Find Urgent Care Blog

2010-07-15T11:45:00.000-07:00

FujiFilm is having a contest to win a free digital x-ray system to launch their new product. Visit http://www.primadreama.com/ to learn more.

2010-06-17T13:19:00.000-07:00

Abuse of Prescriptions Meds Now Sending as Many People to the ER as Illicit Drugs

A recent report by the CDC has found that for the first time, visits to the Emergency Room for misuse and abuse of prescription drugs is equal to visits for the use of illicit drugs. The figures which are supplied by the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) show that in 2004 an estimated 1.6 million visits were made to the ER for drug related issues. One million of those visits were related to illicit drugs. In 2008 the ED received 2.0 million visits. Of those 2.0 million visits half were related to illicit drugs and the remaining 1.0 million where related to prescription drugs. That means prescriptions drugs have become just as damaging as illicit drugs. The vast majority of the ED cases involved opioids or benzodiazepines based medicines. (CDC report can be located here http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5923a1.htm?s_cid=mm5923a1_w) If numbers are increasing at such substantial levels in emergency rooms across the country I believe it is safe to assume we are seeing the same increases in our Urgent Care Facilities.

Most doctor’s are trained to recognize signs of drug abuse. However, the average person doesn’t always know what to look for. According to the http://www.helpguilde.org/ the following signs can often be observed in addicts:

Physical warning signs of drug abuse

Bloodshot eyes or pupils that are larger or smaller than usual.
Changes in appetite or sleep patterns.
Sudden weight loss or weight gain.
Deterioration of physical appearance and personal grooming habits.
Unusual smells on breath, body, or clothing.
Tremors, slurred speech, or impaired coordination.

Behavioral signs of drug abuse

Drop in attendance and performance at work or school.
Unexplained need for money or financial problems. May borrow or steal to get it.
Engaging in secretive or suspicious behaviors.
Sudden change in friends, favorite hangouts, and hobbies.
Frequently getting into trouble (fights, accidents, illegal activities).

Psychological warning signs of drug abuse

Unexplained change in personality or attitude.
Sudden mood swings, irritability, or angry outbursts.
Periods of unusual hyperactivity, agitation, or giddiness.
Lack of motivation; appears lethargic or “spaced out.”
Appears fearful, anxious, or paranoid, with no reason.
http://helpguide.org/mental/drug_substance_abuse_addiction_signs_effects_treatment.htm

If you begin to notice any of these symptoms in those close to you seek immediate help for your friends or family. Personally, I’d rather avoid a trip to the emergency room or urgent care center and get immediate treatment before things spiral out of control.

DOH! Don't forget to include screening for the H1N1 Swine Flu in your marketing!

2009-08-04T16:29:00.001-07:00

Has your urgent care center adapted your range of services to provide for the needs of the community in screening for the H1N1 Swine Flu virus? As I know most of you have, the next most obvious question from a marketing perspective is, have you included this in your marketing? If not, don't feel too bad, we recently realized even after all the hype, we still hadn't optimized our website to include screening for the virus as a common treatment for urgent care centers nationwide. However, as of this week, you can now find the "H1N1 Swine Flu Screening" right on our front page as a common service offered by you guys! Why did we feel the need to post this? Because patients in your area are Google-ing where to find a clinic that offers this service and if it is not posted on FindUrgentCare.com, we are missing out on a whole population of patients searching for This service. Correspondingly, if you do not have these keywords on your primary website or your FindUrgentCare.com hosted webpage, search engines will list your clinic in search results for urgent care centers that offer this service.

Not only is it important that you update your website, but start to include screening for the virus in all of your marketing. You want to be the first place people think of when they have the urgent need for this type of testing and/or treatment.

Also FYI, as a resource to you, the Urgent Care Association of America has adapted their website with updates about screening for and treating the H1N1 Swine Flu virus in your walk-in center are now available. This includes an announcement about how to obtain the Tamiflu vaccine free from the govt. for vaccinating in your clinic. Click here for more details from the UCAOA.

FindUrgentCare discounts monthly membership for UCAOA members!

2009-07-15T15:21:00.000-07:00

The UCAOA put together a member benefit program, similar to our FindUrgentCare Partners Network, where members receive discounts from select vendors who offer products and services to the urgent care community. FindUrgentCare is among many others, and is offering exclusive discounts to UCAOA Members. Not only are UCAOA Members elligible to receive a 30 Day Free Trial on www.findurgentcare.com, but they are also elligible to receive an additional 10% off monthly membership. Click here to view the complete list of vendors featured in the UCAOA Member benefits.

FindUrgentCare is on Facebook!!

