massmedia medical marketing & media - vol5
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MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media - VOL5TRANSCRIPT
1 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
How to Reach Rural Patients Page 14
Reaching Seniors in the Digital Age of Communication
Page 8
Health Care Media Relations – Q&A with Ryan Tarkowski
Page 11
Client Highlight: Women’s Cancer Center of Nevada
Page 12
Health Care Reform Will Make Medical Marketing
Even More Critical Page 4
VOLUME 5
Q&A:HealtHCare Partners of nevada's President & Ceo
Dr. Sherif Abdou Page 6
w w w.M a s sMEdia hE a Lt h.cOM
2 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
04 HealthCareReformWillMake MedicalMarketingEvenMoreCritical
08 ReachingSeniorsintheDigital AgeofCommunication
11 HealthCareMediaRelations –Q&AwithRyanTarkowski
14 HowtoReachtheResidents ofRuralNevada
12 Women'sCancerCenterofNevada
06 Q&A:HealthCarePartnersofNevada'sPresidentandCEO,Dr.SherifAbdou
Table of Contents
PagE 6 PagE 8 PagE 14
Articles Client Highlight
Featured Article
MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media is published quarterly by MassMedia Healthcare Marketing 2863 St. Rose Parkway, Henderson, NV 89052. Telephone 702.433.4331, fax 702.433.4566, www.massmediahealth.com.
Postmaster: Send address changes to MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media, 2863 St. Rose Parkway, Henderson, NV 89052, or call 702.433.4331.
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Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 3 AFN44411_1211
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4 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Whether you were for it or against it, the “Affordable Care Act” – the expansive new federal law that will dramatically change the face of health care in the United States – is likely to affect every part of your business. But smart marketing can help you and your company stay ahead of the game.
BecausethelawrequiresAmericanstohavehealthcoverage,asmanyas32millionmoreAmericanswillbeaddedtothecountry’sinsurancerollswhenthelawisentirelyimplementedin2014.Althoughmostmajorprovisionswillnottakeeffectformorethantwoyears,healthcareprovidersneedtobeginthinkingabouthowthissweepingnewlawwillaffecttheirbottomline.
Thebiggestshort-termchallengewillbeincreasedcompetition.Anumberofprovisionsinthenewlawaredesignedtoimproveaccess,givingconsumersmoreinformationaboutwhatcoverageisavailableandatwhatprice.Whatdoesthismeanforhealthcareproviders?Thesmartoneswillstepuptheirmarketingtodistinguishthemselvesfromtheircompetitionanddemonstratethevalueandservicetheyprovide.
Iseethreecriticalareasforexpandedmarketingefforts:
Retainingexistingpatients.Ifprivatepracticeswanttosuccessfullycompeteagainstlargerorlessexpensivegroups,theyneedtomarkettoretainandgrowtheirpatientbase.Providingqualitycarewillnolongerbeenough;payingattentiontotheoverallpatientexperiencewillbemoreimportantthaneverbefore.Gettoknowyourpatients–whattheyvalueinyourpracticeandwhatthey’dliketoseechanged–andusethisinformationtoamarketingadvantage.
Attractingnewlyinsuredpatients.WiththeAffordableCareActaddingmillionstothehealthinsurancerolls,marketingyourselftostandoutamongyourcompetitionisimperative,especiallyforsmallerprivatepracticesthatwanttothriveinthisnewworld.Aswiththefirstgroup,yourmarketingshouldnolongerbejustaboutpatientcare,butalsoaboutthecustomerexperienceandserviceyouprovide.
Luringpatientsfromotherproviders.Inadditiontothenewlyinsuredpatientpool,tensofmillionsofconsumerswillnowhavetheopportunitytochangeproviders.Itwillbeimportantforyourpracticetostandoutsothatitcanattractpatientswhoareshopping.Inadditiontodeliveringandmarketinganexceptionalpatientexperience,distinguishyourselfbybeingareliableresourceandexpert.Useinnovativetoolsandmediumsyoumaynothavepreviouslytapped–includingsocialmedia–tobeatrustedsourceconsumerscanrelyon.
