KentuckyDoc Spring 2020

spring 2020 • volume 12• issue 1

Healthcare Delivery IMPROVING PATIENT ACCESS IN RURAL AMERICA Essay Contest Winners Share Their Perspectives

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CONTENTS

FROMTHEEDITOR • SPRING 2020

The Future of Healthcare Delivery: PAGE 5 3 Key Changes for Improved Healthcare Delivery PAGE 10 The Time to Change Rural Healthcare Delivery is Now: PAGE 12 How to Improve Healthcare Access in America: PAGE 16 COMMUNITY NEWS: PAGE 20 PET HEALTH: PAGE 22

BUSINESS SECTION How Leaders Can Effectively Manage In Times of Uncertainty: PAGE 26 Grow Your Practice by Thinking of Yourself as a Brand: PAGE 29

EDITORIAL

BOARD MEMBERS Robert P. Granacher Jr., MD, MBA editor of Kentucky Doc Magazine Tuyen Tran, MD John Patterson, MD Thomas Waid, MD

STAFF Brian Lord Publisher David Bryan Blondell Independent Sales Representative Jennifer Lord Customer Relations Specialist Barry Lord Sales Representative Anastassia Zikkos Sales Representative Kim Wade Sales Representative Janet Roy Graphic Designer Aurora Automations Website & Social Media

Robert P. Granacher Jr., MD, MBA, Editor-in-Chief, Kentucky Doc Magazine

It is spring, and therefore, it is time for essays. The first essay in this spring edition of KentuckyDoc is the first-place winner in the Resident Category, Michael Wadle. Michael is a second-year resident in Anesthesiology at the University of Kentucky. His essay is titled, “The Future of Healthcare Delivery: At Your Door and According to Your Schedule.” This is a prescient essay that gives insight into the thinking of a resident currently in medical training. In my opinion, it is quite well done, and certainly provides thoughtful predictions of how things will change for medical care at the doctor level and at the patient level.

The first-place winner in the Medical Student Category is Alex Turner. His essay is titled, “Close the Gap: Three Key Changes for Improved Healthcare Delivery.” Alex is a secondyear medical student from Russell Springs, Kentucky currently attending the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine after graduating with a Biology major from Western Kentucky University. His wife is employed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Kentucky Hospital. Alex currently plans to return to his small hometown to practice, and it is enlightening to read his three suggestions for improving rural healthcare.

The second-place Medical Student Category winner is Nicole Robertson. Nicole’s essay title is, “The Time to Change Rural Healthcare Delivery is Now.” Nicole is a first-year medical student at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine, and she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Biology at the University of Louisville, and her Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her thoughtful essay informs us of thinking by an early student in medicine who is yet to experience the very things about which she discusses.

The third-place Medical Student Category winner is Nicholas Coffey. The title of his essay is titled, “How to Improve Healthcare Access in America: A Testimony from the Perspective of a Rural Kentuckian.” Nicholas is a former Western Kentucky University football player, and he is currently on the Bowling Green campus of the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine as a first-year medical student. He also serves as an AHEC/Outreach Support for the University College of Medicine, Bowling Green Student Ambassador Program with a focus on rural Kentucky High School Outreach. He hopes to be a general practitioner of medicine and serve Southcentral Kentucky after completion of his training. His essay provides us the focus of a young man who grew up in Eastern Kentucky.

He questions how we can provide physicians who are close to home, who understand the patients whom they treat, and thereby circumvent the potentially deadly side effect of delaying treatment. He argues for the need to “train more students from rural areas who look

outside the door of their childhood home and see their mission field lying just outside its frame.”

In my opinion, these four essays are demonstrative of the high level of academic pursuit and character currently seen in our residents and medical students at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine. Their attraction to UKCOM heralds a new wave of physicians for the state of Kentucky that see the state as not only a place to practice medicine, but their home.

After the essay section, we have an article

by David Bryan Blondell. David points out the benefits of spring cleaning ones dogs with professional grooming services and a good shower.

In the Business Section of KentuckyDoc, Brian Lord, publisher of our LMS Magazine, discusses how leaders can effectively manage in times of uncertainty. He chronicles COVID-19 and provides an “uncertain scenario” as to how a business leader can provide leadership while slogged in the swamp of uncertainty. Jim Ray also writes in the KentuckyDoc Business Section on how to grow a practice by thinking of one’s self as a brand. From a marketing standpoint, physicians often do not think of themselves as a brand, and Jim gives cogent advice on how a medical practitioner can develop that. Jim brings a wealth of business knowledge, as he earned a B.A. in Business and his MBA and managed two multimillion-dollar businesses before transitioning into internet consulting.

This spring edition of KentuckyDoc focuses on our emerging medical students and residents at the University of Kentucky, College of Medicine.

It is worthwhile reading, and it is a window into the thinking of those who will practice medicine out-reach in Kentucky for the future. I wish all readers good health with the onslaught of COVID-19 and happy reading.

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© Copyright Kentucky Doc Magazine 2020. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of the material in this magazine in whole or in part without written prior consent is prohibited. Articles and other material in this magazine are not necessarily the views of Kentucky Doc Magazine. Kentucky Doc Magazine reserves the right to publish and edit, or not publish any material that is sent. Kentucky Doc Magazine will not knowingly publish any advertisement which is illegal or misleading to its readers. Kentucky Doc Magazine is a proud product of Rock Point Publishing.

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By Michael Wadle, MD

One of the best gifts my wife and I received was a Grub Hub gift card.

We had moved to a completely unfamiliar city for residency and to complicate matters, only one day stood between unpacking and driving halfway across the country for my medical school graduation. Our kitchen supplies were in boxes. We did not have time to go to the store. But we had our gift card; we ordered sushi. That meal delivered to our door unburdened us of the thought and planning for dinner and furnished us extra time to spend on other activities we considered more important. This is the future of healthcare delivery, especially in rural America: at your door and according to your schedule.

We are taught to “meet patients where they are.” This principle is meant to be metaphysical, but its application extends into the physical realm. Hippocrates visited bedridden patients in their homes. In the HBO miniseries John Adams, Benjamin Rush – the only physician to sign the Declaration of Independence – can be seen tending to Mr. Adams and his family at their Massachusetts estate. Regardless of the show’s accuracy, one thing remains true: house calls are not a new concept.

Many healthcare systems are adopting this centuries old tradition with the modern

twist of data and statistics to identify at-risk patients and meet them where they are: their homes. These programs focus primarily on “superusers” who disproportionately utilize more resources. It is not difficult to see its application to rural patients however, who are at-risk by the very fact they live miles from healthcare centers and clinics.