2009-07-09T10:34:00.000-07:00

Yes we gave in =) And we are encouraging all of our members and urgent care centers nationwide to join too! You might be thinking, "I don't want to get sucked into the vacuum of this social media trend" but there is a reason everyone is doing it right now! 1) it is free, 2) It is fun!, 3) AND, it is a great way to get your name out and blast updates to your community! 4) Not to mention it is great to have your website linked as many places as possible- for search engine optimization purposes- especially high traffic, relevent sites like Facebook!

I had a ton of friends who were creating pages for their business and I honestly did not know what they were involved in before they created these pages! Some of them really good friends too. So even if you have to guilt your friends to link to your site- I highly recommend it!

Jump on the bandwagon! And request FindUrgentCare as a friend when you do =)

www.FindUrgentCare.com on Facebook

Tailor Marketing to a tightening Economy! Urgent tips for hurting Walk-in Facilites.

2009-04-14T10:43:00.000-07:00

Up the Ante on your Stimulus Marketing!

"$55 Doctor Visits Offered to the Unemployed!","Health Stimulus Plan", just a couple million dollar catchphrases found in a recent Reliant Immediate Care press release. The LA-based urgent care facility has keenly observed that a great location can't be the only engine driving their marketing. Although they are located within minutes of the LAX airport, Dr. Lebow, Medical Director of Reliant Immediate Care knows the value of "upping the ante" on the marketing, especially during hard financial times for patients. They are utilizing FindUrgentcare to post special promotions in addition to the online press release to distinguish themselves as the walk-in facility for all types of patients and with varying financial circumstances. This is a prime example of creativity and great timing, as well as an exceptional demonstration of compassion and care for the community.

If your facility is offering specials to cash-paying or unemployed patients, tell them so! Get the word out in all of your marketing and update it on your FindUrgentCare webpage. You may very well be allowing the breadwinner of the family to return to the workforce, or treating a patient who otherwise would have neglected much needed care due to cost. Not only is it great marketing to spread the word, but it's a service to the community!

Great job Reliant Immediate Care, we hope you don't mind if a few clinics follow your lead =)

How many Urgent Care centers are there? Count with me!

2009-01-26T11:13:00.000-08:00

I get asked this question all the time. The great thing is, now I don't have to feel silly when I say "I don't know!". The Urgent Care Association of America and The Journal of Urgent Care Medicine put together a survey, conducted extensive research on the topic- consulting every database in existence, and came up with the answer..."we don't know!" That is not to say there were no findings...read on.

The problem exists in the definition of Urgent Care- whether to include retail clinics (those located inside a retail store), hospital based-urgent care centers (sometimes labeled "urgent care" but in reality simply a fast-track located within the ED), Primary Care Centers that allow walk-ins but do not have extended hours. Centers like these that fall outside of the definition of urgent care were not indluded, but others that fell more in the gray area were what made it so difficult to count. There are centers that should legitimately be qualified as urgent care centers but are nowhere on the web or any registry. Simply put, the number was difficult to find, and admittedly incomplete, but the number of identifiable urgent care centers was found to be....drum roll please...roughly 8,000 urgent care centers nationwide- much less than the initial estimate of 12,000. The moral of the story? Promote your practice and you will be paving the way for research and education for the entire industry! For more info on the issue, check out the January 2009 issue of JUCM.

Happy Thanksgiving from FindUrgentCare!

2008-11-26T13:20:00.000-08:00

We Have a Winner for the FindUrgentCare iPod Drawing!!

2008-10-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

Click here to support the cause!<-----------

Congratz to Pat Alvarez of Sendas Northwest Urgent Care for winning the drawing for a brand new (red) iPod shuffle! A part of the proceeds of every (red) iPod shuffle are donated to the Global fund to help eliminate HIV in Africa.
Pat stopped by the FindUrgentCare booth at the UCAOA Conference in Memphis last week. Thanks for saying hi Pat! Enjoy!

Walkin in Memphis! Marketing Tidbits and Highlights from the 2008 UCAOA Fall Conference.

2008-09-29T15:27:00.000-07:00

The Fall 2008 UCAOA Conference went great! It's a great chance for physicians to earn CME's as well as professionals in the Urgent Care industry to come together and learn from each other...and we manage to have some fun while we're at it!

I went to a great Marketing lecture by Sam Yates of Yates & Associates that touched on the importance of a strong web presence via Search Engine Optimization (SEO)- or boosting your website's ranking in searches targeted toward your desired audience. I was not surprised that not many in the audience were familiar with SEO, or even had a website. He threw out a couple compelling statistics- 75% of college students and young adults use the internet for their first stop for health care information... and did you know that 62% of buying decisions are made from web-based research? Maybe we should consider our web-exposure when trying to reach emerging generations as well as a very integral part of our target market...those who want to buy! Thanks Sam for a great lecture- I didn't even attempt to cover all of the great tips you included.

