PHYSICIAN STRATEGY

Health System Finds the “Golden Key” to Improving Physician Referrals and Communication

With a noted and sizeable independent physician practice dissolving recently, leaders at UMass Memorial Health Care knew they needed to act quickly.

Located in a marketplace that’s competitive for talent, the system’s Physician Referral Services team devised a detailed plan to engage these doctors and other independent providers and bring them into its managed care network. That led to the creation of UMass Memorial’s “Total Value Proposition,” a key piece in the toolkit that the six-hospital health system uses in physician recruitment efforts for the network.

The initiative includes everything from placing new network doctors in UMass Memorial’s find-a-physician online directory, to seamless connectivity to its electronic health record, noted Sarah Latorre, senior director of physician referral marketing services. It also includes comprehensive concierge services that enable physicians to: 

• Phone the organization using a single dedicated number, with live customer service representatives answering from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Identify which providers are accepting new patients and schedule outpatient appointments.
• Pinpoint appropriate specialists for consultation.
• Facilitate communication between doctors.
• Obtain medical records, lab results and any other patient activity reports, along with information about specialized services.

Together, the free package offers a strong value proposition to network physicians, saving time and overhead costs required to hire staff to perform these functions. “It really is a win-win for the health system and the doctors,” Latorre noted.

Improving Physician Communications

At the same time, Latorre said the Physician Referral Services team has been hosting regular “Dinner and Download” sessions that give providers scattered across the Bay State an opportunity to meet with senior executives at the UMass Memorial campus and “get the download on what’s new” across the enterprise. Early feedback has been positive, with over 100 referring physicians attending, and health system service lines showcasing their offerings.

“It’s a chance to make connections with the doctors and help them get a sense of what our university campus is like. Many don’t typically visit the medical center because they’re out in the community all day seeing patients,” observed Latorre.

The dinner meetings are part of a near-term physician communication strategy, but the Physician Referral Services team is also exploring how they can further strengthen interactions with providers in the years to come. They have implemented a strategic physician communications strategy that provides compelling and consistent messages for both employed and private physicians. These communication efforts and those to come will strive to build pride and loyalty within the network of physicians.

UMass Memorial’s foundation for success is built on a thoughtfully structured Physician Referral Services team.

Latorre’s staff includes both inside and outside sales groups, with the latter serving as dedicated, one-stop points of contact for referring physician offices. Meanwhile, the outside team is comprised of physician liaisons, who are spreading the word about the health system and its specialized services in the community to independent doctors. They’ve also hired a physician communications manager whose sole purpose is interacting with providers.

Latorre reports to the chief marketing officer, who is also chief of staff to the president and CEO, giving Latorre a direct line to both leaders. “I’m able to meet with them on a monthly basis and report on our current priorities and what we have in the pipeline,” she said. “We get a lot of support from the C-suite,” she added, noting that executives often accompany liaisons on trips to recruit doctors into the network. 

Encouraging Results

Fast forward two years, and leaders believe these strategies are working, with the health system welcoming 100-plus new providers — including many from the dissolved practice — to its medical network in 2019 alone, doubling its annual target. Booked appointments increased by about 4 percent last year, short of their 10 percent goal, but still progress.

“Do we have more work to do when it comes to improving physician referrals and communications?" asked Latorre. “Absolutely, but the steps we’ve taken in developing our Physician Referral Services team and our total value proposition are serving as the ‘golden key’ to helping UMass Memorial make significant strides in both of these important strategic areas.”

This article features an interview with:

Sarah Latorre
Senior Director of Physician Referral Marketing Services
UMass Memorial Health Care
Worcester, Massachusetts