Meeting rural patients at home enables the doctor to take in-house histories, administer physicals, provide medication refills, and schedule follow up appointments (where one can physically write on the fridge calendar) and spare a patient from taking an entire day off work. This will keep the client from having to drive several miles and several minutes waiting for a doctor who will tell them a laundry list of details they may forget. What’s more, in-house appointments allow a healthcare provider to observe a patient’s living conditions. A home visit ensures the elderly woman on Warfarin does not have rugs all over the floor; it affords the opportunity to check that the gentleman with insulin-dependent diabetes has a functioning glucometer; and provides insight into every patient’s social situation. Now it must be said that I have only seen and heard of these outreach programs in urban communities. No doubt the cost and time involved in driving down DELIVERY Continued on Page 7

House calls are not a new concept.

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country roads to visit patients spread far and wide hinders their development in more bucolic settings. This makes rural home visits difficult, but not impossible. In addition, in the age of smart TVs and telemedicine, healthcare providers can now travel to patients’ homes without so much as a knock on the door.

Ninety percent of Americans are online. With the expansion of fiber optic cables and the introduction of 5G networks, people on the outskirts of society will access the internet at speeds and bandwidths far beyond those of today. This means more people are available to video chat and more patients are accessible to digital health services. Instead of sending healthcare providers by car G an Oinitial O in-person D for repeated follow ups, how about consultation with video encounters interspersed between periodic personal visits? If the patient warrants a more N chat, E W S !can be thorough evaluation during a video a provider dispatched or EMS called. The most intriguing aspect is that these video encounters can all occur with a handheld smartphone, which are already paid for and used by two thirds of Americans. Patients would not be confined to the living room in front of an expensive smart TV or bulky computer. They could video chat their caretaker from the bed when feeling too ill to get up; patients could pan across their medicine cabinet to reveal pills in short supply; those involved in a farm accident can Age identify the very 45-75 agent causing harm. These digital approaches offer another under 45 may qualify avenue for seeing remote, rural patients where they are. in some cases Telemedicine is only in its infancy. Further advances will lay the foundation for the next great step in rural patient care: telesurgery.

Robots can mimic humans from a distance. A surgeon in the corner of the operating room can mobilize a laparoscope ten feet away. What about ten miles away? Or one hundred miles away? The Da Vinci robot and similar devices will soon render this science fiction into reality.

This means experts in the field great distances away can A Kentucky perform surgeries at critical access hospitals, including

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those in rural communities. The greatest drawback to these instruments is cost. The Da Vinci’s price tag is over a million dollars with limited lifetime attachments and exclusive maintenance by the parent company, Intuitive.

But patents are expiring and competition is emerging.

As Intuitive’s market fractures, costs will likely decrease and make these options more economical and more realistic for rural hospitals, increasing access to lifesaving surgeries. These technological advances in telemedicine and telesurgery represent only half of the equation. Not only does the internet and technology allow healthcare to come to patients, they also bring the patient to the healthcare system.

Many hospitals have online portals – doors that warrant further exploration. Most online platforms allow patients to check recent labs, email their doctors, and schedule appointments. Their capabilities do not tend to go much beyond that. But what if these portals could open up to a virtual clinic? At the Cleveland Clinic, patients can meet their doctors before even scheduling an appointment by watching the provider interviews online.

Floridians have access to multiple online applications created by Baycare Health System. One incentivizes patients to setup an online profile and stay updated on their health by offering a gift card at registration.

Another allows patients to select their symptoms and directs them via GPS to the most appropriate level of care: doctor’s office, urgent care, or emergency room.

Instead of telemedicine solely burdening providers, these ventures encourage patients to own their healthcare. They empower rural patients with knowledge and plans of care that are understandable and navigable. They are yet another example of how technology expands the number of ways healthcare systems can unite providers with rural America.

My wife and I live several hours from our families; we do not have the luxury of seeing them in person very often. But video chats with Facetime or Skype have helped my kids come to know the grandparents they rarely see. Modern delivery services allow us to exchange gifts when we miss holidays. GPS helps us find the fastest way home. A healthcare provider at bedside will never be replaced by their face on a screen or a robot mirroring their movements. Human touch produces a real effect and patients recognize the difference. But in those situations where physical presence cannot be afforded by patient or provider, technology bridges the gap between America’s remotest regions and its best hospitals.

About the Author As a second-year anesthesiology resident at the University of Kentucky, Michael's interests include critical care, cardiothoracic anesthesiology, end of life care, and hospital efficiency. He and his wife have three children (2 with one on the way!) and enjoy spending time cooking, riding bikes and meeting up with friends–time permitting.

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By Alex Turner Growing up in a small town in southern Kentucky taught me many valuable life lessons for which I am forever grateful. However, there are also many unique challenges that rural residents face. One such challenge that I have witnessed firsthand is access to healthcare for citizens of rural communities.

People from small towns all across America consistently have worse health outcomes across the board when compared to urban dwellers. Although it is unlikely that any change in policy or healthcare delivery will eliminate this disparity completely, I believe the gap can be closed significantly with a few key changes: increased utilization of telehealth technology, more satellite specialty clinics, and an affordable option for health insurance for self-employed individuals such as farmers.

The first change I believe that needs to be made in healthcare delivery is the further utilization of telehealth technologies. It would be a tough task to find a rural town in America that does not have access to the Internet. Sure, connections may be slower and computers may be older but the technology is still there. I believe that forming partnerships between the major academic hospitals and the rural hospitals surrounding them is a major first step in implementing telehealth programs. This would allow the physicians at rural hospitals to consult with specialists and improve the level of care patients can receive in rural hospitals.

In addition to expanding telehealth technologies, satellite clinics are also woefully underutilized in rural areas. I believe more satellite clinics in rural areas would vastly improve the quality of care rural residents receive. In my hometown, for instance, an orthopedic surgeon comes down from his main office in a larger town bi-monthly to see patients in our area. This allows patients to get specialist care close to home. Although a town with a population of approximately 2,500 isn’t large enough to justify a full time orthopedic surgeon, his clinic is always busy on the two days a month he is there.

Both of the first two suggestions I make for changes in healthcare delivery tackle the geographical barrier standing between rural residents and better health. It’s obvious that many people in small towns just do not have the means to travel great distances for care.

First, it’s expensive. Second, it can easily take an entire day. People who live in the city can miss two hours of work for an appointment.

For many people in small towns, they have a two-hour drive one way just to get to the physician they need to see.

