1. Develop a relationship with local schools and athletic departments
Dr. Kremchek’s practice currently provides services to 18 high schools, and he serves as orthopedist to Wittenberg College and the Cincinnati Reds. He says that partnering with a local high school or college team can be a good way to bring patients to your practice; however, he does have suggestions in how practices should partner with these entities.
First, it is important for physicians to invest in more than just the high school’s football or basketball team.
“A lot of physicians only focus on contact sports, but other athletes — women’s teams, baseball — will need to use the services of your practice,” Dr. Kremchek says.
Dr. Kremchek also suggests getting involved with all aspects of a team, rather than occasionally attending a game or two. “Go to games, functions and fundraisers,” he says. “People want to see their doctor in the community, and it is important to show that you care about the school and the kids. It’s a great way to get the community to see you and your practice. Then, you can build a good reputation on the results of those patients coming to the office.”
Community involvement is more than just attending events related to the specific sports teams in the schools, Dr. Kremchek says. He suggests that physicians should get involved with the school’s curriculum and take the opportunity to speak in front of the school’s science or biology classes or at career days.
“It gives physicians the chance to discuss what they do,” Dr. Kremchek says. “I love doing that. The kids get to see you on a different level than just in the office setting.”
Another effective way for practices to achieve greater community integration is to establish a reputation for performing a specific procedure, such as Tommy John or arthroscopic rotator cuff surgeries, or for treating athletes in a specific sport, according to Dr. Kremchek.
He also suggests that if a practice has a physical therapy department, members of the department should go out to the schools and teams that the practice may serve to work with the student-athletes. “It should be considered an extension of the PT’s practice that goes beyond seeing patients pre- and post-op,” Dr. Kremchek says.
He suggests having physical therapists visit student athletes to educate and institute programs on preventing sports injuries, rather than just seeing them just when injuries occur. This can help the community see the practice as more than just a place to take broken bones or sprains.
Although all of these efforts might take considerable time, Dr. Kremchek notes that it can be well worth the effort. “You are building a brand,” he says. “If you do spend time doing this, you can build the practice and become a part of the faculty, and it will be hard to be taken out of that position in the community.”
2. Build a strong team with a strong vision
Passion and enthusiasm are essential to developing a successful practice, according to Dr. Kremchek “I love sports and the competitiveness of sports,” he says. “I became a surgeon because of that.”
Finding a team of individuals who share the same passion for the practice is essential to its success, which is what Dr. Kremchek says he has tried to accomplish. “Finding people with the same vision as you can be time-consuming, but it is very satisfying,” he says.
One of the advantages of building a team that shares a common vision is that the quality of care patients receive can be maintained as the practice grows and provides more sports medicine and other services.
“Once a practice creates a reputation for a certain quality of care, and primary care physicians and friends make referrals, it is important to have a staff that believes and adheres to that standard,” Dr. Kremchek says.
Dr. Kremchek has managed to accomplish this at his practice by overcoming a number of challenges and pursuing various means to grow the practice. One of the first problems he wanted to address was finding more ways in which he and his staff could deal with patients. “We could only see patients when I was in the office and not on days when I was performing surgery,” he says. “There was only so much of me to go around, so it made it difficult to grow the practice.”
For this reason, Dr. Kremchek emphasizes the importance “developing the people around you.” His team currently consists of a sports medicine physician, a physician assistant, several nurse first assistants and three medical assistants. By encouraging the team, patients can be seen at Dr. Kremchek’s practice even on days he is in surgery.
“The team can see follow-up patients and consultations,” he says. “We are able to expand the practice.”
Another aspect to building a solid practice is to open doors to younger physicians, according to Dr. Kremchek. “You can help to build the next generation of orthopedists and give them the security to grow under your practice,” he says. “It is also a good way to get more business and secure the future of your practice.”
3. Create your practice’s Web site as a portal for information
For orthopedics, young student athletes and other patients who are coming in for consultations or procedures rely on the Internet as their primary source for information. Dr. Kremchek, who operates a successful Web site at www.kremchek.com, suggests that orthopedic physicians and practices take advantage of this fact to get exposure in front of potential patients.
“Most people want free medical advice [when visiting a physician’s Web site],” Dr. Kremchek says, “and it’s important to give people what they want.”
Some of the kinds of information Dr. Kremchek says are popular are:
- prevention tips;
- information on the type of surgery they are having (Tommy John, rotator cuff, hip replacement, etc.);
- information relating to specific conditions (such as what exactly is a rotator cuff tear); and
- stories on new procedures or developments in orthopedics.
Additionally, the practice’s Web site can be a good avenue to announce different events sponsored by the practice. “We host free seminars on arthritis,” Dr. Kremchek says. “It’s a good way to get patients and have them come in and see the practice and meet the physicians.”
Patients who surf onto a practice’s Web site may also be interested in more information about the physicians at the practice, according to Dr. Kremchek. However, it is important to offer a potential patient something more than just credentials.
“Patients want to get information, learn who you are, what you can give them and what you are about,” he says. “Saying ‘I’m the greatest!’ is not effective. They want to learn something from your site. If you give them information, they will probably return when they need your services.”
For example, Dr. Kremchek’s Web site includes a section on tips for young pitchers and little league players on how to prevent injuries. Also included is a link under the “Patient Education” section to animations on different injuries and procedures that can be performed on different parts of the body. Additionally, information for patients to read before and after surgery is available.
Dr. Kremchek also notes the importance of making the information you dispense “free, easy and understandable.”
4. Maintain a high level of ethics
Above all, Dr. Kremchek says that is important for physicians to remember, as they establish their practices and become recognized names in their communities, to maintain a high-level of ethics.
“Other doctors may become jealous of your success,” he says. “However, it is important to take care of patients the right way, and be known as a good, ethical doctor.” This can be as simple as sending patients back to their original physician after they come back for a second opinion.
“If you can maintain your ethics,” Dr. Kremchek says, “you will maintain your practice.”
Dr. Kremchek is an orthopedist with Beacon Orthopedics & Sports Medicine (www.beaconortho.com). He is also medical director and chief orthopedic physician for the Cincinnati Reds. Learn more at www.kremchek.com.
