Ohio-based Mercy Health, the state’s largest healthcare system, manages millions of patient encounters across more than 20 acute care facilities. Facing increasing pressure from regional competitors, Mercy Health needed an innovative approach to attract new patients and integrate them into their care network before they opted for other regional options.
With regional competitors steadily eroding patient volumes that were once secure, Mercy Health required a marketing strategy to identify and welcome new patients into their network. The goal was to connect with prospective patients moving into the area and establish a relationship with them before they chose other healthcare providers.
After reviewing key markets and regional demographic trends, we proposed revitalizing a time-tested approach: a New Movers program, enhanced with modern technology. The program utilized data-driven insights to identify ideal prospective patients at the zip code level, considering demographic factors such as sex, age, family size and payer status.
The program included:
- A welcome letter from the head of the regional network to new residents, listing key healthcare services to help them and their families settle into the community. These services included Primary, Urgent and Emergency Care, Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Clinics and various Cancer Screenings.
- Handy peel-away refrigerator magnets for each service area, providing location details, website and phone number.
- An invitation for recipients to complete an online survey in exchange for a fully loaded, Mercy Health-branded first aid kit for their new home.
The revamped New Movers program delivered impressive results. In the markets where it was deployed, the program achieved a 10% rate of return. More importantly, it provided access to valuable data. Respondent data was used to populate a Salesforce CRM, enabling the regular delivery of tailored news and updates to constituents. This approach also allowed for future cross-referencing with the system’s EHR to track new patient acquisition and lifetime engagement with Mercy Health’s services.
The combination of exceptional patient care, rich data and a world-class CRM, even with the inclusion of refrigerator magnets, showcased the power of innovative thinking and technology in healthcare marketing.