My final suggestion for improving healthcare in rural areas tackles the financial barrier standing between many residents of rural communities. Although I know finances are a barrier for many people across the country in receiving healthcare, small town populations face unique challenges.

From what I have seen growing up in a small town, a large portion of residents are self-employed. One of the first things most people inquire about when searching for a job is the benefits package. Specifically,

Increased utilization of telehealth technology, more satellite specialty clinics, and an affordable option for health insurance for self-employed individuals could help improve healthcare for citizens of rural communities.

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“How good is the health insurance?” Rural communities typically have very few jobs with great benefits such as those in manufacturing or government.

I believe that loosening the ties between employers and health insurance would greatly benefit rural populations access to health care. We rely heavily on the contributions of rural residents to our society. I can’t think of any farmers that I know (and I know a lot) that get insurance benefits from their job. That’s because they are self-employed. Buying a private insurance plan is outrageously expensive in our country. That’s why many of these hard-working, self-employed citizens choose to go without it and gamble that they will stay healthy. With these men and women

stuck out in the dead of winter and the heat of summer doing the work the rest of our population couldn’t fathom, we know that the odds of avoiding medical accidents are sadly not in their favor. That is why there needs to be an affordable option for healthcare that isn’t tied to who your employer is.

Without a doubt, changes are going to have to be made to the way healthcare is delivered in order to improve access for rural residents. As a current medical student who plans on returning to my small hometown to practice, I have spent a lot of time pondering what needs to be done. I certainly don’t have all the answers but I think the three suggestions I made above would be a great start. We need to improve utilization of

telehealth technology, implement more satellite clinics for specialty care, and provide an affordable option for health insurance that is not tied to employers. It is our responsibility as future and current physicians to do all we can for our patients.

This not only includes direct patient care but also working to improve the healthcare system as a whole.

About the Author A current second year medical student at the University of Kentucky, Alex is from Russell Springs, KY and attended Western Kentucky University for his undergraduate degree in Biology. His beautiful wife, Julia, is a nurse in the NICU at UK.

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By Nicole Robertson Throughout my childhood, I witnessed how my grandfather, who had a brain tumor, experienced a lack of access to cancer treatment. He had to drive many hours away, multiple times each week to receive radiation and chemotherapy treatments which made managing his condition a struggle. Growing up in an underserved, Health Professional Shortage Area, I saw how having little to no access to quality health care affects rural and underserved populations. It shocks me that many people are suffering and dying from complications of chronic diseases with insufficient action to combat the issue. No one should have to suffer due to preventable lapses in access to healthcare. Whether from lack of knowledge about these conditions, or being in a resource-poor setting with few doctors and health facilities, or a combination of factors, the truth is that rural populations experience disproportionately poor health outcomes.

By prioritizing healthcare delivery in rural America, we can promote prevention instead of delayed care to reduce the number of patients, like my grandfather, that are presented with advanced stage cancer or other progressed chronic conditions.

One in five Americans, nearly 60 million people, live in rural America. The gap between urban and rural communities is widening with rural areas leading the top five causes of mortality. A combination of barriers influences the high mortality rate in rural communities: higher rates of poverty, more difficulty in traveling to healthcare services, higher proportion of un-insurance or under-insurance, healthcare workforce shortages, and limited access to

reliable internet and healthcare information among other barriers to care. Since 2010, 87 rural hospitals have closed their doors, further exacerbating limited to no access to quality healthcare services. Rural Americans deserve innovative care models that address the multifaceted issue of rural healthcare delivery. This could be accomplished by incorporating disease prevention and noncommunicable disease management that address the social determinants of health.

Increased rural health data monitoring, telemedicine interventions, and rural physician recruitment and development offer unique solutions to improving patient access in rural communities.

While we understand that there are urban-rural disparities in healthcare delivery and outcomes, research with aggregated data can unintentionally disguise these health disparities. The CDC and National Cancer Institute have taken steps towards measuring rural and urban health outcomes and healthcare indicators in the U.S. By quantifying the magnitude of rural health issues, we can understand how and where to focus healthcare delivery interventions in the future. Increasing access to meaningful data will also strengthen efforts to achieve healthcare improvements by helping researchers develop a clearer understanding of cost and quality in rural areas relative to other geographic settings. This will enable us to assess the current state of rural healthcare and measure future progress. Rural hospitals struggle with financial issues and decreased demand of inpatient services resulting in hospital closures, with reported widespread reductions in access to obstetric or emergency services, equating to increased patient travel distances for essential services. Technology is bridging the gap in distance by providing services in primary, specialized, and mental

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health care to remote patients. Promising advances have been made in telemedicine to expand healthcare access for rural populations. Transportation difficulties, along with patient time and cost to drive far distances, make telemedicine an appealing intervention to expand healthcare delivery and access. A study lead by UC Davis investigators found that telemedicine has decreased travel distances by 5 million miles leading to a $3 million dollars saving in travel costs over 9 years. Not only does telemedicine save money and time, these programs provide care to rural residents that may have forgone care, allowing symptoms to persist and progress to a more serious condition. Using telemedicine has also been implemented by specialists at urban centers, which allows them to consult on patient care and promote long-term capacity building with providers at smaller rural hospitals.

Shortages in physicians and trained healthcare workers further contribute to rural healthcare access issues. Clinicians are stretched thin, and specialists, including mental health and substance abuse providers, are rare at best, ultimately having negative effects on patients. Many medical schools, like the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, are preparing medical students to serve rural populations through rural rotations, supporting medical students from undeserved communities, and learning from faculty with experience in rural settings. Further supporting predoctoral and early career programs that invest in student doctors can retain student doctors from rural communities and attract physicians to rural, underserved areas. We can support national and state workforce development policies that provide incentives for TIME Continued on Page 14

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Many medical schools, like the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, are preparing medical students to serve rural populations through rural rotations.

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providers who practice in rural communities and in primary care. Thus, maintaining a sustainable physician workforce committed to improving health outcomes in rural patients.

In the national discussion of healthcare spending and improving healthcare quality, rural populations have been left out of the conversation. We need to incorporate the voices of rural residents, policy makers, providers, and public health professionals. To improve patient access to quality healthcare services in rural America, we need to foster interventions and policies to assure rural communities receive high quality services.

We need to support rural providers and address the barriers of rural Americans which keep them from receiving proper health care.

About the Author  A first-year medical student at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Nicole first earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Health and Biology at the University of Louisville and her Master’s degree in Public Health at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her passion to advance healthcare access in rural communities globally and ameliorate health inequities inspired this essay and her goal to work in an underserved community as a physician.

We can support national and state workforce development policies that provide incentives for providers who practice in rural communities and in primary care.