NavigatingthroughthislandmarkchangeinU.S.healthcarewillnotbeeasy,butitwillbeimperativeforsurvivalandsuccess.Puttingalittlemoretime,effortandmoneyintomarketingnowwillpaybigdividendswhenhealthcarereformisfullyunderway.
HealthCareReformWillMakeMedicalMarketingEven MoreCriticalWrittenByPaulaYakubik—@pyakubik
Step up your marketing to distinguish yourself from competition and demonstrate your value.— Paula Yakubik, Managing Partner
Marketing
originally PublisHed in MM&M — June 2011
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 5
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6 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Featured Article
1 Tell us abouT yourself.I was born in Egypt and raised in a town outside of Cairo. I went to
medical school in Egypt at Mansoura University School of Medicine and moved to Las Vegas in 1989. I completed my residency at the University Medical Center School of Medicine in 1994. In 2003, I earned my Masters in Medical Management at the University of Southern California.
I started my career as a primary care physician at an independent practice under the Desert Springs Hospital umbrella. In 1996, the hospital decided it no longer wanted to be in primary care medicine, so I bought the practice from them. At that time, there were five or six doctors at the practice and we renamed it Summit Medical Group. Over the next 10 years, we built a patient-focused medical practice that, looking back, provided the framework for our current business. In 2006, Summit Medical Group became HealthCare Partners of Nevada.
I’m happily married and have two wonderful children; David and Sophia. David goes to Baylor University in Waco, Texas for pre-med. Sophia is a sophomore at a high school in Las Vegas.
2 Why did you become a docTor? As a youngster, I watched TV shows about doctors. I’ve always
admired how they genuinely help people and put others before themselves.
Most of the men in my family were either doctors or priests. I always wanted to be a doctor. When I was older, I pursued my dream and have worked hard to make it a reality.
Dr. Sherif Abdou is the President and CEO of HealthCare
Partners of Nevada. In 2011, HealthCare Partners hired
MassMedia to develop and implement a public awareness
campaign to educate patients about their right to choose and
keep their doctors regardless of what insurance providers may
say. The campaign titled “Keep My Doctor” focused on senior
patients during Medicare's Open Enrollment period. It was
a huge success. We sat down with Abdou to learn more about
him, his enthusiastic vision for health care delivery in Nevada
and what HealthCare Partners has planned for 2012.
dr . sh er if a bdouPresident and CEO of HealthCare Partners of Nevada
w i th
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 7
3 Tell us abouT healThcare ParTners.HealthCare Partners is a physician-run, patient-focused medical
group. Currently, we have nearly 50 clinics throughout Southern Nevada, including 200 primary care physicians and 1,300 specialists in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Boulder City and Pahrump.
Our mission is to deliver the highest quality of care to every patient. We practice a model of care that is different than any other group of doctors’ in the state of Nevada. We call it Total Care, but it is also known as patient-centered medical homes or population management.
4 WhaT is ToTal care? Total Care encompasses everything a patient needs to stay healthy
and prevent illness. A good doctor should not only treat a patient’s present illness effectively, but prevent the patient from becoming ill in the future. Every tool and resource at our medical practitioners’ disposal is integrated to improve efficiency and accuracy in anticipating and meeting our patients’ needs.
A Total Care team works with a patient and the patient’s family to provide services including hospitalization, skilled nursing facilities, self-management, home health care, communication, transportation, and other services that impact the patient’s access to health care. The patient is at the core of every decision. Not only does this model benefit the patient, it benefits practitioners as well.
Patient-centered care provides Southern Nevadans with a wide range of benefits, from updated electronic personal health records and preventative care, to doctors and nurses who are readily available. Traditionally, patients have one primary care physician and unrelated specialists who don’t necessarily communicate or work cooperatively in the patient’s care process. Total Care replaces this disjointed method of care with a cohesive team that works with all entities along the health care continuum to create an individualized care plan for each patient.
