The Importance of a Mission Statement in Health Care Marketing

Recently we decided to revaluate our mission statement to determine if it was still in line with our company culture. What we found was that our mission statement was so broad, that it was falling flat. It wasn’t doing what we created it for; which was to hold our employees accountable and remind us why we do what we do. So, we decided to go back to square one and redevelop a mission statement that would effectively showcase what Atlantic Health Solutions is all about.

Does a mission statement really matter?

Initially, I had some apprehension regarding developing a new mission statement. As the Communication Director, I knew how effective a great mission statement could be for large companies but I was unsure if it was worth our time and attention. Now I know, no matter how large or small your organization is, having the right mission statement and encouraging your employees to truly adhere to it, can make all the difference in the world.

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Why a mission statement matters:

• Helps keep your staff accountable and on track
• Clearly explains your culture to potential clients and partners
•  Let’s others see what sets you apart from your competition
• It can help with future growth and new staff
• Forms a template for decision-making and strategic moves

How to write an effective mission statement for a medical practice or hospital:

• Be clear and avoid medical, clinical or marketing jargon.
• Ex: Specifics regarding procedures/diagnoses, terms regarding reporting, turn around time, accreditations, terms like “strategic alliance” and “exceptional service” because it doesn’t really say what you do.
• Make sure to say what you “aspire” to be, rather than bragging about how great your practice already is at what they do.
• Let your mission statement be unique to your center. If it’s too broad or looks like it could belong to just about anyone in health care, you need to be more niche.
• Don’t make it too lofty. Goals should be specific and somewhat realistic and the same goes for your mission statement.
• Keep it short and simple. Nobody likes a diatribe of you going on and on about your doctors and staff.

Check out our new mission statement:

“At Atlantic, we live to inspire. Our mission is to uniquely serve patients by changing the way they engage with healthcare providers. We adhere to a culture of hard work, integrity and innovation. We nurture our team and our community by giving back and growing those around us. We understand that with a positive attitude and the undying desire to never stop learning, we will thrive.”

Marketing to Gen Y Patients

Hannah Horvath, the main character from HBO’s both widely criticized and praised hit television show GIRLS said, "I think that I may be the voice of my generation. Or at least a voice. Of a generation." Well, I don’t claim to be the all encompassing voice of my generation, but after working for four years in the progressive startup space and in health care digital marketing and collaborating with Millennials across the country, I’ve learned a lot about our Gen Y slice of the pie.

Generation Name - Birth Year Ranges

GI Generation - Born 1901 – 1926

Silent Generation - Born 1927 – 1945

Baby Boomers - Born 1946 – 1964

Generation X - Born 1965 – 1980

Generation Y/Millennials - Born 1981 – 2000

Generation Z - Born after 2001

How we spend our money, how we are perceived in the workforce, how we engage with others and how we make an impact on society can be viewed negatively and positively depending on who you ask.  There’s a lot to be said about how other generations view Millennials and the way we view ourselves. Others might say Millennials are:

• Over-privileged
• Ill-prepared for the future
• Lazy, not hardworking
• Cheap
• Overly passionate
• Disobedient

Those perceptions however come with a distasteful side of disdain and an extra helping of misunderstanding. Sure, some Millennials could be classified in those ways, but so many of us could also be called:

• Innovative
• Loyal to brands and loved ones
• Healthy, to avoid issues we’ve seen in the past ie: obesity, cigarette smoking
• Intelligent
• Driven and passionate about our careers
• Respectful and empathetic to others, despite their background

Growing up in a digital environment, our generation has been awarded limitless opportunities unavailable to previous generations. Due to this fact, the way we get information, how we socialize and how we act as consumers is automated, streamlined and unlike ever before. In our time, we’ve seen the evolution of travel with websites like Expedia, digitized shopping capabilities with eBay, automated financial management with PayPal and now even instant gratification from online shopping with Amazon’s introduction of drone delivery.

It’s no wonder we handle things like money management differently than our parents. The things our Baby Boomer generation would save money for, such as homes, cars and health insurance aren’t really on our radar. So why is it that the Gen Y population is seemingly unconcerned with health care coverage, despite the spotlight “Obamacare” has put on the issue?

Reasons why Millennials don’t love the idea of paying for health insurance:

1. Invincibility: We are fairly young and healthy, so we don’t think we’ll get sick and need the insurance
2. Anti-Conformity: We don’t like to take the first answer given to us and we don’t like to be told what we have to purchase, which means we will ultimately try to beat the system.
3. Consumerism: We are accustomed to having the power to use the internet and social media to connect and make decisions about the brands, products and services we spend our money on. In health care, that can be a challenge.

We are the future of health care, but this sad fact remains: 40% of Millennial employees say they would not be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for health expenses if something came up. Additionally, only 13% of Millennials said they are actually satisfied with their employer-provided benefits.

So what can our health care industry do to improve access to quality, affordable care ourselves? We believe the first and most important step is to accept price transparency and quality transparency. Making it easier for patients to compare their options and select physicians based on what’s most important to them. Our online market place, Save On Medical, gives patients the power to actually shop for medical procedures online the way they shop for travel with Expedia.

As more innovative startups continue to develop the health tech space with the support of leaders like Florida Blue, we predict that Millennials will spark a health care revolution. We’ll pave the way for generations to come. If the innovation we’ve seen over the last decade is any indication, it’s going to be a wild ride. 

