NAVAL MEDICAL CENTER

Marketing Activities at Naval Medical Center

Marketing Activities at Naval Medical Center

Introduction

Naval Medical Center is a multi-disciplinary consulting and rehabilitation medical center, combining a functional department of family medicine, counseling, diagnostic and rehabilitation. The medical center provided professional services: family doctor, cardiologist, neurologist, gastroenterologist, ophthalmologist, audiologist, urologist, gynecologist, dermatologist, surgeon, manual therapist, psychotherapist, physical therapist, and endocrinologist.

Marketing Activities

The hospital does have a marketing plan which updates and modifies almost every year. The Managed Care Department established a marketing committee consisting of a multidisciplinary staff from throughout the hospital, including patients. Critical information was ascertained from this committee. First, access to care was an existing problem at the hospital and staff satisfaction was problematic. Secondly, the bureaucratic nature of military hospitals had created a culture of complacency (Eastaugh, 2008).

Federal law prevents military organizations to spend appropriated funds on marketing therefore promotional programs would be limited. Lastly, the ability to tie patient needs with marketing programs that were consistent with the hospital's mission, vision, and objectives was needed to garner administration's support and approval.

To accomplish this, a model was developed to articulate the intent and justify Action Programs. This marketing plan contains fourteen Action Programs that satisfy these needs. Also provided is the budget, departmental responsibilities and accountability and timelines (Fottler, 2006).

Market (Enrollment) Trends

Enrollment in the facilities program will be the critical factor in determining the effectiveness of the marketing plan. The Executive Steering Council (ESC) at hospital reviews enrollment monthly. Additional metrics will be tracked to ensure enrollment increases are not adversely affecting quality of care. These include access standards, appointment availability, customer relations, and referral percentages. The hospital established a new enrollment target at 5,000, based on the facilities program which indicated space availability within the Internal Medicine and Family Practice clinics (Nelson, 2008). ...