5 WhaT imPacT has healTh care reform had on our sTaTe? WhaT abouT The imPacT on healThcare ParTners?
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was designed to ensure that all Americans have access to quality, affordable health care. One key part of the act outlines a change in the payment structure between insurance companies and physician groups. Instead of paying physicians for simply treating sick patients, the new law provides incentives for keeping patients healthy.
This new model of health care is already in full-swing at HealthCare Partners’ clinics. In fact, medical groups across the nation are looking to our clinics to show them how it’s done.
Total Care measures success by the percentage of healthy patients, illness prevention and patient satisfaction versus a simple fee for service. Accepting full responsibility for a patient’s care motivates health care professionals to keep patients healthy. Working together, doctors and insurance companies save money by cutting back on unnecessary treatments and procedures while striving to improve health
care. However, for the model to be truly successful, practitioners must meticulously follow through with their commitment of preventative care.
One of the best practices of patient-centered, integrated health care is HealthCare Partners’ Total Care model.
6 healThcare ParTners mainTained a PosiTive Presence in The communiTy This year WiTh The “KeeP my docTor” camPaign. WhaT Was The PurPose of ThaT oPeraTion and hoW Was iT develoPed?
“Keep My Doctor” was launched in April as a public awareness campaign. We let our patients know that they needed to make some changes to their health insurance plans if they wanted to keep seeing their HealthCare Partners doctor. It was in direct response to an issue we were having with one of the payers who represented a large group of our patients.
The thought behind the campaign was really about the relationship between a patient and a doctor. If you think about it, your relationship with your doctor is one of the most important you have outside of your family. Having a primary care physician who knows your patient history and what treatments work best for you assures the best care possible. We wanted to keep that relationship and make sure our patients knew they had options and a deadline to make the necessary changes.
7 healThcare ParTners launched iTs social media channels in 2011. can you Tell us Why you are using This medium To reach PeoPle?
We launched our Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Flickr pages this year. This medium has been successful for us in terms of keeping our patients and internal team updated on our latest news and information.
We started out slow and really focused on establishing our voice in the social arena. In 2012, we are going to expand our messaging to include heart health tips, wellness information and other ideas on how to prevent illness. This goes back to the fundamentals of our Total Care model.
8 WhaT do you and healThcare ParTners hoPe To accomPlish in 2012?
We want to lead the transformation of health care delivery in Nevada. We want to be accepted as the role model for integrated and coordinated care. If we can get people to shift the way they think about health care, even by just a little, we will see a huge difference in terms of quality care, access and cost.
Mike Tomlin, the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers has a quote that I love. He says, “It’s not what you can do, it’s what you are willing to do that counts.”
Right now, Nevada ranks 42nd in the country in health care. With hard work and determination we will improve. Our goal is to reach 25th within the next few years. We will not stop until we succeed because our citizens deserve the best health care.
8 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Communications
Reaching Seniors intheDigitalAge ofCommunication
Adultsmorethan55yearsofageaccountfornearly25percentofthepopulationinSouthernNevada.Thisdemographicsegmentcontinuestogrowatanincreasingrate.AccordingtotheU.S.CensusBureau,thenumberofAmericansovertheageof65willdoubleby2030.Becauseseniorsarelargeconsumersofhealthcare,medicalgroupsmustbekeenlyaware
ofthisdemographicshiftfromnotonlyaservice
standpoint,butalsoasitrelatestotheircommunicationsefforts.Inthenew
eraofonlineanddigitalmarketing,doctor
groupsshouldnotlosesightofthepoweroftraditionalmediaanditsabilitytoreachseniorpatients.
Thegoalofanyoutreachoradvertisingcampaignistoconveyyourmessagetoyourtargetaudienceandthefirststepistofindouthowtheyobtaininformation.PewResearchrecentlyreportedthatnearly70percentofseniorsreadnewspapersandmagazinesastheirprimarynewssources.Furtherresearchshowsthatdespitetheshifttoonlinecommunication,seniorscontinuetoconsumenewsmainlythroughtraditionalmedia,includingprint,televisionandradio.Despitethesecompellingstatistics,ablanketcampaignacrosstraditionalmediachannelswillnotensureyou’rereachingtherightaudience.TherearespecificTV
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 9
networks,radiostationsandpublicationsthatrankhighamongtheseniorpopulationandothersthatreachonlyasmallsegmentofthisgroup.