We also had a great time seeing some of our favorite exhibitors, meeting new clients as well as greeting others face to face that we've built relationships over the phone. We were happy to introduce our partnerships with Pharmalink and VaxServe of Sanofi Pasteur as exceptional vendors to the urgent care community. We met other potential partners and spoke with prospective clients about discounts offered to them on products and services through the FindUrgentCare Vendor Network. Thanks Becky and everyone at the UCAOA and John at PME Expo services for such a great conference!

Other Highlights: Walking down Beale street and hearing some great blues. Street acrobats and even acrobats in bars. The ducks in the Memphis Peabody Hotel that March down from the elevator and across the red carpet to play in the fountain. Experiencing some down home barbeque- just about every meal except for breakfast over the course of 3 days. Bread pudding. The sunset view from the top of the Memphis Peabody. Spotting Priscilla Presley. Touring Graceland.

Elvis lives!- Graceland Tour.---->

Amy and Elvis (left) at the Urgent Care America/ UCAOA party on top of the Peabody- just in time for the sunset.

Go Green or Go Home!! Great health tips and advice for becoming eco-friendly

2008-09-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

I am one of those people you see in the local market scanning the labels on my groceries for those ugly more-than-four-letter-words like "hydrogenated oil", "yellow #8909793838295...etc.","high fructose corn syrup"... and those sneaky words that end in "ose" or "itol" that basically mean SUGAR! I find pleasure from decoding tricky marketing tactics like "no trans fat per serving"- which basically means that in terms of one serving, there is a low enough content for the FDA to allow them to use that label.

Want to be more informed about the benefits of going organic and see what's up with all the hype surrounding "going green"? I found a great blog by a company called Earthpure Organics. Browse topics that discuss which fats are good fats, or find out the benefits of being one of those people who carries the cloth bags into the grocery store...besides the fact that it's sort of hip right now, anyway you catch my drift. If you're into learning more about the subject, check out this blog: http://nextgenvending.blogspot.com/. Enjoy!

The age of the Email Healthcare...and scares: can your iphone make your popcorn pop?

2008-08-19T14:32:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have been similarly fooled by a certain email that is circulating. It's about cell phones having the ability to pop popcorn...and thus, possibly taking a similar toll on your brain while you use them...or maybe you were not fooled...and you're laughing right now. Regardless, check out the video that has convinced many to keep perpetuating this spoof by forwarding it all their bff's and even work-colleagues.

The "YouTube" quality clip documents three different groups of people arranging their cell phones around a few raw kernels and after simultaneously calling each phone, the result is popped corn! Well I have to admit, it had me and a few co-workers intrigued enough to try it ourselves after it had been forwarded to us. Sure enough, we set up the experiment with all of its constants, and after calling all three cell-phones at the same time, each of us reached the voicemail without the birth of a single crunchy morsel. A website called snopes.com has an article that also validated our results with the popcorn; in addition to this, it debunks a rumor that had previously circulated about cell phones poaching an egg. We were disappointed that the email had fooled so many...and that this meant our cell phones wouldn't be cooking dinner for us anytime soon...but very relieved that our brains were not currently being subjected to the same electromagnetic activity powered in that one-minute pop setting on a microwave! Most young professionals, myself included, don't even own a house phone because we would never be home enough to use it. This would mean some serious pop-corn brains for us!

I do not mean to discount any claim that cell-phone usage may pose a long-term danger to our health, consumers should be compelled to wonder whether pointing radio waves at our heads from satellites in the sky has an effect on our health. But this absurdly lame spoof, that's easy to debunk with a few cell phones and minutes of your time, did get me thinking about how much credibility our society gives these forwarded emails we constantly circulate. It also made me sad that there really are people out there who actually spend their time constructing spoof videos to generate false claims to fool the masses. What other health advice have we taken from gmail or MyYahoo? I'm going to practice what I preach and take a second look before I "forward".

Sick and Overseas

2008-07-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Getting sick is not fun. Well being sick away from home is worse. Being sick in a different country is the worst! Away from your creature comforts, away from your bed, sometimes- but not in my case- away from decent health care, and it's always- a bummmer to experience culture, food, castles, and breathtaking scenery with a runny nose and sinusy headache.

