’s the plants in the waiting Santa Monica hematology/ room are wilting — such seemingly oncology practice. trivial things make a big impression In general, now is the time to on patients. spend a little of your personal SEPTEMBER 2008 | PHYSICIANS PRACTICE | 83 http://WWW.PHYSICIANSPRACTICE.COM
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