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How to Improve Healthcare Access in America: A Testimony from the Perspective of a Rural Kentuckian M

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By Nicholas Coffey On the corner of Wilson Street and Lakeway Drive in Russell County, a small brick church sits on a sunny Sunday morning. The sun pours in through the stained glass window as a preacher concludes his fiery sermon.

The preacher proclaims that, “You ain’t got to go on a far-off mission trip to spread the good word. Your mission field is outside them doors and in this town!” A young boy, who had been asleep only minutes before the crescendo of the sermon awakened him, would have this idea ring throughout the rest of his life.

The next day, the boy had an appointment with his pediatrician. He brought his coloring assignment, although he detested coloring. But he would have plenty of time to work, as he had an hour ride each way to get to his pediatrician’s office in Danville. He has made this trip many times before and will for various other medical procedures over the years, such as a large wart he had removed and the time he broke his arm riding a mechanical bull. In fact, he was even born in Danville because it was one of the closest places to home to see an OB/GYN. However, Russell County is rather lucky as far as healthcare goes for the rural southcentral Kentucky area. They have a critical access care hospital, their own EMS service, and even a general surgery department. There are counties nearby that cannot say they have any of these services to this day. This lack of healthcare services, which starts with the lack of local physicians, makes healthcare access difficult to near impossible for the residents of these areas. The lack of healthcare in

rural Kentucky, along with compounding socioeconomic factors, leads to what I have heard many attending physicians and residents call the “typical Kentucky patient” with long substance abuse histories, lack of compliance with treatment, and/or a spotty medical history at best.

Understandably, this ideology immediately puts a divide between the patient and physician. This results in the physician judging the “ignorant” patient from on high for the choices that he has made, and the patient becoming despondent and guarded against the healthcare system that lacks compassion, relatability, and understanding. Unfortunately, the doctor dismisses or ignores the realization that he, too, could be in a similar condition given the same circumstances. Although we hate to acknowledge it, as society becomes more individualistic, predisposition for certain behaviors are either passed down genetically or taught from generation to generation in a family. This means that a cycle of decisions beyond that of the patient’s own could have predisposed this individual to the life they live now, whether it be for the better or for the worse.

I have seen this principal play out in my own life time and again. In college, I was a NCAA Division I football player. That position came with its own stereotypes of recklessness and stupidity. If you mix in a southern accent and customs, it makes for one nasty combination. I recall a doctor proclaiming to me that he “did not expect this conversation with someone like you” when I began discussing polymerase chain reactions with them. Another doctor insisted on getting me alone away from my football training staff, so they could “get the truth” about my drug and alcohol abuse, although I chose to do neither.

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These divisions between physician and patient can also even be clearly illustrated by simple language. Every community has their own slang. I have witnessed in my own life how regional slang language can create barriers to healthcare. All my life, I was taught that a “krilled” ankle meant a light sprain. However, I remember with a laugh the physician’s face when I told him during my first year at college that I had krilled my ankle. To my surprise, he didn’t understand language that had been perfectly normal to me my whole life.

Thus, a synergistic effect is born.

Because of the division created between physicians and patients, a scarce yet essential commodity like healthcare for rural Kentuckians appears undesirable or unworthy of the strenuous effort required to seek it out unless truly necessary.

Unfortunately, truly necessary often means when healthcare is absolutely required. In this scenario, patients seek healthcare only as a last resort. By the time a situation is deemed worthy of seeking care, the patient is in a much more dire predicament than if their ailment had been caught earlier.

So, how does the healthcare system rectify this situation? How can we overcome the division currently present between patients and physicians in rural healthcare areas?

I believe the answer lies in the sermon I woke up to in that small county church so long ago. How can we provide physicians who are close to home, who understand the patients whom they treat, and thereby circumvent the potentially deadly side effect of delaying treatment? Simply put, we need to train more students from these areas who look outside the door of their childhood home and see their mission field lying just outside it’s frame. You train these individuals to become doctors, thereby producing

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www.kentuckydoc.com | Spring 2020 | Kentucky

Because of the division created between physicians and patients, a scarce yet essential commodity like healthcare for rural Kentuckians appears undesirable or unworthy of the strenuous effort required to seek it out unless truly necessary.

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physicians who inherently believe and adhere to the same ideals as is engrained into the collective heart of the community they will serve.

I believe many of these individuals are not only able, but more than willing to return to the mission field known as their small towns to serve her and her people. I must look no further than my own parents as examples of this idea in action. My mother and father were both first generation college students from Russell County and the next county over respectively. They both worked their way through college and made it to professional school as a pharmacist and veterinarian. Upon completing their training, both immediately moved back to their hometowns to work where they still practice today. Similarly, I believe by recruiting and training more physicians from rural communities, we could overcome the lack of physicians.

As these “local” physicians return home to practice, the hesitation to seek healthcare would be eliminated, providing an improved healthcare experience that will become more and more apparent for the future generations to come.

Along with the sheer number of physicians returning to these areas, they bring something so innate to the table for their patients that it cannot be taught by any textbook: understanding. This understanding does not come easily and is not learned in any medical class. It develops as the community sees you turn from a snotty-nosed kid into a man or woman. It is awarded like a badge of honor as you share the same foxhole known as our community and endure the same heartbreak and battles. It manifests as the community supports you throughout the entire time you are on this journey known as life. It is unconsciously taught as you are growing up and learning what “krilled” and other sayings mean. In this manner, healthcare is not delivered by a stranger from on high.

Healthcare becomes individualized. It becomes as it should be: a mission of duty and pride to serve those whom they love and have an unparalleled intimacy with.

In conclusion, the delivery of healthcare to rural Kentucky and America must improve. There is not only a lack of physicians, but an ever-growing divide of mistrust between physicians and rural patients built upon unfamiliarity, snap judgments, and misunderstanding. How do we combat both problems at the same time in order to improve delivery of healthcare to rural Kentucky and America? You find students who have the same message of serving their rural community ingrained into their fiber as I have had through the words of my preacher, the example of my parents, and my previous experience with the current healthcare system. These individuals are not only more likely to return to their underserved areas than the average student, but these doctors will have already developed a strong bond with and understanding of the local culture that will help, if not eliminate, the divide between rural patient and physician. With this divide obliterated, the community will place more faith into the local healthcare community, which should result in more willingness to visit medical professionals and better compliance with treatments by patients. I believe the answer is simple and the likeminded students are out there. Some medical institutions have already had this realization and enacted many programs for greater opportunity to rural students, such as the University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Bowling Green campus that I am proudly a part of. However, I challenge them and other medical institutes across the nation to either follow suit or remain true to the course that they have embarked upon. Continue to find the rural students with the dreams of helping their home community. Educate and support them throughout medical school.

