Susan’s practical and universally-applicable volume building strategies are a perfect fit within Barlow/McCarthy.
An expert at discovering what both physicians and consumers expect from health care, she blends customer needs with organization expectations through innovative and individually crafted strategies and approaches.
Her 25 years at some of the nation’s best known not-for-profit health systems has taught her that hospital-physician strategy is a process that starts with building the right team. Based on learned needs, she is able to define the right mix products and services required to align the expectations and earn measurable results. She helps with referral development strategies and program development as well as with creating innovative solutions through new products and services.
This process results in the crafting of a system for delivering these products and services that will distinguish your hospital from the one down the street. And isn’t that, at its heart, what marketing is about?
Recent Posts and Articles
Access Is the Priority – So Why Are Referral Strategies Still Stuck in the Past?
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Health system leaders are being asked to show clearer returns on growth investments heading into 2026. In increasingly competitive markets, the ability to manage referrals effectively, not just generate them, is becoming...
The Art of the First Impression: Making Every Physician Interaction Count
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Think back to the last time you met someone new. Maybe it was a neighbor, a new colleague, or even the person seated next to you on a plane. Chances are, within the first few minutes, you had already formed an...
Beyond the Referral: How to Build Lasting Physician Engagement
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Securing a physician’s referral is just the first step. The real challenge—and opportunity—lies in fostering meaningful, long-term relationships that go beyond a single patient handoff. Strong engagement isn’t built on...
Selling Smarter, Not Harder: The Role of Niche Targeting in Physician Relations
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com In today’s competitive healthcare landscape, traditional sales approaches often fall short when trying to get a referring physician’s attention. Broad, one-size-fits-all messaging can fail to resonate, leading to missed...
The Hidden Gaps in Your Physician Outreach—and How to Fix Them
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com Physician outreach isn’t just about making connections—it’s about fostering relationships that drive real referral growth. Yet even the most well-intentioned efforts can fall short due to hidden gaps that hinder...
25 Ways to Elevate Your Field Game in 2025
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect moment to celebrate the successes of 2024 and gear up for the exciting opportunities ahead in 2025. To help you start the new year strong, I’ve put together 25 impactful...
What Should Innovation Look Like For Physician Relations?
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com We’ve been talking about innovation in physician relations for a while. This is not about the relevancy of what we are doing, but more about how we can make a bigger impact for our organizations and for the physician...
Beyond the Data: Creative Approaches to Assessing Field Impact
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com When it comes to measuring the impact of your field efforts, having access to data is crucial. That said, one of the biggest complaints from field teams is the lack of accurate, timely referral data. Therein lies the...
Embracing Challenges: A Path to Growth and Learning
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com The role of a physician relations field rep or leader is woven with a myriad of challenges, each presenting an opportunity for personal and professional growth. By facing and overcoming these challenges, we truly...
Physician Relations: Best Practice Interview Skills for Hiring Great Field Talent
By: Susan Boydell | sboydell@barlowmccarthy.com We have all been there. You are hiring for a new or open role and the resumes start rolling in. As you review the resumes there is one that rises to the top. The candidate has all the right experience and education, they...