Toeffectivelyreachseniorsthroughadvertising,it’simportanttotakeyourstrategyastepfurtheranddotheresearchnecessarytogainclearinsightintotheirbehavioralpatterns.Importantaspectstoconsiderincludewhatcommunitiesorareashavehigherconcentrationsofseniorresidents,whatpublicationsarespecificallydevotedtothisgroup,whattelevisionandradiostationshavethehighestconcentrationofviewersandlisteners,andwhatprogramminganddaypartsaremostpopular.Theanswerstothesespecificquestionswillhelpguidewhereandwhenyouplaceyouradvertising,anditwillensureyoureffortsarereachingtherightgroup.
MassMediaHealthcareMarketinghasconductedanumberoffocusgroupsonbehalfofourclientstogetdirectfeedbackfromseniorswithregardtotheircommunicationpreferences.Ourfindingsconsistentlyshowthatseniorsareloyaltospecificradioandtelevisionstationsandprintpublications,andthattheylisten,watchorreadtheirtrustedsourcesonadailybasis.Thisisgoodnewsformarketersandwecanbe
confidentourplacementswillachievefavorablereachandfrequenciesrelativetoouradvertisingdollars.
Withitsmoderateyear-roundclimate,SouthernNevadaisfastbecomingaretirementdestinationforseniorsthroughoutthecountry.Asaresult,thereareagrowingnumberofnichepublicationsandspecialsectionsthatspecificallyserve
theseniorcommunity.TheLasVegasReview-Journalpublishesamonthlysupplementtoitsdailypaperwithcontentforseniorresidents.Master-plannedseniorhousingcommunities,includingDelWebb’sSunCityAnthemandSunCitySummerlin,publishtheirownmagazines.Thesearegreatopportunitiesfordoctorgroupstopromotetheirservicestoseniorsthroughhighlytargetedadvertising,whichcanbemuchmoreaffordablethanmarketingtothegeneralmasses.
Whiletraditionalmediaremainskingamongmostseniors,it’simportanttonotethatadultsovertheage
of65areusingtheInternetatanincreasingrate.Forthatreason,onlineadvertisingshouldalwaysbeconsideredforyouradvertisingmix.Remember,advertisingisonlyonewaytoreachtheseniorcommunity.Thebestapproachisalwaysanintegratedonewithgrassroots,publicrelationsanddirectmarketingstrategiesandtactics.
Read newspapers and magazines as their primary news sources.
10 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 11
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Media Relations
What makes for a strong health care news story? Ingeneral,newsisanythingthatistimely,uniqueornovel.Storiesthatdothebestjobofholdingtheattentionoftheaudiencewillbecoveredbythemedia.Soconflict,failureandscandaloftengeneratethemostinterest.
Beyondthesegeneralities,whatconstitutesnewsvariesdependingonthemedium,theoutletandtheindividualreporteroreditor.
Why should a doctor or medical professional care about media relations? Beingcalleduponasanexpertsourcebythemediaallowsyoutoreachpatientsandpotentialpatientsinawaynotofferedbytraditionaladvertising.Mediaprovidesyouwithathird-partyendorsementintheeyesoftheaudience.Peoplegenerallybelievethatifthereportertrustsyoutheyshould,too.
Whencrisissituationsariseastrongrelationshipwiththemediahelpsensurethatyourstoryispresentedinafairmanner.Thatiswhyit’simportanttoalwaysreturnareporter’sphonecall–everyinteractionisanopportunitytobuildgoodwill.Evenifyoudonotagreetotheinterview,offertohelpwiththestoryinanotherway.
As Media Relations Specialist, Ryan Tarkowski works with account executives to oversee the media interactions of health care clients, HealthCare Partners of Nevada, Nevada Head Start State Collaboration and Early Childhood Systems, and Women's Cancer Center.
