1. Expand to satellite locations. If you are looking to remain competitive in a metropolitan area, construct the flagship practice in a central location and then build satellite practices out into the suburbs or surrounding areas. Rothman Institute has its central practice in Philadelphia and has satellite locations in the suburbs, Atlantic City area and New Jersey. Having several locations around the area is more convenient for patients because they can visit the practice closest to them instead of traveling several miles into the city or central location for their visits, says Todd Albert, MD, spine surgeon and president of Rothman Institute in Philadelphia. “In the past, a practice could just be great and patients would come to see them,” he says. “That doesn’t work anymore. We keep growing our patient base as we reach out geographically.”
2. Give public lectures at sports clubs or gyms. Collaborate with a local sports club or gym to give a presentation on the best practices for nursing injuries, staying healthy and keeping a nutritious lifestyle. “Typically, the population that attends these sorts of events are the middle and older age group,” says James N. Gladstone, MD, co-chief of sports medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. “I often find that people come in and their knees hurt because they are overweight. They want to lose the weight but can’t run. We can be helpful in offering alternatives based on the patient’s specific ability.” Some of these alternatives include dieting, walking, swimming and bicycling. Dr. Gladstone also emphasizes stretching among his older patients, especially if they only occasionally engage in sporting activities. While the information isn’t necessarily sports-related, the surgeon is still building a reputation among a potential patient-base.
To attract a younger crowd, cater your lecture topics toward issues affecting them. For example, you can hold a lecture about youth sports injury prevention or the best practices for remaining injury-free for serious young athletes. You can also speak about topics such as concussion management and invite coaches and parents of young and high school-aged athletes to attend. Holding these lectures in the evening or on the weekend may fit best into the schedule of people from this demographic.
3. Become involved in the community. Actively participating in community events and leadership positions can be a strong source of networking and exposure for hte practice. Michael Cox, PhD, CEO of Central Main Orthopedics, sits on the board of directors of his area’s Chamber of Commerce, for example. CMO 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.
4. Tell patients they can recommend you to their friends. While orthopedic surgeons assume patients with a good experience will tell their friends, asking them to refer your services goes further to promote the ever-important word-of-mouth reputation. “You’re your patients that the best way to show they are happy with their care is to refer family and friends if they are seeking orthopedic services,” says Karen Rocks, principle consultant and owner of Sparkfire Marketing. “Just hearing this from their physicians really enforces that idea.”
5. Use social media to reach the right patients for your practice. There are several potential benefits to using social media at your practice, but you must have a clear plan from the beginning. Decide what you want to accomplish through social media and how you are going to get there. For example, orthopedic surgeons who are currently practicing general orthopedics and would like to be more subspecialized can attract more of their subspecialty through social media. “Put the message out there targeting the appropriate patient about why someone would be better off by coming to you,” says John Luginbill, CEO of The Heavyweights, a marketing company.
After launching your social media strategy, focus on measuring its effectiveness. “The beauty about social media is because you can do it in an automated and comprehensive way, you know exactly how many people are finding you,” says Mr. Luginbill. “Target the type of work you want with social media and measure what is coming in. We’ve seen orthopedic spine surgeons who were doing one spine surgery per week grow to 20 spine surgeries per week using almost exclusively social media as a way to be found.”
Related Articles on Orthopedic Practices:
6 Ways Orthopedic Practices Can Prepare for Young Athletes
5 Ways to Keep Physician Partners Happy at Orthopedic Practices
10 Things to Know About EHR in Orthopedic Practices
