Kriss brings an energy and expertise to the process that inspires stronger relationships, smarter strategies and more meaningful results.
The leading expert in physician relationship strategy, Kriss Barlow has deep healthcare experience and an unrelenting commitment to deliver meaningful results to her clients. Backed by more than two decades experience as a healthcare consultant, plus clinical and business development experience within organizations, Kriss offers unparalleled expertise in the areas of strategic growth and implementation; physician relations, engagement and retention; as well as sales and training. Her passion for developing innovative growth strategies and a shared vision helps teams define the right medical staff relationships, increase referrals and meet even the most ambitious objectives. While Kriss is highly skilled at inspiring vision, she also takes a hands-on approach to implementation that drives results.
A nationally recognized healthcare speaker, Kriss is frequently asked to share her insights at conferences and webinars, including The Forum for Healthcare Strategists, SHSMD and ACHE. She’s the author of five books, including her newest, Physician Relations: The Model, The Method & The Impact. A certified sales instructor, Kriss is a recipient of SHSMD’s award for Individual Leadership Excellence.
Located in Hudson, WI, Kriss has dedicated her entire professional career to healthcare. She’s earned a BS in Nursing from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
Working with Kriss:
The work that we have been doing with Kriss Barlow is aimed at structuring our provider relations team in a way that would meet the needs of the organization and drive measurable results. I couldn’t be more pleased with the growth and development of our team, facilitated by Kriss. Her knowledge and expertise has really positioned us for the right level of credibility with leadership which has proven to be key in sustaining a successful provider relations team.
– Summer M. Lesic, VP Sales and Growth, Centura Health
Recent Posts and Articles
Physician Relations in the Field: Is the Door Closed?
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com We’ve all run into a closed door in that figurative sense. What makes you decide to enter? I recently watched a young salesperson have great success in a tough situation. Others in the organization had previous...
Physician Relations: Connecting with the Customer’s Needs
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com I read a recent statistic that 82% of sellers are out of touch with the needs of their buyers. Wow, I hate that, and I suspect we could say, “That’s not in physician relations, it must be those other sales...
Personal Motivation for Physician Liaisons
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com Just this week I had a field manager ask me about best practices to keep the team motivated and inspired in their daily work. While leaders can make an impact because some motivation is extrinsic, a whole lot of...
Physician Liaisons: One Field Technique that Deserves your Attention
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com Physician liaison teams often consider what their organizations could do that would make life easier. That’s tough stuff because we never get to control what others choose to change. We can, however, often...
What Makes Field Sales Managers Smile and… What Does Not
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com Some field reps are easy to manage for results and others, not so much. We could have a full-on discussion about how they got to be that way – a chicken-and-egg conversation – but since I already took on managers...
First Impressions for Physician Liaisons
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com Right wrong or otherwise, we all make snap judgments when we meet new people. Last week I needed help from an airline gate agent and here’s what happened: I approached the counter ready to beg, cajole and flaunt...
Shark-like Practice Marketing
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com When I saw this quote on LinkedIn, I just loved it. Of course in the case of practice marketing the “chase” and “bite” need to be expressed a bit differently! But if we look closely there is some wisdom here that...
Stretch Your Data Side in Physician Relations
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com "Companies that utilize a data-driven sales strategy boast better productivity and profitability." – Dan Scalco Data can have a polarizing effect on the field staff. Some reps love using and working with the data....
There’s No Time: The Pressure of Field Teams to Adapt to Internal Change
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com "They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." -Andy Warhol Too much to do and too little time. We’ve all heard the old adage and many days we feel it was written just for...
Healthcare Referral Growth: My Part, Your Part
By: Kriss Barlow, RN, MBA | kbarlow@barlowmccarthy.com I just heard it from a Vice President this morning, “The pressure is on to make sure physician relations is delivering the right results.” Teams are fine-tuning their analytics, field skills, and metrics and...