Lonnie Hirsch

Physicians in independent practice face daunting challenges in remaining viable, strong, profitable - and independent. Lonnie Hirsch identifies and explains the most challenging issues for provider owner/partners who want to remain successful in independent healthcare practice and discusses solutions to these challenges.

In today’s busy, complicated, information-overload, short-attention-span environment, there are hundreds of ways to market a healthcare practice but there are really 8 most important marketing strategies for most healthcare practices to consider.

Each of these 8 strategies includes a host of possible communication tactics. In this article, Lonnie discusses the first two of these eight primary marketing strategies. To simplify and organize these strategies and tactics, Lonnie Hirsch has… Show more

In today’s busy, complicated, information-overload, short-attention-span environment, there are hundreds of ways to market a healthcare practice but there are really 8 most important marketing strategies for most healthcare practices to consider.

Each of these 8 strategies includes a host of possible communication tactics. In this article, Lonnie discusses the first two of these eight primary marketing strategies. To simplify and organize these strategies and tactics, Lonnie Hirsch has created the infographic featured at the top of this article. Show less

Patient Experience is a lot like the blind men and the elephant. It’s defined differently by various healthcare provider organizations. Is there one best approach and how do you get your arms around this massive initiative for your healthcare organization?

Listen to the podcast recording in this post as Lonnie Hirsch, Founder and CEO of Hirsch Healthcare Consulting interviews Janiece Gray, Founding Partner at Minnesota-based healthcare consulting firm DTA Associates as she takes us on a… Show more

Patient Experience is a lot like the blind men and the elephant. It’s defined differently by various healthcare provider organizations. Is there one best approach and how do you get your arms around this massive initiative for your healthcare organization?

Listen to the podcast recording in this post as Lonnie Hirsch, Founder and CEO of Hirsch Healthcare Consulting interviews Janiece Gray, Founding Partner at Minnesota-based healthcare consulting firm DTA Associates as she takes us on a deeper dive into the seemingly bottomless well that is patient experience. You will find a transcript of the recording below. Show less

For physicians and groups who want to remain independent, marketing physician independence benefits to patients and other physicians is essential, not optional.

In this article, Lonnie Hirsch identifies and discusses 9 steps that independent healthcare practices can use to effectively market patient benefits of providing healthcare in an independent practice setting.

Cybersecurity risks and protections for healthcare organizations is generally not well understood or implemented. Listen to Lonnie Hirsch's podcast interview with John Stephens, Managing Partner at Luminant Digital Security to learn more about risks and protections that healthcare organizations need to understand and apply.

How important are marketing and innovation to your healthcare business success?

Well, consider this quote from world-renowned management guru Peter Drucker:

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two — and only two — basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

Marketing and innovation are no less… Show more

How important are marketing and innovation to your healthcare business success?

Well, consider this quote from world-renowned management guru Peter Drucker:

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two — and only two — basic functions: marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. Marketing is the distinguishing, unique function of the business.”

Marketing and innovation are no less important in the healthcare industry than in other industries. In fact, a strong argument could be made that these are more important in healthcare than in many other industries.

Healthcare providers (physicians and health systems) need look no further than their colleagues in the most lucrative healthcare entities in the world: pharmaceutical companies. For these companies, marketing and innovation are truly everything that matters.

So why should healthcare provider organizations view these priorities any differently? It’s not just a monetary question; healthcare marketing and healthcare innovation are essential to your long-term growth and, in some cases, even your survival. Show less

For those involved with branding and marketing strategy in health systems, how do you see the distinction between repositioning as large, multi-specialty clinics that own hospitals vs hospital-centred health system? Maybe more importantly, how does your health system define (or redefine) itself going forward?

As everyone in this industry knows, the financial basis for health system profitability has been flipped on its head. Hospitals are increasingly being viewed by health systems as… Show more

For those involved with branding and marketing strategy in health systems, how do you see the distinction between repositioning as large, multi-specialty clinics that own hospitals vs hospital-centred health system? Maybe more importantly, how does your health system define (or redefine) itself going forward?