Train them so that not only will their lives be improved, but the health of rural Kentucky and America as well!

About the Author Nicholas Coffey is a former Western Kentucky University football player and current University of Kentucky College of Medicine-Bowling Green Campus (UKCOMBG) first year medical student. He currently serves as the AHEC/outreach support for the UKCOMBG student ambassador program with a focus on rural Kentucky high school outreach. He hopes to be a general practitioner and serve southcentral Kentucky after completion of medical school.

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doc | Spring 2020 | www.kentuckydoc.com

Kentucky

All I Need to Know is Where I Need to Go! Call 1-844-249-0708!

For Information on FREE Mammograms and Pap Tests Eligibility Requirements: • Age 21 or older • Has a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level • Has no health insurance (no Medicare, no Medicaid, or no private health insurance) The Kentucky women’s cancer screening program (KWCSP) offers FREE breast and cervical cancer screenings. The program provides Mammograms and Pap tests and follow up services, education and outreach to low income, eligible women. Once in the program, if a woman has an abnormal screening, the KWCSP covers the cost of most diagnostic tests. If a pre-cancer or cancer is found, the program connects her to treatment through Medicaid’s Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP). The KWCSP provides services through Kentucky’s local health departments, community health clinics and other healthcare providers. A woman does not have to reside in the same county in which she receives services. Healthcare providers, please refer eligible women to a participating KWCSP clinic/provider. For a participating clinic/provider listing call KWCSP, 1-844-249-0708.

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www.kentuckydoc.com | Spring 2020 | Kentucky

Quick Guide for Health Care Providers to Kentucky’s Breast & Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Programs All I Need to Know is Where I Need to Go! Call 1-844-249-0708!

• The Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program (KWCSP) provides breast and cervical cancer screening and follow-up diagnostic services for eligible Kentucky women.

• KWCSP eligibility requirements: – Age 21 or older – Has a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level – Has no health insurance (no Medicare, no Medicaid, or no private health insurance)

• The Breast and Cervical Cancer Treatment Program (BCCTP) provides treatment for breast or cervical cancer, or precancer of the breast or cervix for eligible Kentucky women.

• Women who may qualify for the KWCSP or BCCTP must be referred to the local health department or contract provider PRIOR to screening or treatment by the health care provider.* • The local health department or contract provider will facilitate completing the application for Medicaid who will determine participant eligibility for BCCTP.

• BCCTP eligibility requirements: – Has been screened and diagnosed with cancer by the Kentucky Women’s Cancer Screening Program through a local health department and/ or contract providers – Has been found to be in need of treatment for either breast or cervical cancer, including a precancerous condition or early stage cancer – Age 21 or older and younger than 65 – Has a household income at or below 250% of the federal poverty level – Does not otherwise have credible health insurance coverage – Is a United States citizen or qualified immigrant

* Please refer program eligible patients to the local health department, contract provider or call 1-844-249-0708 prior to screening or diagnosis.

– Is a resident of Kentucky – Is not eligible for medical assistance or public insurance in any other eligible group – Is not a resident of a public institution (e.g. prison)

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Kentucky

ANNOUNCEMENTS AWA R D S N E W S TA F F EVENTS AND MORE

EMAIL brian@rockpointpublishing.com TO SUBMIT YOUR NEWS

Lexington Clinic Launches Telehealth Services Established patients may schedule virtual visits with their provider. They may also reach out to their providers via the patient portal.

“At Lexington Clinic, the health and safety of our patients, providers and staff is our top priority,” said Dr. Andrew Henderson, CEO of Lexington Clinic. “We know that in the current COVID-19 scenario, many of our patients have ongoing medical needs, as well as the need for routine care. As we follow guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to keep our facilities safe and healthy, we understand the apprehension some of our patients may feel about visiting a healthcare facility at this time, especially those in higher risk categories. Hence, we have implemented telehealth services as an option for our patients to continue to provide high quality healthcare, while being sensitive to their concerns with regards to maintaining social distancing.”

The following specialties now offer telehealth services: Primary care (all locations, including Lexington, Richmond, Jessamine County and Woodford County), Pediatrics, Allergy, Cardiology, Dermatology, Endocrinology, ENT, Gastroenterology, Medical Oncology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Orthopedics, Podiatry, Pulmonary, Rheumatology and Urology.

“For the past 100 years, Lexington Clinic has focused on providing the best care for our patients by working together to do what is right for them,” said Henderson. “Our telehealth initiative is one such example of caring for our patients. As of yesterday, our providers have performed 271 virtual visits with the same compassionate care and perfect patient experience that Lexington Clinic is known for.”

As a reminder, guidelines implemented at all Lexington Clinic facilities and associate practices include: • Screening patients before they enter.

• Limiting guests to one per patient and screening them as well.

• Asking patients who are experiencing symptoms of high fever, cough and/ or shortness of breath to call the facility

before arriving/entering to determine the best treatment option and/or if testing is necessary. Patients with these symptoms may be directed to a separate testing location as well.

For the most current updates, please visit our website at www.Lexingtonclinic.com

AETNA Welcomes Acclaimed Provider Lexington Clinic to Its Medicare Advantage Network Lexington, KY, March 17, 2020 –Aetna, a CVS Health company (NYSE: CVS) and Lexington Clinic today announced that members enrolled in Aetna® Medicare Advantage plans now have access to personalized healthcare services throughout the Lexington area. With this new agreement, members gain affordable access to all Lexington Clinic offices and associate practices under Lexington Clinic’s award-winning health program.

“Aetna Medicare Advantage members in Lexington now have additional access to chronic and preventative care through a premier and well-respected local provider,” said Charles Brown, Chief Medicare Officer of Aetna. “As a company, we are committed to building healthier communities and look forward to deepening our presence within the Bluegrass state.”

Lexington Clinic is the largest independent multi-specialty group in Kentucky with more than 200 providers in 30+ specialties. By using modern data analytics, best practice protocols, experience and compassion, Lexington Clinic aims to provide the highest quality of care to the communities it serves and is committed to perfecting the patient experience. This year marks 100 years of Lexington Clinic.

“Through this collaboration, Lexington Clinic will offer new patients in Central Kentucky personalized and innovative healthcare services with the goal of supporting better outcomes,” said Dr. Andrew Henderson, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Lexington Clinic.