Ryan brings nearly a decade of news experience to MassMedia. Working in radio and television as a producer, reporter, assignment editor, and talk show host, he learned how to tell a compelling story in a limited amount of time. MassMedia Health sat down with Ryan to talk about how health professionals can get the most out of opportunities.
What can I do to become more “media friendly?” – be available. Reportersdon’t alwaysinterviewthebestsource; theyinterviewthefirstsource thatreturnstheirphonecall.
– avoid sales pitches. Pitching yourbusinesscandiscredityou.
– be honest. Nothingcanruin yourrelationshipwithareporter fasterthangivingfalseinformation.
– do your research. Askwhatthe storyisaboutbeforeyour interviewandtrytoanticipate thereporter’squestions.
RyanTarkowski—@ryantarkowski
12 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Client Highlight
Challenge
ThisSeptember,MassMediaHealthcareMarketingwashiredbyWomen’sCancerCenterFoundationforResearch,toplanandexecuteanawarenesswalkentitled“Owareness–AWalkforOvarianCancer,”asequeltolastyear’sOwarenessRally.Thechallengeofthisyear’seventwastobuildonthesuccessofthepreviousyear’srallybydevelopingitintoacommunitywalktogrowadditionalsupportandhaveamorelastingimpressionforthecause.Thenewobjectivesincludedbuildingsupportwithstrategicpartnersandinfluencers,overallexecutionandraisingincreasedcommunity-wideawareness.
Solution
Theteamdevelopedastrategicplanwhichincludedmediarelations,socialmedia,promotionalmaterials,websiteupdates,sponsorshipoutreachandspecialeventscoordination.
Theagencyrevisedthenamefrom“TheRallyforOwareness”to“Owareness–AWalkforOvarianCancer”tocommunicatethekeymessageandpurposeoftheeventwithoutchangingtheestablishedOwarenessbranding.Fliers,posters,e-blastsandtheOwarenesswebsitewereupdatedfromthepreviousyeartopromotenewsoftheevent.
NFLHall-of-FamerJerryRicebecamethenamecelebrityandtoraiseawarenessfortheevent,promotionalmaterialsweredistributedthroughmultiplechannels,includingtheWomen’sCancerCenterofficeandOB/GYNofficesthroughoutSouthernNevada.TthesematerialswerealsoprovidedtoovariancancergroupsandorganizationssuchastheOvarianCancerAwarenessNetwork(OCAN)inSouthernNevada.
Theagency’steamusedtheWomen’sCancerCenterandOwarenesssocialmediaplatformstomakeannouncements,promotesponsors,engagenewsupporters,andprovideeducationaboutthedetectionofovariancancer.Videosofpatienttestimonials,communitypartnersandphysicianswerealsopostedtosocialmediasites.Inthetwomonthsleadinguptotheevent,MassMediagrewtheOwarenessFacebookpageby81likes,theTwitterpageby68followersandquadrupledtheamountofengagementfromthepreviousyear.
Tofurtheritsreach,theagencypartneredwithOCAN,whichassistedbypromotingtheeventtoitsmembers,supportgroupsandothercancerorganizationsthroughoutSouthernNevada.
Inadditiontothepromotionaloutreach,theMassMediateamalsoassistedthecenterwithoutreachtosponsors.TheagencycontactedmanyserviceprovidersoftheWomen’sCancerCentertosecuresupportandhelpoffsetcostsassociatedwiththeevent.Morethan13companiesprovidedtheirsupportandhelpedfundthecause.
TheeventwasheldonSaturday,September24attheUniversityofNevada,LasVegas(UNLV)studentunion.Theone-milewalktookplacethroughoutthetree-linedinteriorofthecampus.Sponsorswereallowedtosetupboothsaroundtheperimeteroftheevent.Balloons,signageandaDJhelpedcreateafunatmosphere.Dr.NickSpirtos,directoroftheWomen’sCancerCenter;JerryRice;MayorCarolynGoodman;CongresswomanDinaTitusandcancersurvivorsspoketothecrowd.
