Help! A Hospital is Trying to Put Me Out of Business
My imaging practice (an IDTF) offers same-day scheduling and results, remote scheduling software, uses PACS and is open extended hours. Our services are superior to our main competitor, a hospital, but the hospital owns 90% of practicing physicians and forbids them from referring to us. Plus, they have bought out the only other IDTF in the area. How can I overcome this to increase our referrals?
Answer:
This is not intended as legal advice, but we believe it is illegal for any hospital to require their physicians to refer to the hospital’s ancillary services. Of course, hospitals have ways of pressuring physicians and denying you referrals without leaving any documentation.
Hire a practice liaison to call on potential referrers on a regular basis and make them aware of your unique value and the benefits you offer (same-day appointment, rapid reporting, your software and PACS).
You offer two key benefits that would be valuable to any referring physician:
1) Fast turnaround of reports is a huge plus for referrers. Could you get reports back to the referrer the same day? Promote this, and you will see more referrals.
2) Same-day appointments. Accepting referrals with only a few hours notice is a major plus. But consider upping the stakes: Accept referrals with no notice. When potential referrers know they need only call you and say, “We’re sending a patient over, ” and your practice will make time to see this referral, you offer a huge benefit that few if any of your competitors can match — certainly not the hospital. Make sure your practice rep promotes this to potential referrers, and you are almost certain of seeing more referrals.
Your liaison should also focus on your potential referrers’ staff members. They are probably frustrated by the hospital’s lack of customer service and would welcome a breath of fresh air from an imaging center that can make their jobs easier, take last-minute appointments and make them look good to their boss.
Continue these regular visits to your potential referrers’ staff and coordinator to generate appointments, follow up with great customer service and your practice will see more referrals even without the physician’s awareness.
Practice Builders can train your Practice Representative to steadily increase your referrals. Click here to see upcoming training dates.