UK Hospital COVID-19 Visitation Restrictions

To protect our patients, families, employees, and the community during the outbreak of COVID-19, UK HealthCare visitations are suspended as of March 23, 2020, until COVID-19 transmission threat has decreased significantly.

Any person who appears ill or fails screening will be denied access.

No person will be allowed in rooms of persons under investigation (PUIs) or COVID19 positive patients (unless at end of life).

Visitation access restriction policy includes UK HealthCare employees who have family members in the hospital.

All visitors permitted on the unit must stay in the room for the duration of the visit.

Exceptions to the exclusion of visitors and length of time for visitation will be individualized and take into consideration what is in the best interest of patient care and safety of patients and employees.

Interfaith needs and support will be addressed by internal chaplains who will consult with external consultants as needed.

For details and a list of exceptions, please visit https://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/covid-19/ visitor-restrictions.

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KI O D AN

SHARE YOUR STORY. BUILD TRUST. REACH YOUR TARGET.

GROW YOUR BUSINESS. We curate and publish local content in a family of magazines created for health-conscious readers in the Central Kentucky area. Share your story, build trust and grow your practice through targeted advertising.

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brian@rockpointpublishing.com

SPONSORED BY UPTOWN HOUNDS 466 Angliana Avenue | Lexington, KY 40508 859-255-2275 | www.UptownHounds.com

pet health

Looking for the best pet care options for the health and wellness of your 4-Legged friends? Then welcome to our “Pet Health” Section, where we will bring you the finest businesses in Central Kentucky that will tend to the care and well-being of our furry loved ones.

In this issue we feature “Uptown Hounds,” an upscale pet resort in downtown Lexington that will pamper your pooch in the way he or she deserves, as well as all the good things that are happening at the Lexington Humane Society.

LEXINGTON HUMANE SOCIETY’S

T

SPAY’STHEWAY PROGRAM SAVES LIVES

he Lexington Humane Society’s Spay’sTheWay program saves thousands of lives every single year. Spay’sTheWay is a low-cost spay/neuter program committed to reducing the number of homeless animals in our community. In the past 10-plus years, the LHS spay/neuter team has performed over 40,000 spay/neuter surgeries. This practice has prevented thousands of unwanted litters.

What about feral felines in our community? If you have a feral or community cat on your property in need of surgery, contact Spay’sTheWay for

assistance. Community cats are altered through a process called trap-neuter-return, or TNR, which compassionately reduces the homeless cat population and saves lives. Cats are humanely trapped, brought into a clinic for spay/neuter, vaccinations and surgical ear-tip and returned to the trapping location after recovering from anesthesia.

There are many health benefits to spaying or neutering your pet; it’s one of the best things you can do for your best friend. This procedure helps your pet live a longer, happier and healthier life;

provides significant cost savings throughout the lifetime of your pet; and prevents unwanted and homeless litters.

If you have a feral or community cat in need of spay/neuter, contact the LHS Spay’sTheWay Community Cat Specialist at (859) 233-0044, Ext. 261. If you have a pet cat in need of spay/ neuter, contact Spay’sTheWay’s general voicemail system at (859) 233-0044 Ext. 228. For more information, please visit adoptlove.net.

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pet health by Uptown Hounds | www.kentuckydoc.com | Spring 2020 | Kentucky

AT UPTOWN HOUNDS...

“APRIL SHOWERS” LEAD TO “MAY DOGGIE POOL”

By David Bryan Blondell, Special Sections Dir.

W

ith Spring having sprung, the old adage of “April showers bring May flowers” is certainly applicable — but at Lexington’s Uptown Hounds, April means not only getting your dog a good “spring cleaning” shower with professional grooming services, it also leads to the best time of the year: the re-opening of the dog-only pool in May! Yes, for pet owners who want nothing but the best for their beloved dogs, April is about shaking off the winter blues and getting their pet an upscale experience at Uptown Hounds.

America’s Uptown Hounds Luxury Resorts was created as an all-inclusive, high-quality, highenergy environment where your four-legged family member can play, primp, relax and stay.

And let’s face it — your pooch deserves the best care you can provide when it comes to a place to board them during the day or for an extended period of time.

So welcome to Uptown Hounds for premiere dog care, grooming, daycare and boarding services that they perform better than anyone else.

Conveniently located in downtown Lexington near office buildings, the University of Kentucky campus and all of the downtown hospitals and healthcare facilities, Uptown Hounds’ guests — pets AND their owners — have a multitude of luxurious amenities to enjoy.

Uptown Hounds features large, plush hotel suites for short- and long-term boarding, private daycare rooms, a top-notch Salon & Spa and a boutique with the finest of toys, treats, food and pet-related merchandise. In addition, extremely large heated indoor and manicured outdoor play areas provide your pooch the most fun and friendly environment possible. Moreover, the beautiful marble floors and walls and the upscale fixtures that are part of the facility’s luxurious decor simply reflect the upscale treatment that your four-legged member of royalty deserves.

Upon arrival, Concierge Services can help you create a custom long-term boarding or daycare stay for your dog. At check-in, you can arrange fetch, belly rubs, gourmet treats and toys from the Boutique, as well as email postcards.

(Professional photographic and custom Fine Art services of your pets are also available upon request — makes a great gift!)

To really get in the full spring cleaning experience, treat your dog to one of the many Grooming Packages that Uptown Hounds’ amazing Salon & Spa has to choose from. In addition to the top-quality bathing and hair-cutting services, further pamper your pooch with toenail UPTOWN HOUNDS Continued on Page 24

“Spring has Sprung” at Uptown Hounds

www.UptownHounds.com

24 pet health by Uptown Hounds

The oversized doggie-only pool will open by May 1!

UPTOWN HOUNDS continued from Page 23

polish, toothbrushing and hair coloring. There is nothing better than a fresh, groomed look that will please you and your beloved pet more.

Please call to inquire which Grooming Package option best fits your needs.

Moreover, the daycare services at Uptown Hounds are considered second to none, with newly expanded weekday hours of 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday to make it more convenient for working owners. In addition, there are new weekend daycare hours: Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Once there, the friendly Pet Services Staff makes sure your dog is well cared for and is having a happy, fun stay with up to three play-time sessions with its newfound friends (grouped by weight and activity level).

Individual playtime and extra attention is also offered, as is supervised usage of the popular 30-foot-by-50-foot outdoor pool during its seasonal operation.

Which leads to the most-anticipated time of the year for owners and pets alike: The oversized doggie-only pool will open by May 1! This very popular and in-demand venue provides hours of fun for Uptown Hounds’ clients (only) to bring and watch their dogs romp and stomp

and have the best time of their lives! (Towels and life-jackets are available; Staff will provide supervision for pool use during daycare or boarding visits.) Poolside chairs and tables with large umbrellas surround the pool, giving shade and a comfortable place to rest for owners and swimmers alike.

