Practice Management
The Duke Urgent Care Hillsborough clinic in Hillsborough, North Carolina, treats about 110 patients per day. And every one of them likely notices that the staff and clinicians have adopted the hard-working honeybee as the center’s official mascot. As part of an employee experience program, workers chose the mascot and decorated the space with bee-themed wall art, signs and plush animals. Many staff wear bee icons on their name tags as well. “We liked what the honeybee …
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Urgent message: Traditional marketing and advertising only goes so far in building an urgent care practice. That’s why developing personal relationships with patients, staff, and other stakeholders is key to differentiating your practice, driving patient loyalty that results in repeat visits, and spurring positive word-of-mouth in your community. Alan A. Ayers, MBA, MAcc is Chief Executive Officer of Velocity Urgent Care and is Practice Management Editor of The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine Whoever said …
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Announcing that the high school football season is a month and a half away isn’t likely to draw much attention. However, noting that scholastic athletes will have to get their physicals done early in anticipation of practice starting—especially if you run an urgent care centers that’s offering a discount on preseason check-ups—could increase a center’s visibility and even draw in patients who may have never visited before. Sisters of Mercy Urgent Care, in North Carolina, …
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Speakeasies were well-advised to make their locations hard to spot. Urgent care centers, not so much, especially given that patients are not at their best when they’re looking for you, and the industry’s “brand” is so tied in to convenience. Local zoning boards have rules governing location, size, and general appearance of signage, though, so be sure to stay on the right side of the law when devising yours. My Care Urgent Care in Columbus, …
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Total Access Urgent Care in Missouri promises to provide “fast, friendly, affordable care.” It’s a catchy enough phrase, but what’s most arresting about it is that potential patients aren’t hearing it in a traditional TV or radio ad, or reading it in a brochure; they’re absorbing it in a brief, 15-second clip that precedes a local sports story they clicked on while visiting the St. Louis Fox Television affiliate’s website. Total Access, which bills itself …
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An expected holiday rush moved Baptist Health Madisonville (Alabama) to implore area residents to try urgent care for medical needs that might not warrant a trip to its emergency room. Kristy Quinn, the hospital’s marketing and public relations director, says high traffic times like the early-winter holidays make it difficult for the hospital to treat low-acuity cases that could be handled safely in the urgent care setting. “If people can evaluate what they are coming …
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A swell of evidence shows more and more that the way patients make choices about healthcare—and even access care—is changing constantly. About 5% of Google searches are for a health-related topic these days, and a Pew Research Center study found 62% of patients have used their smartphones to look up health-related information. And the Mayo Clinic estimates that 84% of patients want to partner with their physicians in making treatment decisions. In other words, patients …
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It’s likely every successful urgent care operator has caught on to the idea that effective search engine optimization (SEO, the key terms and phrases that make your web content identifiable to Google and other search engines) is necessary for you to stand out in your marketplace. But have you thought about updating your SEO terms seasonally? Holiday optimization tips for remaining competitive in the SERP, on the website Search Engine Land, includes urgent care centers …
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Yet another study indicates that “millennials”—individuals between 18 and 36 years of age—have a tough time affording basic healthcare costs (including insurance, in many cases). One out of five says they can’t afford routine health costs, while an additional 26% say they can afford routine healthcare costs, but with difficulty. The Harris Poll found that 70% consider cost to be a “very important” factor when looking for healthcare, and that 16% do not intend to …
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“Appearances matter” is a commonly heard phrase, but sometimes appearances can either encourage new patients to come in or literally stop patients at the door. It’s not enough that you’re open 12 hours per day. The equally important question is, does your urgent care center look open? I’ve frequently seen urgent care centers which—during operating hours—have their exterior signage turned off, no “open” sign displayed, and their window blinds closed, giving the appearance of being …
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