5 Ways to More Effectively Market Your ASC

As has long been the case in the ASC industry, most of the patients who come through a typical surgery center's door are attributable to its physicians referring their cases to the facility. A strong argument can be made that it is more important than ever for ASCs to leverage the power of marketing to grow their business.

Effective marketing can deliver many benefits to an ASC. It can help promote the ASC's physicians, which should ultimately support volume growth. It can raise the profile of the ASC to potentially attract new physician owners and users. For ASCs that provide patients with a self-pay option, it can increase awareness of this offering. And it can enhance the reputation and trustworthiness of the ASC, so patients have at least a sense of familiarity and comfort with the facility when their surgery is scheduled.

Seaside Surgery Center in Naples, Fla., uses marketing to help achieve these and other objectives. Administrator Cynthia Schuetz, RN, shares five ways the ASC approaches marketing itself.

1. Build a strong online presence. Seaside Surgery Center has devoted significant resources to establish itself online, Schuetz says. Its website includes pictures of the ASC's surgeons and staff; descriptions of the procedures performed; patient information; and details on the center's "medical tourism" (cash pay) program.

   "We are always working to keep the site current and relevant," Schuetz says. "For example, we're planning to add more pictures of our staff soon."

   The ASC helps drive traffic to the website using a monthly e-newsletter. Visitors to the site can easily sign up for the publication by filling out a short form. Topics highlighted in recent issues include a new type of bunion surgery offered at the ASC, surgeon awards and the launch of the cash-pay program.

   Seaside Surgery Center also maintains an active Facebook page, which provides a mix of news about the ASC, patient testimonials, health news and reports, pictures of staff events and more.



2. Host an open house. A few months after Seaside Surgery Center opened, it welcomed the community into the facility. "When you're a new facility, an open house is essential," Schuetz says. "It's a great opportunity to get your ASC some positive attention and publicity."

   While the event was open to the public, the ASC put together a "VIP list." These individuals received a personal invitation to the event. The list was comprised of the surgery center's surgeons' patients and local government officials. To attract others from the community, the ASC invested in some local advertising.

   The event offered attendees an inside look at the ASC and its operations, Schuetz says. Seaside Surgery Center focuses on total joint replacement surgery, so the ASC provided visitors with the opportunity to view instrument trays. "They were able to see the implants that we put inside of people," she says.

   The surgery center also allowed visitors to walk into an operating room and watch a video of a surgical team performing arthroscopic surgery. "Unfortunately, on the day of our open house, we had horrendous storms," Schuetz recalls. "But we still had a great turnout. Visitors appreciated the opportunity to learn about what we do here."



3. Be visible in the community. Seaside Surgery Center seeks opportunities to be active in its community, Schuetz says. The ASC belongs to its local chamber of commerce. "We try to attend many of the chamber's events to help get our name out there," she says. "It's also a great way for us to support other local businesses."

   The ASC is represented when its surgeons deliver local talks on arthroscopic shoulder surgery and total joints. "While we need to pay a fee to host these events, they are a great way to educate the community on our services and answer any questions from prospective patients," Schuetz says. "

   Seaside Surgery Center is also represented when staff volunteer together in the community. "We recently supported a group helping foster children," Schuetz says. "We collected shoes for a back-to-school event that went to the children. While the main reason we volunteer is to help our community, doing so also helps get our name in front of more people."



4. Advertise. Besides marketing the open house, Seaside Surgery Center has invested in a few other advertising mechanisms. The ASC includes ads in the local medical society's journal. "We want other doctors in the area to know about us and that they can refer cases to our surgeons," Schuetz says.

   When the ASC purchased a robot-assisted surgery system, it negotiated advertising support as part of the contract with the system's developer. "The company agreed to match up to $50,000 in our dollars that were spent on advertising the robot and the procedure it supports," Schuetz says. "We saw our surgical volume increase and believe this effort was a reason why."

   Seaside Surgery Center has also made small investments in online ads to promote its total joint procedures. "If you can do some advertising, it can certainly help," Schuetz says. "You just need to allocate the funds, which can be a challenge for some ASCs."



5. Invest in help. To support its marketing efforts, Seaside Surgery Center retains a public relations firm. Their task is to maintain the ASC's website and helping with other initiatives, Schuetz says.

   In an increasingly competitive healthcare environment, not only for patients but physicians and staff as well, such investments are crucial for ASCs. "We believe this ongoing support helps ensure marketing remains a priority for us," Schuetz says.

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