As everyone in this industry knows, the financial basis for health system profitability has been flipped on its head. Hospitals are increasingly being viewed by health systems as cost centers rather than revenue centers. Operation and clinical alignment is essential but not easy.

Bottom Line: The patient access and the money flow is set up to engage at the primary care clinic or speciality clinic level.

Hospitals have historically had to market their services and create patient-centered brands while combatting the reality that most people fear hospitals and don’t want to avoid them.

So why aren’t more health systems moving to reposition as clinic-based rather than hospital-based? Show less

Too many hospitals and referral-based healthcare practices are seeing a drop in their prior sources and volume of physician referrals. Perhaps surprisingly, many more don’t even know (much less keep close tabs on) their rate of referral attrition.

It’s true that some of the reasons for shrinking physician referrals are beyond your control, including acquisition of primary care practices by hospitals and health systems and retirement of physicians, but that’s all the more reason to… Show more

Too many hospitals and referral-based healthcare practices are seeing a drop in their prior sources and volume of physician referrals. Perhaps surprisingly, many more don’t even know (much less keep close tabs on) their rate of referral attrition.

It’s true that some of the reasons for shrinking physician referrals are beyond your control, including acquisition of primary care practices by hospitals and health systems and retirement of physicians, but that’s all the more reason to control everything you can that impacts your referrals from physicians.

Referral relationships, just like any personal relationships in our lives, require focus, attention and nurturing. The reality is that most healthcare organizations that are experienced fewer referrals from other doctors could be doing more and taking a more strategic approach to maintaining and even increasing physician referrals.

Here are the Top 10 tactics to consider if you want to hold on to the physician referrals you are getting and even grow your physician referrals. Show less

Listen to Lonnie Hirsch's podcast interview with David Jaffe from Cost Segregation Services (http://costsegregationservices.com) to learn about accelerated depreciation strategies for your office real estate.

Lonnie Hirsch recently interviewed Brad Wakefield, CEO of The Corvallis Clinic in Corvallis, Oregon. The Corvallis Clinic (https://www.corvallisclinic.com) is the largest multi-specialty medical group in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, with 113 providers representing 27 specialties across 10 locations.

In this podcast, you will hear Brad discuss healthcare provider and patient trends from the perspective of a large multi-specialty group, but Brad’s comments are relevant to all sizes… Show more

Lonnie Hirsch recently interviewed Brad Wakefield, CEO of The Corvallis Clinic in Corvallis, Oregon. The Corvallis Clinic (https://www.corvallisclinic.com) is the largest multi-specialty medical group in the mid-Willamette Valley of Oregon, with 113 providers representing 27 specialties across 10 locations.

In this podcast, you will hear Brad discuss healthcare provider and patient trends from the perspective of a large multi-specialty group, but Brad’s comments are relevant to all sizes and specialties of independent, insurance-based medical practices.

Brad discusses the advantages and also the challenges for larger multi-specialty medical groups. He also shares his observations about the impact of high-deductible health plans of patient behavior and provider-patient communications and education.

Brad also discusses his view of the evolving direction toward proactive rather than reactive communication and interaction with patients.

Finally, Brad shares the philosophy and approach of his group’s commitment to engagement and support of the local economy. Show less

Population Health is by now an imperative for most healthcare organizations, and health risk assessments are the launch point for establishing a baseline for an individual’s current health.

But the business implications for many healthcare organizations go beyond the population health incentives built into value-based reimbursement for providers.

In fact, more healthcare businesses are now targeting employers for workplace wellness programs that are designed to reduce employer and… Show more

Population Health is by now an imperative for most healthcare organizations, and health risk assessments are the launch point for establishing a baseline for an individual’s current health.

But the business implications for many healthcare organizations go beyond the population health incentives built into value-based reimbursement for providers.