Spring has sprung, and Uptown Hounds recognizes the proper, professional care of your pets is among the most important considerations you have. For anyone wanting to give as much love and special care to your dogs as they give you, this April please give America’s Uptown Hounds Luxury Resorts a try.

Please visit their website at www.

UptownHounds.com or call Guest Services at (859) 255-2275. A new texting service is now available as well — text any questions or boarding requests to (859) 255-2275. Uptown Hounds is conveniently located just off South Broadway at 466 Angliana Avenue, just a half mile from downtown and a block from The Red Mile. They invite you to a quick tour of the facility, and look forward to welcoming you and your dog as a part of the Uptown Hounds family!

PRESENTED BY

pet events

In addition to Uptown Hounds’ weekly daycare services, a special new weekend daycare schedule is now available: Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.!

Also inquire about the “Daycare Referral Bonus.”

JUNE*(TBD) 6 MUTT STRUT

*A Special Note about our upcoming events: With the wellbeing of our community in mind, we're canceling upcoming events until further notice (adoption centers still open). Check back in next month for our pet event updates.

Grab your tennis shoes and your four legged friend! Join your Lexington Humane Society for our 1-mile Fun Walk or 5K race on Saturday, June 6th at Keeneland. Festivities kick off at 8 am, with the chip timed 5K beginning at 9 am and the Fun Walk starting shortly after. There will be local vendors before and after the run/walk so come early and stay late to support the animals at LHS! Please note: For the safety of your pet, retractable leashes will not be permitted at the event.

Keeneland , 4201 Versailles Rd, Lexington, KY 40510

As a Physician in the U.S. Air Force, you’ll have one job: treat patients. We’ll give you all the support you need so you can be the doctor you were meant to be.

For more information, contact your local recruiter or visit airforce.com.

Call 1-800-588-5260 or

E-Mail: James.Porter.18@us.af.mil ©2014 Paid for by the U.S. Air Force. All rights reserved.

BUSINESS

How Leaders Can Effectively Manage In Times of Uncertainty

By Brian Lord, Publisher, KentuckyDoc None of us like uncertainty. We like predictability and control, especially as leaders.

Uncertainty in any form takes an enormous toll on us; it robs us of control and confidence. We love sports because the rules are definitive and immutable (sort of). In the absence of certainty, we struggle to focus.

Many feel that without control we lose trust in people and systems that we otherwise do not question—we are seeing this a lot right now. In its worst case, uncertainty leads to creating a crisis narrative of existential proportions. Let’s face it, humans are drawn to drama—we have an entire industry all about creating drama: TV news. The drama of uncertainty and rightful concern surrounding COVID-19 is beginning to take its toll on each of us as individuals, and, certainly, our businesses.

How Does this Affect you as a Leader?

As a medical professional, you are in leadership roles daily. Maybe you own a practice, are the head of a department or take the lead during one-on-one consultations with patients. People are looking to you to lead. Your role is not to predict the future, sugarcoat or sidestep the truth, but to provide a protected space for those you lead to feel confident that they will be cared for and best protected from the implications of uncertainty.

An Uncertain Scenario So, how do you do that? I’ve found one technique to be extraordinarily effective in going beyond the dogma and providing people with a tool to navigate uncertainty with confidence. It’s called scenario-based planning (SBP). There are many articles available online about this tactic.

Scenario-based planning is a tool that many leaders don’t use in their tool kits.

Unfortunately, even when it is used it is often used incorrectly. SBP is an exercise in which you identify a variety of threat or opportunity scenarios and then play each one out. You have to use your imagination.

These scenarios can be positive or negative.

The intent of SBP is not to predict the future; it’s not even to identify all possible futures. Instead, the most valuable part of this leadership strategy is to develop an organizational muscle that inspires confidence in dealing with uncertainty.

The most important thing to keep in mind in SBP is that you need to clearly define the dimensions of the challenge. Then identify at least six to eight ways that each dimension could manifest itself. In other words, if you run a coffee shop one dimension could be the loss of adequate inventory. So play that scenerio out: we might break down the type of inventory (coffee/tea/milk/alternative drinks), the geography of the inventory (African/Latin American/domestic), the storage of the inventory (in-store/brewery/ warehouse).

Here’s where SBP gets interesting for you. Once you have built a full good mix of the problem dimensions and ways each dimension manifests itself, you can create randomized scenarios that are likely to happen and work on them. What this does is create an exercise for you on how to handle good times and bad times. I’ve seen this work in virtually every industry, from cybersecurity and insurance to automotive and cable TV, small business to non-profits.

What you will begin to observe firsthand with the SBP approach is that leaders and organizations that do this regularly are able to deal with uncertainty much better than others. They are not stunned as hard as everyone else. They know how to rebound from problems because, as leaders, they took time to think about problem situations

and solutions ahead of time. They even see issues coming before anyone else and make adjustments. I call this wisdom.

Your challenge as a leader is to think more creatively, pivot faster, and instill confidence in your people. They need to know that you've got this—that as a team, we've got this.

They need you to remind them of the game plan you talked about: if (xyz) scenario comes up, we adjust to game plan (xyz) and run with it. In positive situations we call this visionary leadership. You have the vision, the sight, the wisdom to see opportunities to grow, adjust or react before others because you have played these issues out already.

A Leader with Vision Most importantly, leaders with vision provide a way to take back some degree of control and confidence in situations where people feel they’ve been robbed of both.

People follow leaders who have a plan—a plan they can trust. So begin to look at the issues of this COVID-19 and how it affects you and your business, your team, your family etc… and how you need to prepare— even if it’s just on paper, create different potential directions to go. Ask questions like, “What if the business world changes all together? What if people have to stay home for months and work from home? How will my/our business change? What do I need to do? What are the long-term challenges and what are the opportunities? What are the key markers that signal pulling the trigger on plans? Good leaders plan this way. They turn challenges into opportunities and then play the cards they dealt.

Hard times do not make your leadership—they reveal it. So, begin your strategic planning. COVID-19 is a scenario for us all that many never planned on. What you do now will shape your role as leader as you pave the way for your team.

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Business Section • Spring 2020 • Kentucky

Hard times do not make your leadership—they reveal it. So, begin your strategic planning.

