As physicians seek strength in numbers to place them in better bargaining positions for managed care contracting, they are increasingly looking to PR to promote their
individual strengths and to carve out a competitive reputation.
There are 175,390 physicians who belong to medical group practices (MGPs) - nearly 26% of all U.S. physicians, according to the SMG Marketing Group in Chicago. Last year, 6,385
MGPs became members of a chain, up 23% from 1998 and 33% of all MGPs contracted with a group purchasing organization.
Although managed care is forcing physicians to adopt group-negotiating tactics, it's also compelling them to develop stronger individual community identities. "As physician
practices evolve into larger practices, patients are afraid that their one-on-one relationship [with physicians] will be threatened," says Mike Trainor, president of Trainor
Associates, a strategic marketing and communications firm in Providence, R.I. "Physician marketing is best when it doesn't convey big business."
Generating this distinction in the media requires briefing reporters on more than a physician's credentials, but also his or her philosophy of care. But with so many "physician
experts" vying for the attention of a reporter, your pitching strategies have to be both convincing and targeted.
What works best is helping your physicians develop an eye for identifying compelling patient stories to pitch the media on. This can be a tough sell for physicians who often
want to crank out press releases on the new pieces of expensive technology their practice is using, says Katherine Rothman, president of KMR Communications, a PR firm in New York
that specializes in representing plastic surgeons, dermatologists and cosmetic dentists. The technology has to take a back seat to the human-interest angle. Rothman has generated
significant media coverage for her clients in highly competitive markets like Miami, Los Angeles and New York by pitching story ideas that reinforce the importance of using board-
certified plastic surgeons for cosmetic procedures and by highlighting patient scenarios with dramatic cosmetic outcomes.
Best-Kept Secret
PR that regularly educates on a life-and-death health condition can rescue a practice from anonymity and boost targeted patient awareness. This is the tactic Tanner Spencer
Gould (TSG) used to position an inpatient psychiatric clinic in Salt Lake City as a leading resource for women with severe eating disorders. When the agency began working with the
clinic a few years ago, only 40% of the clinic's beds were being used. It had done minimal PR and primarily targeted college students who are at highest risk of having eating
disorders. But college students are often in denial about this condition, which keeps them from pursuing medical help, says Mike Judson, TSG's VP of PR. TSG worked with the clinic
on pursuing media opportunities that educated the family and friends of loved ones who exhibited signs of bulimia and anorexia.
Holidays provided the best opportunities to spotlight this issue. TSG briefed reporters on why holidays are a difficult time for people with eating disorders, provided
information on patients who were willing to discuss the condition and positioned the clinic's physicians as experts on the topic. The holiday angle generated lengthy coverage from
four major newspapers in the state, talk radio and network TV, says Judson. On the national level, the center was involved in a two-part series on NBC that looked at the media's
influence on eating disorders.
These efforts helped to catapult the center's reputation as a top-notch clinic for eating disorders first regionally then nationally. It now runs at 85% capacity and often has
a waiting list, says Judson.
Promoting General Medicine
While specialty areas like plastic surgery and eating disorders provide ample opportunity for dramatic story ideas, it can be tough to identify compelling patient-focused story
angles for primary care specialties because the areas of medicine are so general and broad in scope. Getting these physicians on the media's radar screen requires more community
outreach, says Bob Sommer, executive VP and principal of the MWW Group in East Rutherford, N.J. He suggests pursuing speaking opportunities at key venues like schools and senior
facilities that position physicians as credible resources of primary care information. These opportunities allow physicians to become recognizable voices of authority among the
media, says Sommer.
Reacting to breaking health news also is a key way for primary care physicians to land consistent news coverage. Their perspectives on national HMO issues, wellness trends and
preventive medicine services allow reporters to localize these hot-button topics. Media accessibility, however, is key. Once reporters decide to use a physician in a story, they
need immediate follow up, usually within an hour. "It's important to establish ongoing media relationships that offer 24-hour access to physicians," says Tom Lannan, director of
account services for Health Communications in Memphis, Tenn., which represents 10 physician practices. Lannan suggests advising physicians to develop a media response schedule on
a weekly basis. Although this can be a time-consuming exercise, it's worth the effort. Reporters are more apt to rely on physicians that have established a solid track record of
delivering last-minute, credible quotes.
Online PR Catches On With Physicians
Physicians are finding that developing a solid online identity is just as important as their offline efforts, especially those who belong to practices that want national
recognition. The Internet removes the geographical barriers of traditional PR by allowing physician practices to promote their Web sites as media resources on the local, regional
and national level. In addition to posting press releases on medical service offerings, physician Web sites are ideal vehicles for:
- promoting the medical research the physician practice is involved in;
- demonstrating technical medical procedures with graphics;
- featuring the news coverage the physician has been included in with additional commentary and corrections, if necessary; and
- providing opportunities for patient feedback, questions and comments on key health issues.
(SMG Marketing, Nathaniel Volkman, 312/255-4231; KMR Communications, Katherine Rothman, 212/527-7511; Trainor Associates, Mike Trainor, 401/454-1700, ext. 221; TSG, Mike
Judson, 801/358-8137; MWW Group, Bob Sommer, 201/507-9500; Health Communications, Tom Lannan, 916/851-2052)