Promoting Physicians

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The recent physician satisfaction survey illustrated a need for improvement in the area of promoting physicians. Here, in four parts, is a response to those concerns:

1. How are physicians currently promoted?
2. What laws and guidelines direct our efforts?
3. What new promotional support is planned?
4. What is the process for seeking promotional support?

How are physicians currently promoted?

The cornerstone of the hospital's present promotional support is the Business Development team. They are a dedicated team of full time professionals whose job it is to establish a mutually beneficial relationship with physicians and their practices. The team consists of two “traveling” members and one internal liaison who manages the hospital side of the communications. They are the touchstone for on-going support and link back to the hospital.

Depending on needs and interests, they may provide support to resolve issues with the hospital, furnish helpful tools and education pieces from the hospital and, importantly, the team can help develop ways of collaborating with physician practices on Marketing and PR projects. (If you are unsure who your contact is, please call Kirsten Salley at 203-739-7472.)

In addition to the Business Development team, physicians are promoted through several on-going initiatives including

• Find – a – Doc, the 24/7 physician referral resource.
• PR support through media coverage of unique patient stories, medical breakthroughs, etc.
• Community outreach – physicians featured through Medical Town Meetings which include advertising and direct mail exposure, “ask the doctor” community forums, physician directories distributed at health fairs, community events and elsewhere.

What laws and guidelines direct our efforts?

All Marketing and PR promotional efforts must be managed within the letter of the Stark and Anti-kickback laws. This means anything that can be interpreted as the hospital “buying”, or paying for referrals from physicians is strictly prohibited with penalties for both parties. Given these legal challenges the hospital follows the proven route of developing communications that speak about clinical programs, their advancements and success stories and unique patient experiences and including physicians' roles in those stories.

What new promotional support is planned?

In response to the physician satisfaction survey, the hospital plans to provide a series of “Marketing 101” promotional seminars to begin this fall. The intent is to provide physicians and their staffs the marketing insights and tools to better address their individual marketing needs. The hospital is seeking your input on exactly what kind of marketing and promotional content would be most valuable to you. Please call Kirsten Salley (203-739-7472), or speak with your Business Development partner, to let us know what topics you’d like to see covered.

What is the process for seeking promotional support?

Your day to day point of contact for communication and support is your Business Development liaison. However, if you have a specific marketing or PR need, bring it to your department chair or service line executive who will discuss it with Marketing/PR. Your department chair or service line executive will work with you to determine what action should be taken.

The hospital's Marketing Department plans more promotional support activities including new web strategies, redesigned literature and the Marketing 101 seminars. If you want to discuss promotional support, please contact your Business Development liaison.