Fill out the form below to get a grading report from our marketing team, telling you how well you're marketing to Gen Y/Millenial patients:

Can Radiologists Be Social?

Working in radiology marketing, we've learned the in’s and out’s of the industry. We have become well-versed in radiology specific terminology, learned more about Toshiba and Hitachi technology than we can fathom and found out how to use various forms of marketing to attract patients and referring physicians.  The biggest lesson we have learned though, is how to bring the actual radiologists to the table for marketing success.

A joke in our niche industry is that radiologist physicians chose their specialty because they in fact don’t like patients and would rather sit in a dark room all day powering through their work, than ever have to see a single patient.  It makes sense; being that radiologists are compensated for the amount of interpretations they get through, rather than their amount of daily positive patient interactions.  As a result, the radiologist is not normally well known for exquisite bedside manner.

That being said, many imaging centers and radiology departments end up marketing their centers the same way. Using crutch-terms like “24-hour turnaround time” and “ACR accredited” plastered all over their advertisements and signs, doing nothing to stand out against their competition. By finding unique ways to actually market your radiologist, you can take the road less traveled in radiology.

So what can you do to market a physician that rarely interacts with patients and referring physicians?

-       Build an online persona for your physician through LinkedIn and Twitter

o   Share posts and become a thought-leader in radiology by posting valuable content, studies and blog articles.  As a marketing pro, you can help extend the radiologist’s reach through these two social mediums.

-       Patient-focused ghost writing

o   Write original content for patients from the perspective of your radiologist, advising them on the differences between procedures, how to prepare and how to understand diagnoses.

-       Brand journalism for your radiologist

o   Take the ghost writing a step further and reach out to local media and industry publications to explore whether they need an expert in radiology to consult on medical news and healthcare changes.

-       Video interviews and how-to’s

o   If you’re lucky enough to have a radiologist that wants to get involved with your efforts and feels comfortable being filmed, you can package short videos of the doctor explaining their services. Video content is great for SEO and is much more manageable for patient education than long white papers and jargon–riddled blog posts.

To discuss some ways to transform your practice’s marketing, fill out the form below:

Hockey & Health Care Marketing

If you’re anything like us, the NHL playoffs have had us rather preoccupied as of late. Keeping track of our beloved Lightning has become a part-time job it seems, but the road to the Stanley Cup has been an exciting one for the Tampa community.  Hockey is one of our favorite spectator sports because of its fast pace, unpredictable nature and of course, the impassioned fights… everyone knows that is the best part! You’re on the edge of your seat from the second the first period starts until the last buzzer goes off.

A “normal” person might not see the association between the high-intensity nature of hockey and the world of health care marketing. Being the health care nuts that we are though, we recognized a few lessons health care marketers can take away from watching all these exciting match ups.

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Power Play: When one team’s player gets a penalty they have to play one person short, giving the opposing team the advantage.

-       When a team is on a power play, they have the opportunity score while the other team is at a disadvantage. In health care marketing, you could look at your competition to see where they are slacking in their marketing strategy and capitalize on that free space. For example, see if your competing practice has a YouTube channel. If they do not but you have 1 or 2 videos on yours, you have the advantage. By optimizing your channel and creating some short videos of interviews with your staff or virtual tours, you can take the lead in your community.

Icing: When a player shoots the puck across both the centerline and the other team’s goal line without getting touched.

-       When a player gets called for icing, the game stops and the crowd gets frustrated because it is usually an act of desperation. Too often marketers make the mistake of being reactive and throwing together campaigns in response to a challenge. Rather than letting yourself get to a point of desperation when your competition gets positive attention or when CMS makes changes, make sure to take the necessary time to be aware of potential hurdles and develop plans early.

Slashing: When a player swings their hockey stick at a player on the opposing team and it clearly is not going for the puck.

-       Slashing is a desperate attempt to hurt or distract another player and does nothing to advance positive play. Often times, we see health care marketers do the equivalent of slashing their competition, pointing out their negative qualities or reviews without pointing out how their own organization provides a solution to patient challenges. It’s okay to pick an opponent and it’s even okay to pick fair battles in your marketing plans, but remember that no one likes a bully.

(Read More: March Madness - Picking Your Health Care Plan)

Assists: When one player passes the puck to another player with a better opportunity to score.

-       Marketers often forget to consider the support they can gain from their network connections to improve their marketing campaigns. Look for opportunities where you can assist others in your community through donations of services, discounts or even just promoting them through your social media platforms or blogs. You can also find opportunities where others might be willing to assist in promoting your campaigns.

Hat trick: When a player scores three goals in one game.

-       You too can score a marketing hat trick. Remember when you’re creating content to repurpose it for multiple platforms. For instance, if you create a new video of a patient testimonial, don’t just post it on YouTube and call it a day. Be sure to embed it on your website or in a blog post, then post the video and the link to the blog/landing page on Facebook as well.

Be Like Wayne Gretzky: This hockey great is quoted saying, “Don’t go to where the puck is go to where the puck is going to be.”

-       This is great advice for finding scoring opportunities in hockey, but also in the world of health care marketing. We have the opportunity to think out of the box and be creative with our messaging when no on else in our industry has taken that step yet. By pulling creative marketing ideas from other industries you can get out ahead of the competition.

Hopefully these lessons can help refresh your marketing strategy and remind you to think a little out of the box. Remember, as Wayne Gretzky said, “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” so try something new and watch your patient volume grow.  In the meantime, don’t forget to cheer on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Go Bolts!