Outsource Marketing Solutions blog

Medical Costs Dampen Aetna's Earnings

Hartford-based Aetna reported that its second-quarter profit dropped 1 percent to $389.5 million from $394.9 million for the same period a year earlier. Meanwhile, revenues increased 14 percent to $6.3 billion. However, the insurer's stock still took a hit in early morning trading - dropping by more than 20 percent - because of an increase in its commercial risk medical-care cost ratio - a measure of the cost of care as compared to premium income - which came in at a higher-than-expected 81.4 percent. 

Blogs, Branding, Boo hoo...

This post is taken directly from the Medical Blog Network  regarding the sad state of healthcare branding. Sad...crying baby...get it?!

"This week Darren Char over at HealthLeaders takes a look at the current state of healthcare branding. He points out that currently branding in the healthcare industry takes two forms.

1. Tagging the organization’s name on every building and service that is affiliated with the organization. (Example: Smithville General Hospital, Smithville General Hospital Outpatient Surgery Center, Smithville General Hospital Internal Medicine Clinic).
2. Slapping a logo and a tag line on to signs all over the organization’s property and in advertisements.

 

Char proclaims that these attempts at branding are woefully insufficient.

Char also emphasizes that all healthcare organizations, from large integrated hospital systems to small private or group practices should be thinking about branding.

 

The branding process is more than selecting corporate names, logos or advertising tag lines. Instead, it is a complex business process that is planned, strategically focused and integrated throughout the organization. It is designed to create an emotional, rational and community image of an organization within the mind of the consumer that allows him or her to rank the value of an organization and their services against those of competitors. Simply, you want your customer/patients/consumers to like you and think that you are the best to do the job.

 

Char goes on to offer the following words of wisdom:

   

" For new healthcare branding efforts to succeed, healthcare organizations must disassociate themselves from their own experience with the brand, and evaluate both the current brand and the ultimate goals and objectives of their branding strategies."

First Steps

 

So what do you want your message to be? Here are a few questions to get you started.

• What do your customers know about you? Feature-based branding strategies capitalize on historical and verifiable information. They can help you to communicate the services you provide. You can set yourself up to be a specialty provider or a convenient one-stop-shop. They can also emphasize your expertise or strengthen your position in the community (example: oldest internal medicine practice in the city, largest hospital in the county, award-winning hospital).
• Do your customers know how cool you are? Attribute-branding strategies highlight characteristics of your organization that are perceived to be related to delivering quality care (Examples: Board Certified doctors, state-of-the-art equipment, competent and caring staff, customer satisfaction).
• Do your customers know how you feel about them? Value-gained branding strategies focus on relationship issues between provider and patient. It highlights what each party gains from working together. (Example: Healthcare providers are inspired by patients and feel like they are making the community a better place. Patients feel care for on a personal level and this eases the suffering associated with illness).

Just as in real-life, it takes time and exposure to build a relationship with your customers/patients. By providing services, a healthcare organization or provider is constantly in a position to make a impression on a person that elicits a positive emotion. Branding is the process by which you carry that outside the one-on-one interaction.

 

It is important to remember that branding is indeed a long process and it cannot be done overnight. Additionally, there are many avenues and tools available that can help you in this process.  However, the key to success is to become actively involved in making sure your message continues to be delivered even when you are not around."

What does your website REALLY say about your company?

Thanks to my brother Jim for sending these to me. (My whole family is always thinking about marketing! - What a great family!!)

Moral of the story...Be VERY CAREFUL what your website name says when you run all those letters together!

"Not What You Think!"

www.whorepresents.com
www.penisland.net
www.therapistfinder.com
www.molestationnursery.com
www.ipanywhere.com
www.speedofart.com
www.gotahoe.com

Hospital care rewards program in New Jersey

From BusinessInsurance.com
NEWARK, N.J.—The Leapfrog Group and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey are collaborating on the nation’s first statewide pay-for-performance project that will provide financial rewards and public recognition for high-quality, efficient care...
Alternatively, New Jersey hospitals can choose to participate in a similar pay-for-performance program created separately by Horizon. That program will focus on clinical quality measures ...
Both options provide hospitals with recognition for excelling in areas such as patient safety, clinical outcomes, patient satisfaction, efficiency and administrative excellence using standards developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the Joint Commission for Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

Marketing Quick Tips

Tip # 1 - News Articles

People are five times more likely to look at a news 
article, than an advertisement.
Harness the power of the press! Get publicity. 
Not sure how to do it? Need help? Don't have time?
Email me.

Tip # 2 - Postcards

Postcards get seen and read at least five times 
more often than letters. Want a cheap and easy way to stay in 
touch with your patients/clients/customers/referral sources? 
Send them a postcard! Don't know what to write? Email me.

Katrina, Rita and the LA Insurance Commissioner

From InsuranceJournal.com

Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Orders Insurers to Extend Hurricane Prescription Period

July 11, 2006

Just over a month after he asked insurance companies in his state to voluntarily do so, Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donleon issued Directive 199 mandating that all companies insuring property in Louisiana extend the period in which a policyholder can file a lawsuit as a result of a Hurricane Katrina or Rita claim from one to two years.

Most property and casualty policies in Louisiana limit an insured's right to file suit to a period of 12 months after the date of loss.

Directive 199 orders insurance companies to file a stipulation with the Department of Insurance by Aug. 1, 2006, stating that any insured with a property and casualty insurance policy in Louisiana shall have until Aug. 30, 2007, to file suit or a legal action with regard to any claim for property damages caused by Hurricane Katrina and until Sept. 25, 2007, for a Hurricane Rita claim. Click here to continue reading

Can You See the Forest for the Trees?

Read Richard Reece, MD's great article on Operational Trends in Healthcare.

Here are some highlights that I think speak directly to O&P patient care providers.

"Personalized service - The “consumer relationship management” movement involves personally reaching out to patients using telephonic communication and sophisticated computer systems at every care juncture...Connextions...proclaims its personally-directed information services connect with consumers at every “touch point,” whether in the hospital, the doctor’s office or at home. They’re betting this strategy will cement customer loyalty."

Particularly important for prosthetic patients since they have the potential to be a "lifetime customer."  Keep in touch - keep them in the loop - keep them aware of how important they are to you!  Customer relationship management. 

"Healthcare outside the office - The physician business model has changed little over the past 50 years. The office is where physicians see patients, make money, maintain ancillary services and pay overheads that vary from 40 percent to 60 percent. These realities are why the American Association of Family Practice promotes the concept of the physician office as a home-base for patients with the physician serving as the care coordinator. But many entrepreneurs are challenging the medical home concept by establishing companies that provide care away from medical offices. Nurse-based MinuteClinics treat non-emergent ailments at more than 70 locations across the U.S. Other walk-in urgent clinics and grocery store-based models are popping up in retail centers. And workplace-based care and disease management centers are available in a growing number of states as well."

Read the April 2006 article in HealthLeaders.com

First Splat

OPAF is hosting First Splat on July 28, 2006 at 8 pm in conjunction with the College Park Extremity Games.  If you're going to be in Orlando for the FAOP meeting or the games - come shoot something. 
Click here for all the details.

Free eBook on publicity

Joan Stewart  is THE Publicity Hound.  She's got a free eBook.  Download it.  It's a great resource on how to get publicity.

Free ebook on publicity gives you 24 ideas you can steal

“The Best of The Publicity Hound’s Tips of the Week of 2005″ is hot off the computer.

It’s a compilation of the 24 tips from last year’s weekly ezine that evoked the greatest response from readers. You can still use many of these tips in your 2006 media campaign.

You can download the ebook right here!