In fact, more healthcare businesses are now targeting employers for workplace wellness programs that are designed to reduce employer and employee healthcare coverage costs by identifying chronic, recurring health problems and preempting worsening of those conditions by educating and changing health behaviors.

While the health risk assessment is a widely accepted and utilized tool for starting the individual’s education and engagement in change behaviors, most companies and organizations that utilize HRAs don’t fully understand the most important considerations for proper and effective administration of HRAs.

Listen to Lonnie Hirsch's podcast interview with Chris McReynolds, CEO of Wellsource (https://www.wellsource.com) for an eye-opening look at the importance of customized, specific HRAs as the “front door” for the engagement of the employee and their employer in the process of producing better outcomes and more healthcare cost savings. Show less

So what did Bernie Madoff get right, considering all of his flaws and sins and how does that apply to your healthcare practice? Read my article to find out.

Listen to Lonnie Hirsch's podcast interview with Dileep Kulkarni, Director of Expense Reduction Analysts to understand how to maximize the cost-efficiency of many medical business expenses.

Many recent studies and reports point to an increase in postponement of care by patients that corresponds to an increase in the number of Americans dealing with high-deductible health plans.

This is not just an issue for people with individual insurance through the healthcare exchanges. In fact, more and more employers each year are offering only high-deductible plans to their employees.

It’s not rocket science to see this coming. In fact, the stated objective in offering… Show more

Many recent studies and reports point to an increase in postponement of care by patients that corresponds to an increase in the number of Americans dealing with high-deductible health plans.

This is not just an issue for people with individual insurance through the healthcare exchanges. In fact, more and more employers each year are offering only high-deductible plans to their employees.

It’s not rocket science to see this coming. In fact, the stated objective in offering high-deductible plans is to make patients think twice about over-utilizing healthcare services because the patient has more financial “skin in the game.”

There are countless stories emerging about patients who were ultimately diagnosed with serious, even life-threatening health issues because they were reluctant to seek care due to the out-of-pocket costs that they knew they would have to pay toward their high deductible. Show less

More marketing dollars are wasted due to poor planning (or failure to plan at all) than for any other reason. Find out why and what to do to avoid wasting your marketing budget.

How exactly is helping patients with high deductibles a marketing strategy? I’m glad you asked.

As in other industries, healthcare marketing is a set of communications tools for discovering, creating, arousing and satisfying customer needs while creating and reinforcing a positive reputation for the brand/provider.

Satisfying customer needs is important in any industry but even more important in healthcare because the stakes are higher for the customer in terms of positive vs… Show more

How exactly is helping patients with high deductibles a marketing strategy? I’m glad you asked.

As in other industries, healthcare marketing is a set of communications tools for discovering, creating, arousing and satisfying customer needs while creating and reinforcing a positive reputation for the brand/provider.

Satisfying customer needs is important in any industry but even more important in healthcare because the stakes are higher for the customer in terms of positive vs. negative consequences.

Some might worry that marketing to patients about ways to help them clear the hurdle of high deductibles is taking advantage of someone else’s financial pain for the benefit of the provider organization. Those who feel that way have a limited definition or understanding of how marketing (including consumer education) can work to the benefit of the customer even as it works to benefit the marketer. Show less

Whether you own or manage a medical practice, dental practice or any other kind of independent healthcare practice, your ability to grow, thrive and be profitable has become more challenging with each passing year. You can expect that trend to continue.

Regardless of whether you are an insurance-based practice or a cash-based practice, you face increasing and ever more formidable competition (including large corporate healthcare businesses with deep pockets to market their services and… Show more

Whether you own or manage a medical practice, dental practice or any other kind of independent healthcare practice, your ability to grow, thrive and be profitable has become more challenging with each passing year. You can expect that trend to continue.

Regardless of whether you are an insurance-based practice or a cash-based practice, you face increasing and ever more formidable competition (including large corporate healthcare businesses with deep pockets to market their services and brand).

