Transforming The Radiologist’s Role In Health Care
With 2014 coming to a close, many practices, hospitals and physician groups will be discussing what they can do to improve patient satisfaction and grow their businesses in 2015. They will be discussing the allocation of dollars in their marketing budget, launching new campaigns, making administration changes even focusing on company culture in order to see improvement. One Ohio hospital and their radiology group had a different idea. These two groups recognized that bringing specialists, like radiologists, on as members of a hospital’s team could help improve patient satisfaction and care coordination, ultimately growing the hospital’s business.
Aultman Hospital in Canton, Ohio’s CEO Christopher Remark commented on their decision saying, “We really felt that we had an opportunity to do something different because it was right in the heat of health care reform.” The reality of that statement is that radiologists have the opportunity to truly transform their role in the care process. Radiologists can become a part of this new healthcare landscape, something they will need to do to combat decreased reimbursement and utilization.
In hospitals like Aultman Hospital, an agreement to co-mange the radiology service line helped both parties to achieve their goals, grow their market presence and improve service-lines.
In other independent settings, radiologists have the opportunity to step up to the plate in other ways. One huge opportunity for radiologists is in the marketing of their centers. Finding an opportunity for the radiologist to go out with the physician relations representative to communicate with the referring community could make a huge difference in referrals. Additionally, there is a chance for radiologists to come out of the dark and be the faces of their practices without having to meet with the community face-to-face with video marketing. Social Media marketing also gives physicians the opportunity to get more involved in the industry as thought-leaders. Participating in tweet chats or webinars for instance, is a great way for radiologists to make a name for themselves in their industry but also in their community.
So challenge your radiologists in 2015, to transform their role in the care your organization delivers. You might just be surprised by what they can help you achieve!