By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com
September reminds me of back to school. School teaches us many things relevant for our roles today – like making sure we do good research and testing our effectiveness alongside others. In that spirit, as we consider the needs of our organizations, perhaps it is time to make sure that our efforts are aligned and that we’re doing the right research inside our organization. This article is dedicated to sharing ideas and questions that can ensure you’re clear about the internal status and their needs.
Get the Pulse of the Organization
What challenging times for our healthcare leaders! Physician relations teams need to hear the pulse of the organization, message the empathy and concern of the leaders, and manage the access challenges.
Here are some questions to consider:
- Is there a message leaders would like to have us share with the primary care practices about our current COVID response, our policy/staffing decisions, our management of elective surgeries, etc.?
- Is the goal for Fall 2021 to work on earning new business or are we at a place where the field team should concentrate on nurturing relationships and providing field intelligence?
- As we look to a more hopeful time, what are the growth priorities for referrals? Are we ready to grow this business now or is the current need to soften the market for a future?
Be a Team Player
Visibility with leaders has been harder, but intentional meetings or intentional messages can help remind the internal stakeholders of the field role AND the referring physicians voice, value and role.
- As we speak with primary care/specialists we certainly inquire about their challenges, but we also can be intentional in seeking out our leaders as well. Which of these topics would be most helpful to you? (Fill in your options. For example, impact of our access challenges in the ED, key messages they are hearing from patients, etc.)
- Call a SL leader to affirm operational readiness is you plan to message about the area. If you have heard about access issues, ask, how would you like us to handle that topic with you?
- As you speak with leaders, add a dose of kindness and acknowledgement of the pace for those who are struggling with staffing or COVID-19.
Think Ahead
We are all hopeful for days of focused growth ahead. There will likely be an intense need to build volumes. How does the team align with leaders to plan for the next wave of volume needed?
- Previously, many teams targeted a broad grouping of primary care doctors in the area. Assuming the need for refilling our pipeline, does that still feel like the right audience as you think ahead to 2022?
Note: Based on what you learn, the team may need to start thinking about refined targeting strategies and updating clinical knowledge for those conversations.
- Will there be different clinical offerings that offer early entry for your organization. Perhaps there is good access in GI but not in cardiology. Learn about your leaders support for different near-term offerings.
It is less about whether my questions are ideal and more about the need to prepare your customized questions for leaders at each level in your organization. As we approach the final quarter of the calendar year, it is an excellent time to reconnect with leaders and learn ways to focus the field effort. As you put together your plan consider who you need to connect with, what you want to learn and what you can share. Consider how the connection can add value for them and for you!