If you intend to survive and thrive in this much more challenging business environment, you have no choice than to work smarter because you can’t work any harder. Show less

Listen to Lonnie Hirsch's podcast interview with Jon Barnes, Chief Operating Officer of Mediplay. Mediplay provides medical facilities with a personalized, ad-free in-office patient education video network.

Whether your organization provides telemedicine, telehealth or both, the application of an effective marketing strategy is an essential component for increasing adoption for patients and for healthcare providers.

If your 2017 is off to a slower start than 2016, the negative impact of high-deductible plans is probably nothing new to you. Most insurance-based medical practices grudgingly accept that patients will postpone care on anything that is not an urgent health crisis until “later” when their deductibles have been met.

But the inexorable trend toward employees and people in the individual insurance market being given only high-deductible plan options is predicted to now negatively impact… Show more

If your 2017 is off to a slower start than 2016, the negative impact of high-deductible plans is probably nothing new to you. Most insurance-based medical practices grudgingly accept that patients will postpone care on anything that is not an urgent health crisis until “later” when their deductibles have been met.

But the inexorable trend toward employees and people in the individual insurance market being given only high-deductible plan options is predicted to now negatively impact medical utilization throughout the year, not just in the first few months.

The new reality is that insurance-based medical practices need to understand and accept that they are now operating more and more as a cash-based practice for considerable portions of the year. Certainly, that is how many of your patients now see you.

This means you have to start thinking and behaving more like cash-based practices and learn from their proven techniques. Show less

Rebranding for healthcare business has rewards when done successfully, but the risks when done wrong or for the wrong reason can be very high for established healthcare organizations.

Rebranding in healthcare organizations of all kinds – healthcare practices, hospitals and health systems, health insurance companies, medical device companies and pharma businesses – has increased substantially in the past 5 years, primarily (but not exclusively) driven by the rapid increase in various… Show more

Rebranding for healthcare business has rewards when done successfully, but the risks when done wrong or for the wrong reason can be very high for established healthcare organizations.

Rebranding in healthcare organizations of all kinds – healthcare practices, hospitals and health systems, health insurance companies, medical device companies and pharma businesses – has increased substantially in the past 5 years, primarily (but not exclusively) driven by the rapid increase in various forms of mergers and acquisitions.

Rebranding can be a serious risk to an established business so it’s not a decision to be made lightly. One of the risks of rebranding is the potential for creating confusion among existing customers (patients, referring physicians, payors and the employees of the business) and the communities in which the business exists as to who you were before, who you are now, and why the change was made.

Confusion is the enemy of clarity. If your target audiences become confused about who you are now versus who they thought you were before, you stand to lose a lot of business, often with alarming speed. Show less

Facebook announces that its ranking algorithm for its News Feed is now going to give priority for longer videos — assuming people watch. Facebook claims that they are doing this to level the playing field because they already rank videos according to percentage of total video viewed (along with several other factors) and that gives unfair benefit to shorter videos which can be viewed more quickly in their entirety.

For Facebook business, what it really comes down to is advertising… Show more

Facebook announces that its ranking algorithm for its News Feed is now going to give priority for longer videos — assuming people watch. Facebook claims that they are doing this to level the playing field because they already rank videos according to percentage of total video viewed (along with several other factors) and that gives unfair benefit to shorter videos which can be viewed more quickly in their entirety.

For Facebook business, what it really comes down to is advertising revenue and competition for eyeballs with YouTube and Instagram. The longer a Facebook user engages with a video, the more than Facebook stands to gain from its ad strategy shown between videos in its News Feed.

The important issue is that it only matters if you post a longer video if people actually watch your longer video, in the process devoting more time on Facebook than they would with shorter videos. (Remember, video ranking in Facebook’s News Feed is based on completion rates.)

