Tri-City Commits to Increased Physician Marketing Efforts

Physicians are central to the success of Tri-City Medical Center. You come to our community hospital every day and give 110% to our patients and their families. You apply science and skill to save lives and make a real difference in the quality of life of our neighbors and loved ones. You work together to draw on each of your unique talents to achieve results even you are amazed and proud to have accomplished. The new leadership team recognizes that your story needs to be told and has embarked on the beginnings of a physician-centric marketing campaign.

Some elements of this campaign are a continuation of previous efforts to market and tout Tri-City physicians like the Quarterly Community newsletter, which is mailed to over 70,000 residents in our primary and secondary markets. Each newsletter focuses on a Tri-City service line and features portraits of physicians who are central to that service line. The story contains quotes and background information on the physicians being featured and positions them as experts on that topic. Any other physicians who are related to the newsletter topic but are not directly “featured” in the article are listed within the story and contact information is given.

By now, hopefully, you’ve seen the latest advertising series we’re calling the “Caring Hands” campaign. These ads are patient- centric, and their personal story is told in a way that not only markets Tri-City services, but will soon also mention the physicians who were directly responsible for the success of the patients’ outcome. It’s your “Caring Hands” that make the life-changing difference in our patients’ lives, and that is the reason this direction was chosen as the consistent message to deliver throughout the campaign. Look for the latest set of ads in mid-August in newspapers, magazines, radio and other avenues, including on our website where not only the ad is featured but video-taped physician interviews will also be available for viewing.

We will also begin a series of physician-centric ads with a similar format and going to a similar audience, but the focus will be on the high-level of experience and skill that our physician brings to the Tri-City experience. The concepts for this series are currently in development.

Tri-City has engaged a highly respected and experienced web firm to redesign and enhance the hospital website and utilize the latest technology, allowing for physician profiles, photos, vignettes, video interviews and links to individual practices. All of our current marketing efforts already point the user to our website for more information, but this more robust and user-friendly site will aid in the improved flow of information to our community and patients.

A new calendar of Community Education events is being developed for FY2010. Community Education events are an opportunity to establish yourself as an expert in a given topic and give you direct contact with community members who are interested in that subject. These have been very successful in this past year, and we look forward to the next series and other ways to re-purpose these events so that it can reach the largest audience possible.

As Tri-City redesigns marketing and collateral pieces, physician portraits and their good work will be featured. This gives the collateral a personal touch and the patient appreciates seeing the experts who will be directly caring for them.

Public Affairs and Marketing is always interested in your grateful or exceptional patient stories for use in the newspaper, employee newsletter, advertising campaigns and other communication tools. These have proved an interesting and eye-catching way to get the Tri-City message of “high-quality patient care delivered by top-notch physicians,” to the community. If you have a story idea, please call Courtney Berlin at 760-940-5757.

Lastly, Leadership has begun making “rounds” to meet with you to hear more about your ideas and concerns, and open the lines of communication. These rounds will be a new and helpful way to collaborate with hospital leaders in shaping the future of Tri-City.

These are a few of the avenues in the Marketing Plan for FY2010 that will be used for telling the story of our talented physicians here at Tri-City.

Please let me know if you have any thoughts or ideas on how we can continue to promote the good work you do for our community. I can be reached at ext 3348.