Women’sCancerCenterofNevada:
Owareness–AWalkforOvarianCancer
ByMelissaGonzalez—@mmariegonzalez
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 13
Client Highlight
Results
Approximately200peopleattendedtheevent,doublinglastyear’sattendance.Theattendeesincludedsurvivors,patients,familymembersandcommunityleaders.TheagencysecuredinterviewsonfiveTVstationsandsegmentsonvariousnewsandradiotalkshows.Theeventalsoreceivedpositivepresscoverageinseveralprintpublications.TheOwarenesssocialmediapagescontinuetogrowwith262Facebookfansand1,394Twitterfollowerstodate.
Aftermonthsofplanningandoutreachtoorganizationsandsponsorsinthemedicalindustry,MassMediaraisedmorethan$20,000forthefoundationtogotowardresearch,helpinguninsuredandunderinsuredovariancancerpatientspayforchemotherapytreatmentsandcontinuededucationinthecommunityaboutdetectionandscreeningforthedisease.
Saturday, September 24thWomen’s Cancer Center of Nevada
2nd AnnualA Walk for Ovarian Cancer
Any woman, any age, that’s who’s at risk. Believe in change!
September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month
Wear teal in support of ovarian cancer.
When: Saturday, September 24 Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. Walk Begins at 11 a.m.
Where: UNLV Student Union 4505 South Maryland Parkway Las Vegas, NV 89154
Register: www.owareness.com
Join us to raise awareness about
ovarian cancer in our community. We
will hear from Dr. Nick Spirtos about
the impact this disease has on our
neighbors, friends and community.
Information is the one weapon
against ovarian cancer.
Hosted by: Women’s Cancer Center Foundation for Research
14 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
Community
Throughoutthecourseofour15yearhistory,MassMediaHealthcareMarketinghashadtheopportunitytoworkwithclientsinruralareasacrossNevada.ManyofourhealthcareclientshaveturnedtoustocreatemessagingandplanoutreachinareassuchasBoulderCity,Pahrump,ElyandMesquite.Morerecently,wewereaskedbyHealthCarePartners,alargedoctorgroupwerepresent,tohelpthemreachtheresidentsoftheseruralareasaswellasdevelopasustainableandeffectivecommunicationsstrategy.Throughoutthecourseofthiscampaign,ourteamlearnedabouttheneedsofruralSouthernNevadansaswellasthebestwaystoengagetheminourcauses.
Withsmallerpopulationsandevensmallerresourcepools,ruralresidentsarelargelyunderserved.Duetotherecenteconomicdownturn,ruralsectorshaveexperiencedhighunemployment
rates,whichinturnincreasetheamountofuninsuredandunderinsuredresidents.Manypatientsaresimplyunawareoftheiroptionsregardinginsuranceandtreatment.Aneedexistsforimprovementinruralhealthcare,andwherethereisaneedtheremustbechange.
HealthCarePartnersisattheforefrontofthischangeinNevada,particularlyintheruralareaswhereitismergingwithoracquiringsmall,independentpractices.Thistypeofchangecanbeintimidatingtoruralresidentswhoarenotearlyadapterstochange.WhenHealthCarePartnersenteredthecommunity,weknewthattobesuccessfulweneededtoeducateresidentsaboutthemedicalgroup
andquicklyintegrateitintothecommunity.
Thefirststepbeforeplanninganycommunicationcampaignistoresearchyouraudiences.Thisisevenmoreimportantinrural
HowtoReachtheResidentsofRuralNevadaAccording to the National Rural Health Association (NRHA), 25 percent of the US population resides in small towns and agricultural areas. Compared to a more urban group, this demographic still relies on traditional media for news and information, trusts local media outlets and is persuaded by grassroots and community integration efforts. To be successful, you must understand the community, get involved and deliver the right key messages.
PahrumP
Volume 5 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • 15
areas.Combiningruralresidentswithmetropolitanaudiencescanbedetrimentaltoyourefforts.Anothermistakeisthinkingthatruralcommunitiesallfallintothesamecategory.Everycommunityisdifferentandyoumustunderstandeachtown’suniquecultureandstyle.Tobeeffective,marketingstrategiesmustembracethetown’snuances.ForHealthCarePartners,thetacticsweusedinLasVegaswerenotthesamethatweusedinPahrumporBoulderCity.