There is an opportunity here for savvy video marketers that extends beyond just this Facebook business strategy, but it requires even more compelling and entertaining (or at least interesting) content. The longer the video, the more challenging the content requirements to keep people viewing longer. Show less

Relationships matter. The important relationships in our lives influence our thoughts and our behaviors. Relationships are the way we learn to trust. I was reminded of this essential truth while reading an impressive article in this month’s The New Yorker magazine by Dr. Atul Gawande titled “The Heroism of Incremental Care.”

Dr. Gawande, a surgeon and author of several best-selling books on medicine, makes a compelling case for the importance of the relationship between patients and… Show more

Relationships matter. The important relationships in our lives influence our thoughts and our behaviors. Relationships are the way we learn to trust. I was reminded of this essential truth while reading an impressive article in this month’s The New Yorker magazine by Dr. Atul Gawande titled “The Heroism of Incremental Care.”

Dr. Gawande, a surgeon and author of several best-selling books on medicine, makes a compelling case for the importance of the relationship between patients and their primary care doctor as the key to reduction in the cost of healthcare for our government and for all Americans.

Show less

Whether it’s due to aggressive medical practice acquisition by hospitals and health systems or private practice doctors approaching retirement and wanting to sell their practice to outside buyers or to their partners, physician owners of the shrinking pool of independent practices want the best buyout price they can get. Who wouldn’t?

For too many sellers, they can’t negotiate their optimal buyout price because the value of their “assets” is limited. Because buyers can’t really know how… Show more

Whether it’s due to aggressive medical practice acquisition by hospitals and health systems or private practice doctors approaching retirement and wanting to sell their practice to outside buyers or to their partners, physician owners of the shrinking pool of independent practices want the best buyout price they can get. Who wouldn’t?

For too many sellers, they can’t negotiate their optimal buyout price because the value of their “assets” is limited. Because buyers can’t really know how many established patients they will retain after ownership transfer, the smart ones discount the value of patient retention by 20% – 50% in their acquisition negotiations.

What buyers do value is the ability of the purchased entity to consistently generate more revenue, to continually attract new patients and to provide the best mix of profitable services and procedures.

For insurance-based practices, the value of their contracts with payors is an important factor in establishing a buy/sell price. However, that value may also be discounted to some degree by the buyer because of the unpredictability of the constant changes in healthcare insurance – both of the patient side and on the provider side. Show less

Lonnie Hirsch was interviewed for a healthcare marketing podcast by Stacey Richter, Co-President of Aventria Health Group and host of the Relentless Health Value podcast series.

The podcast topic is Healthcare Marketing Trends in Interesting Times.

Here is a link to the podcast:

http://relentlesshealthvalue.com/audios/115/

Let’s face facts. To be perfectly honest, most physicians are lousy at saving their money, particularly when it comes to investing or retirement planning. My clients often complain about lack of savings for their future and I am increasingly asked for advice on this topic.

In my experience working with thousands of physicians all across the U.S., I have found that surprisingly few doctors work with trusted financial advisors (different than stockbrokers) to plan for and protect their… Show more

Let’s face facts. To be perfectly honest, most physicians are lousy at saving their money, particularly when it comes to investing or retirement planning. My clients often complain about lack of savings for their future and I am increasingly asked for advice on this topic.

In my experience working with thousands of physicians all across the U.S., I have found that surprisingly few doctors work with trusted financial advisors (different than stockbrokers) to plan for and protect their financial future.

Since my primary expertise is in business growth and marketing, I have made it my business to research and identify reputable financial advisors who work with physician clients to help them maximize the right plan for their best possible financial opportunities. Show less

The merger mania in healthcare is not limited to health insurance companies, pharma companies, medical device and medical software companies.

Mergers and acquisitions of and between hospitals merging with health systems has been a major industry trend over the past decade. More recently, a significant number of independent practices have merged to form “super groups.”

Even though merger-related brand strategy is hardly a new topic, many in the healthcare provider community… Show more

The merger mania in healthcare is not limited to health insurance companies, pharma companies, medical device and medical software companies.

Mergers and acquisitions of and between hospitals merging with health systems has been a major industry trend over the past decade. More recently, a significant number of independent practices have merged to form “super groups.”

