1. Offer free preseason physicals for youth athletes. If physicians can identify physical deformities or the potential for overuse injuries, they can create an individual workout plan for an athlete based on the athlete’s condition. This includes providing advice for appropriate conditioning and exercise techniques for someone with flatfoot deformity, identifying the right sized equipment for each athlete and instructing left-handed pitchers about preserving their arm, as the natural deliver of many left-handed pitchers incurs increased stress on the rotator cuff. Many states require this type of preseason physical; an orthopedic or sports medicine practice can achieve an edge over other practices by offering a “free” preseason clinic day for young athletes. While the initial physical is free, the athletes establish a relationship with practice physicians for the future.
Additionally, many orthopedic and sports medicine practices hold “sports injury” clinics during the fall in order to accommodate young athletes playing games on Friday nights or Saturday mornings. These clinics usually include a physician and nurse as well as imaging staff in order to correctly diagnose and treat the athlete’s injury. Having convenient hours for young athletes is important for every sports medicine practice.
2. Stand on the sidelines at high school athletic events. When a sports medicine practice is affiliated with a high school athletic department or team, the practice should send a physician to stand on the sidelines at each game. Sideline physicians evaluate and treat game-day injuries for the athlete as well as advise the coaches as to whether an athlete should return to play after an injury. Standing on the sidelines also creates additional exposure for the physician because sporting events are attended by team parents and the greater community.
3. Host educational sessions and answer questions. Many orthopedic and sports medicine practices offer coaches and athletes preseason presentations for preventative care education. These presentations often draw an audience of potential patients and their parents, who could also be potential patients, says Angie Van Utrecht, director of operations at Orthopedic Specialists in Davenport, Iowa. After the clinic, the presenting physician should offer to answer informal, individual questions. This way, parents or athletes can approach the physician and ask questions they did not want to pose in front of a large group.
Ms. Van Utrecht says that when one of the physicians from Orthopedic Specialists offered to answer individual questions, many of the parents lined up to ask questions about injuries or pain they were experiencing. Essentially, the physician gave free advice to the contributing audience members, which helped him form a relationship with future patients. “He absolutely connected with these individuals and took the time to answer all their questions,” says Ms. Van Utrecht.
4. Become active in community leadership and events. Orthopedic physician leaders can hold leadership positions within their city and participate in informal community events. Michael Cox, PhD, CEO of Central Maine Orthopedics, sits on the board of directors of his area’s Chamber of Commerce, for example. The practice has also supported local events, such as the Dempsey Challenge, an event hosted by hometown celebrity Patrick Dempsey and Central Maine Medical Center to raise money for a local Dempsey Cancer Center. In addition, CMO has also created a benevolent foundation supporting local agencies involved with health and human services. This has helped to increase the practice’s visibility and to make the practice a household name in the community.
5. Form a professional relationship with hospitals and primary care physicians. One way to coordinate a face-to-face meeting with several primary care physicians in your area is to host an educational luncheon. Have each orthopedic surgeon give a presentation about their subspecialty, such as going over MRI for shoulder surgery or when to get epidural instead of recommending surgery for back problems. The lunch also fosters an environment where the physicians can get to know each other. “The surgeon is able to shake hands with the primary care physician and their staff,” says Peter Althausen, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Reno Orthopaedic Clinic and chairman of the board of directors of The Orthopaedic Implant Company. Bring the practice office manager to the lunches to ensure your practice will be easily accessible for the primary care physicians.
In many communities, healthcare systems and hospitals employ primary care physicians, and if you want access to them, you must have a good relationship with the hospital. You can market your expertise to hospital administrators through statistics that show you have good outcomes and few complications. You can also present patient outcome reviews to accomplish this goal, says Dr. Althausen.
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