Making the marketing shift from volume to value

by Tadd M. Pullin As policy and strategy experts opine about the merits of local market hospital mergers, large regional and national hospital systems, the need for integrated delivery of care across the continuum, and success being defined by empty hospital beds and healthier populations, I can't help but have flashbacks to the early 1990s when I began my career in healthcare administration. Is it different this time? Will hospitals, physicians and other healthcare providers across the continuum bring it together and truly innovate to make an impact on population health or will the industry distract itself for a few years and go back to its old ways? This question is pivotal for those leading and innovating in healthcare marketing. In the 90s, legislation to change healthcare failed to make it through the political meat grinder. Consumers rebelled against HMOs, limited choice and gatekeepers to specialist referrals. In the decade that followed, empowerment of the consumer centered around access to a growing amount of medical information on the web, access to pharmaceuticals and the freedom to choose a provider over another. Employers had to compete for the workforce and they ultimately paid the price in health benefits, with loose networks. Year after year, employers accepted huge increases in health insurance premiums--largely driven by healthcare providers negotiating higher rates with insurers to offset or subsidize care provided to the uninsured and lower Medi...
Source: hospital impact - Category: Health Managers Authors: Source Type: blogs