Even though merger-related brand strategy is hardly a new topic, many in the healthcare provider community continue to struggle with successful rebranding after the merger of previously separate brands.

Here is a brief summary of what my experience over 30 years in branding and rebranding healthcare businesses have taught me to view as the most critical success factors of successful post-merger rebranding. These factors are in no way unique to the healthcare industry and it’s often useful to understand what other industries have done in a similar situation. Show less

The percentage of people in the U.S. who are influenced by online reviews in choosing healthcare providers and institutions has skyrocketed in just the past few years. By “killing you softly,” I mean that your online reviews from your patients directly and adversely affects your business but you can’t see what you are NOT getting as a result of a poor online reputation.

Everyone who is aware of online reviews (and who isn’t?) knows that the majority of these reviews are negative for most… Show more

The percentage of people in the U.S. who are influenced by online reviews in choosing healthcare providers and institutions has skyrocketed in just the past few years. By “killing you softly,” I mean that your online reviews from your patients directly and adversely affects your business but you can’t see what you are NOT getting as a result of a poor online reputation.

Everyone who is aware of online reviews (and who isn’t?) knows that the majority of these reviews are negative for most businesses. This is particularly true in the healthcare industry for many reasons. So what can you really do about negative reviews? Show less

So maybe you think that virtual doctor visits are a nuisance or inappropriate for most health issues. Or maybe you have already jumped on the Virtual Doctor Visits Express. Whatever camp you are in, you should know that the trend toward the popularity of and demand for virtual doctor visits will continue to increase.

The American Telemedicine Association estimates than 450,000 patients will see a doctor online this year for basic ailments.

If you want more proof, just check out… Show more

So maybe you think that virtual doctor visits are a nuisance or inappropriate for most health issues. Or maybe you have already jumped on the Virtual Doctor Visits Express. Whatever camp you are in, you should know that the trend toward the popularity of and demand for virtual doctor visits will continue to increase.

The American Telemedicine Association estimates than 450,000 patients will see a doctor online this year for basic ailments.

If you want more proof, just check out the growing number of companies and websites that promote virtual office visits for common problems such as flu, sore throats, acne, urinary tract infections, sinus infections and other common and non-complex conditions as well as chronic disease management.

While it’s not preferable to seeing a doctor in person and is not appropriate for more serious health issues, virtual doctor visits offer many advantages for both patients and physicians in the right situation. It also helps keep contagious patients out of the waiting room if the condition can be diagnosed and handled remotely form the comfort of the patient’s own home. Show less

Urgent care (sometimes known as “immediate care”) has been one of the fastest growing segments in the healthcare industry over the past 5 years – for many good reasons.

If you are in the primary care arena, do you have an Urgent Care business strategy? If not, should you?

If you have an urgent care business already, are you staying competitive and winning the market share game? What is your strategy and is it better, smarter and more forward-thinking than your… Show more

Urgent care (sometimes known as “immediate care”) has been one of the fastest growing segments in the healthcare industry over the past 5 years – for many good reasons.

If you are in the primary care arena, do you have an Urgent Care business strategy? If not, should you?

If you have an urgent care business already, are you staying competitive and winning the market share game? What is your strategy and is it better, smarter and more forward-thinking than your competitors?

If you don’t have an urgent care business already, is it too late to get in and be successful? Show less

Much has been written and discussed about hospital acquisition of many previously independent, private practices. That trend is very real and has made the challenge greater for practices that want to remain independent.

But despite what many in private practice see as a gloomy outlook for their future, others are becoming smarter and more strategic in how they conduct their practice to be more profitable and competitive.

Even though it may be hard to believe at times, you can survive and even thrive in independent private practice. But it’s SO much more difficult than it used to be and only the smartest and most proactive business owners can hope to do well in the future.

If you are in medical practice, the deck is really stacked against you for many reasons, few (if any) that you can control. But some are overcoming these challenges and you can learn from their best practices.