January 27, 2010 -- Hospital Impact has been ranked one of the top 50 healthcare blogs by Wikio.
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As I've mentioned previously, hospital marketing needs to kick it up a notch without getting into trouble. In this consumer-driven atmosphere, marketing is as important as ever.
Read the Rush University Hospital marketing story. In a nutshell, they were easily the #1 hospital in Chicago for decades, competitors came in and marketed aggressively, they became #4, then they launched a well-planned and well-executed marketing campaign. Now they've climbed a spot to #3, "Find a Doctor" queries are up 500%, calls to the physician referral line are up 100%, and outpatient volume is up 10%.
Also check out this healthleaders article on how to take your hospital marketing above the clutter. My favorite tips:
(1) People already assume that quality is good and your doctors are competent, so what's special about your hospital?
(2) Find those delighted (not just satisfied) patients and ask them to speak for you.
(3) Don't be reactive. Even if your competitor down the street comes out with an ad, don't one just to do one. (look outside of healthcare! check out this great blog on marketing/branding.)
Also read these articles for other hospital marketing news:
- Stats on hospital marketing levers: most used: appealing to emotion, and appealing to institution prestige
- hospital adds patient blogs to its marketing portfolio: lots of people noticed, but I don't know if it really worked
- this hospital is spending the $ to build a national brand: consumers are empowered and have more flexibility in their plans to choose, so why not market to them?
- In Louisiana, rural doctors and hospitals are collaborating in their marketing plans to keep their patients from going to bigger, newer, suburban hospitals.
Just another thought --
Have you seen lately, how other hospitals and medical practices are using video technology (video marketing) in conjunction with the Internet for promotional purposes? I'd think it would be quite cost-effective and successful amongst their targeted audiences.
To see examples, check out the following links at www.HealthCareStatistics.org:
Marketing In-General Examples: Note: Dental marketing is also included.
HTH (hope this helps)
Safety TipHospital facilities built today do not include asbestos, but many older buildings still have asbestos components in them. Steam pipes, boilers and furnace ducts were often insulated with an asbestos blanket or asbestos paper tape because of their fireproof and insulating properties. Resilient floor tiles were made from vinyl asbestos. Asbestos cement was employed in roofing, shingles and siding materials. The hazard of this carcinogen increases when the fibers become airborne, and untrained contractors can inadvertently increase risks by cutting, tearing, sawing, scraping, or sanding asbestos materials. Elevated asbestos levels can occur in hospitals where old materials are damaged or disturbed. It is best to leave undamaged asbestos material alone if it is not likely to be disturbed. Inhaling asbestos fibers is known to cause mesothelioma and other diseases. Be sure to use an experienced asbestos removal contractor when you need to get rid of old materials that might contain asbestos. |