Next,weassessedhownewsandinformationaresharedinthearea.Onechannelthatseemstoremainconsistentineveryruralmarketisthecommunity’ssupportoflocalmediaoutlets.Althoughtheprintmediaindustrymaybedeclininginurbanregions,thelocalpaperisstillatrustedsourceofinformationthatruralresidentsreadonaregularbasis.Theystilllistenandwatchlocalbroadcastprogrammingandpurchaseproductsandservicesfromthosewhosupportthecommunity.Onecouldmaketheargumentthatthemediaisevenmoreimportantinruralareas,asnewstendstospreadlikewildfirebecauseofrapidword-of-mouthdiffusion.Wecanovercomerumorsandmisinformationwithnewsarticlesplacedinkeyoutletsviewedandtrustedbyresidents.
WiththeHealthCarePartnerscampaigninPahrump,weworkedhardtoestablishgoodrelationshipswiththeeditorsandreportersattheseoutletstoensureournewswascommunicatedtothecommunity.Inaddition,wewerelookedatasavaluableresourcefortheirstories.HealthCarePartners’doctorsservedasexpertsourcesforpublichealth
andsafetyarticles,andwealsosubmittedguestcolumnswhichraninthelocalpapers.
Anotherwaytoensuresuccessistobuildrelationshipswithinthecommunity.Beingperceivedasa“local”isthesinglemostimportantthingapracticecandotobesuccessfulinruralcommunities.Whetherit’sprovidingafreeservicetoresidents,supportingalocal
cause,attendingtownmeetingsoridentifyingkeyinfluencerstoengagewith,youneedtobuildtrustandsupporttobeconsideredasourceinthecommunity.
ThroughoutthecampaignweworkedcloselywithJamesOscarson,directorofmarketingforDesertViewHospitalinPahrump,who
saysone-on-onecommunicationworkswellwhenraisingawarenessaboutnewservices,equipmentorphysicians.
“Relationshipmarketingisthemosteffectivetoolforhealthcareprofessionals,”saysOscarson.
Heexplainsthatofferinghealthscreenings,immunizationandflushotclinicsareverysuccessfulinPahrump.“Theymustbeatnocosttothepatient.Thatdoesn’tmeanfree,ofcourse,thisserviceshouldbesubsidizedbynewgroupsenteringthemarket.”
Aswithanyrelationship,ruralcommunitymemberswillacceptyouaslongasyou
remaintruetothethingsyousayandthecommitmentsyoumake.
“Theservicehastobedemonstratedandavailablebeforetheadvertisingbegins,”statesOscarson.“Alwaysunder-promiseandover-deliver;thecommunitywillrespectyouandwillbemorelikelytokeepusingyou.”
Boulder
mesquite
16 • MassMedia Medical Marketing & Media Review • Volume 5
2863 St. Rose Pkwy. Henderson, NV 89052
Your Nevada-based Health Care TeamMassMedia Healthcare Marketing is a full-service, statewide communications firm devoted to all facets of marketing, advertising and public relations. Headquartered in Las Vegas, our veteran team has decades of collective experience working with the most renowned physicians, practices, and health care professionals in the state. Together we create and deliver memorable integrated marketing campaigns that shape your audience’s perceptions and increase your bottom line.
For more information on our health care team and our capabilities go to www.massmediahealth.com or contact Paula Yakubik at 702.433.4331 or [email protected].
Ashley Campbell Art Director
Ryan Tarkowski Media Relations Specialist
Paula YakubikManaging Partner
Lindsay AlfordSocial Media Specialist
Kassi Belz, APR VP of Corporate Communications
Georgeann Pizzi Account Supervisor
Melissa Gonzalez Account Executive
Pam Myers Media Buyer
Aimee Romero Account Executive
Jesse ScottAssistant Account Executive
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