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BUSINESS

Grow Your Practice by Thinking of Yourself as a Brand

By Jim Ray For years, the given way a physician grew a practice was through referrals from colleagues and associations with certain hospitals and/ or insurance plans. The environment is changing. While these traditional channels remain important, the consumer is more empowered to seek out information about a specific physician. That shift is impacting how physician groups and individual practioners grow their respective practices.

Today’s consumer is much more inclined to read online reviews, visit websites and even online physician directories. The need to establish and monitor information has become increasingly more important to a successful practice.

Rather than referring a patient to a colleague from medical school, physicians may be encouraged (even pressured) to refer that patient to another member of the hospital network. Overtime, this may erode the traditional flow of new patients to your practice.

I encourage professionals to begin thinking of themselves as brands.

This may alter your perspective on how accessible you are to the general public.

Let’s consider a few of the implications.

Brands such as GE, Apple, Starbucks and even Littmann (the company which may have made the stethoscope you use) all focus on producing great products. More importantly, these brands seek to instill a distinct image in your mind about the product and/or service offered. It’s about the “experience.”

The same applies to you and your practice.

That’s why you’ve invested so heavily in your education and training. You’re providing a service and you want your patients and their families to be happy with the care they receive. Ultimately, you hope they were satisfied enough to recommend you to friends and family. This is simple brand positioning.

Consider how many times your patients are given the opportunity to complete surveys

about their experience. While we want to know that the care provided was effective and met expectations, there’s another reason we ask those questions.

We want to know if there was a problem that needs to be addressed and/or resolved.

This fact alone provides insight into an interesting fact. When it comes to effective branding, it’s the market, not the company (e.g. physician), that determines the brand’s value.

While we may have logos and color schemes those aren’t your brand. They’re merely representations of it. Your brand is based on the value attributed to it by the patients and families who interact with you.

Many of us are aware that a happy patient may tell a few people.

On the other hand, a dissatisfied patient will tell everybody.

The Internet has become a repository for information about anything and everything.

It includes tools consumers can use to tell others about their experiences through ratings and online reviews. If you haven’t taken time in the last few months to research how the market is reporting about you, it may be time for you to do a dive deep. A few negative reviews can have a significant impact on your practice. If you have an office manager,

discuss setting up a periodic review of various online properties to monitor comments.

When you think of yourself as a brand, your much more focused on the market, the value it attributes to you and how it positions you vis-à-vis your colleagues.

Today’s consumers know they have access to information and they’re not afraid to use it.

This fact provides an interesting opportunity for you.

If you’re in private practice, have a concierge practice, or may be thinking about transitioning back into a private practice, here are a few simple marketing tips to consider: First, how easily can people find information about you and your practice?

While online directories are one component, you should give some thought to a professionally developed website. The advantage is that you control the content.

A website provides you and your staff with the means to influence the market and attract new patients. More importantly, you may be able to outrank those ubiquitous online directories. This enables you begin influencing your brand’s perception.

While some prospective patients are interested in your CV, many more will be interested in learning about what they should expect from you. Remember, it’s about the experience. A professionally BRAND Continued on Page 31

Online rating and review sites Here’s a quick list of online rating and review sites that appeared on the first page of Google when I searched for my own internist: 1. Google Business Listing: Encourages consumers to Write a Review 2. Healthgrades.com: Reports Patient Satisfaction Ratings 3. Vitals.com: Asks if you’ve visited a specific physician and prompts you to Share Your Experience

4. RateMDs.com: provides patient ratings on Staff, Punctuality, Helpfulness and Knowledge 5. Healthcare.com: Provides opportunity to Write a Testimonial and Rate this Provider 6. WebMD.com: Asks you to Rate This Doctor

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Start a Blog.

A blog enables you to demonstrate your expertise. For example, you might begin providing updates and answers to common patient questions.

BRAND continued from Page 29

developed website can convey the messages and images you intended.

Second, how current is the information about you, your location & contact information?

There are tools that can be used to standardize this information across various online properties. Interestingly, when that simple data (Name, Address and Phone) are consistent across the Internet, your website is usually rewarded with higher search rankings.

This is especially important for new practices or physicians who have moved to different locations and/or groups.

Third, consider adding social media as a way for you and/or your staff to better connect with existing and prospective patients.

A well-designed and maintained Facebook page and result in massive exposure for your practice. Social media is a terrific tool for providing helpful information about your office, general information about conditions and/or treatments, new services or procedures, etc. Used effectively, it can reinforce your position as the subject matter expert. I’m not recommending you try to become popmedicine’s next Dr. Oz or Dr. Phil. Consider, however, why major brands implement social media campaigns. They can have a positive impact on the bottom line.

Fourth, explore the option of starting a blog.

Blogging is an extremely effective way to provide information about your specialty. If

done properly, blog posts can appear in Google search results, just like websites, directories and other sources of information. A blog enables you to demonstrate your expertise. For example, you might begin providing updates and answers to common patient questions. An office manager can easily upload a “Question of the Week” to your blog. That information can be disseminated to your social media properties and featured prominently on your website. The time needed to do this is surprisingly brief. The impact, however, can be significant.

Finally, for those of you who like to push the envelope, implement a video component to your marketing campaign.

The power of video is astonishing. The information in a video allows people to feel connected to you in ways plain text simply can’t match. Surprisingly, video content can show up in Google search results, can be included in blog posts and uploaded to your social media channels.

Here are some interesting facts about video: • Videos will soon be 90% of all Internet traffic (Robert Kyncl, YouTube VP) • Videos show up in 65% of the Google search results (Search Metrics) • Videos have a 41% higher click-through rate vs. plain text (Econsultancy) • 60% of visitors will watch a video before reading site text (Diode Digital) • Cisco predicts online video to become 75% of all mobile data traffic by 2019 • The retention rate for video can reach 65%

vs. 10% for text-based information (Social Media Today) Over the years, I’ve written many industry articles and provided seminars designed to help professionals with business development issues.

I’ve spoken on a local, regional and national basis to audiences in highly-competitive environments. There are business fundamentals that some have been able to ignore up until now. The market is evolving and how professionals chose to adapt will determine their success rate. Thinking of yourself as a brand is a key step in developing a strategy to increase your exposure to new and prospective patients. It also puts into place processes that will help to protect and influence your reputation.

About the Author Jim Ray earned a BA in Business and his MBA. He managed two multi-million dollar businesses before transitioning into Internet consulting. He later launched his regional consulting practice to help professionals operate more effectively and more profitably. Jim presents an ongoing seminar series and contributes business development articles to a variety of professional publications. He has been invited to speak at national meetings for Internet marketing and has lead several, national webinars on various marketing topics. For more information, visit www.JimRayConsultingServices. com or connect with him on Linkedin.

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