Practice Management
Recent data reported here illustrate the challenges—and advantages, given their evolving perception of the healthcare marketplace—of reaching patients in the “millennial” demographic (defined by Pew Research as those who turned ages 15–34 in 2015). Chris Behan will draw on 20 years of experience in internet healthcare marketing to offer 5 Tips for Engaging the Millennial Patient Online, a free webinar to be hosted by the Urgent Care Association (UCA) on Thursday, June 23, 1–2 p.m. …
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Patient engagement has gone from a vague concept to a key factor in running a successful urgent care clinic. But what does it actually mean—and more importantly, how do you ensure that it’s helping your business and not just so much wheel-spinning in pursuit of the latest trend in managing businesses of any kind? Marketing guru John Sung Kim will help you answer these questions as they apply to your operations during a live webinar …
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Urgent care centers in New York State are being tasked with additional measures to ensure patients understand the costs of treatment. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman reached agreements with four New York urgent care centers this week to provide detailed information to consumers about health plan participation and in-network versus out-of-network coverage. It’s the first enforcement action of the state’s recently adopted “Surprise Bill Law,” enacted to protect consumers from unexpected medical billings and …
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Urgent message: In a volume-driven business like urgent care, marketing should be viewed as an investment with a financial return that can be measured in order to allocate the center’s advertising dollars among the tactics most effective in generating patient revenue. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity Success in the “business” of urgent care boils down to one factor: “feet through the door.” That’s because once a center’s fixed costs are covered, each additional …
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Urgent message: Just because you build it, patients won’t necessarily come. As entrepreneurs, successful urgent care center owners must market their services to the community, innovate with new services to fill excess capacity, and create positive patient experiences that spur repeat visits and positive word-of-mouth. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc Practice Velocity One needn’t look further than the 20,000+ physicians already practicing in urgent care centers nationwide to grasp just how attractive this business model …
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Urgent message: An urgent care entrepreneur is the “product” and must become skilled at promoting him/herself. When you “wear your brand,” you call attention to what you have to offer, generating awareness of an interest in your urgent care center. ALAN A. AYERS, MBA, MAcc, ExperityOn a recent visit to a popular bakery-café, I noticed a young woman on the sofa working on her laptop. For passersby, there was no question about which candidate would …
Read MoreSocial Media Vital Signs: How Urgent Care Centers Can Connect, Interact and Build Relationships with Patients Urgent message: Social media such as blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube can help urgent care operators better understand patients’ needs and communicate the value of urgent care medicine―ultimately driving more visits to their centers. Author: Caroline Ryan and Jan Sisko Author Information: This article was presented as a white paper at the 2012 Urgent Care Association Conference. Caroline Ryan …
Read MoreThese data from the 2010 Urgent Care Benchmarking Survey are based on responses of 1,691 US urgent care centers; 32% were UCA members. The survey was limited to “full-fledged urgent care centers” accepting walk-ins during all hours of operation; having a licensed provider and x-ray and lab equipment on-site; the ability to administer IV fluids and perform minor procedures; and having minimal business hours of seven days per week, four hours per day. In this …
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