I was in the middle of Gothic, splendid, superb Prague with an extreme sinus infection and the start of an earache after spending a few days hiking around the countryside. Thankfully, I was able to get some antibiotics, but unfortunately, my symptoms didn't subside until 2 days after returning home. Post castle exploration, post cobblestone streets lined with boutiques, post hidden gardens, and after enduring 24 hours of cough-ridden travel, and 1 day spent at mom's with a humidifier, down comforter and some Vick's- I finally started to feel better.

Don't think I didn't try while in Europe though- oh I tried! Without a chance to rest until Prague, I spent a whole day resting at cafes and tea-houses. Granted, it was definitely a far cry from torture- I sipped a cappuccino in the center of Wenceslas Square while people-watching and catching up on some reading. I endured 3 long hours with my fellow sick comrades at a tea house sipping "A Scent of Cashmere" and nibbling at a hummus platter. I must say, Prague was still quite lovely through the lens of my watery, allergenic eyes, but I still feel sorry for myself for missing out on a group hike to a hidden castle and a chance to peruse all the quaint little shops.

As a perk, I learned a few Czech home remedies while being a sick-person during my stay- physicians, no worries, they will not put you out of business. The Czechs were very proud of a Czech plum brandy called Slivovice, which they recommended to all of us who were experiencing colds (a cold is too friendly of a term for what I had- I would call it a freeze, yes, cold just isn't sufficient). Although I wimped out and ommited, a friend of mine "experienced the burn" with a shot, and another enjoyed a splash in some hot tea with honey. Both reported great results- granted neither are physicians or conducted a long term study with constants and such. However, the Czech's seemed to fully back the reliability of the elixer.

We encountered the next remedy during a group trip to some mineral springs. With fountains disbursed throughout the park with purified water containing all the natural minerals, I can honestly say, my throat did feel a little better that day. I will tell you that it tasted like a penny and I'm not quite sure how the many who came to satisfy jugs and bottles actually consumed the sum of their collections. I reversed most of what I attempted quaff for the sake of my health. "Blickety blah!" would be an accurate verbal description.

The last and most uncertain of these home-remedies was a plant called the "stinging nettle" in English. I won't write much about this except it left a bad taste in my mouth and seemed ineffective...I'm not sure if this one was an actual remedy or our Czech friends were being funny. Hmmmm.

Although I would still choose perfect health on a vacation abroad as an alternative, I decided, home-sweet-home, wherever that is, is the best place to be when you feel icky.

The Big Conference in the Big Easy! 2008 Annual Convention, New Orleans

2008-06-11T12:14:00.000-07:00

FindUrgentCare met lots of new friends back at the 2008 UCAOA Conference in New Orleans! Aside from the way-too-much-fun vendors like DocuTap and UHS, there were somewhere in the neighborhood of 900 wonderful attendees.

The conference ran over Memorial Day weekend at the same time as Jazzfest and was a great educational experience as well as fun for many- some had a little too much fun on Bourbon Street and were seen wearing sunglasses to class the next day. Not us, although we did find some great shades(see above), we managed to get to bed at a decent hour every night.

Thanks to all who stopped by the booth, we enjoyed meeting many new faces and seeing lots of familiar ones! Congrats Dr. Bazemore with XPressCare in Nevada for winning the iPod Drawing!

Workin' hard at the AAUCM Conference in Baltimore

2008-06-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

The AAUCM Conference was hosted at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore, right by the harbor, so not only were we able to meet lots of new Urgent Care friends, but we enjoyed a beautiful view after hours....and some sophisticated recreation too!

Your WHAT hurts?!!

2008-03-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Ever have an embarrassing healthcare issue that you don't exactly want the waiting room to hear? The FindUrgentCare online Patient Pre-assessment Form has become an outlet for some of those more private healthcare complaints. The form, which has space to include your health concern, is filled out online at the comfort of your own computer and transmitted directly to the front desk of your chosen urgent care facility. That way the receptionist won't say, "your WHAT hurts?!"

Button Pays off for FindUrgentCare Members!

2008-02-18T12:47:00.000-08:00

Who'd have known that creating a simple button would more than double the use of the FindUrgentCare Patient Pre-assessment Form?

Since the kick-off of this feature, which is included in FindUrgentCare membership for urgent care facilities nationwide, patients have shown excitement that they may automatically notify facilities prior to their arrival , while clinic managers have also appreciated the added tangibility of their successful advertising on FindUrgentCare.com.

But FindUrgentCare noticed a puzzling trend; the Pre-assessment Form was only receiving hits from a fraction of the patients searching for urgent care. Although the linked form was located on a secure webpage and notified patients of HIPPA compliance, it was not reaching its full potential of patient utilization.

Is it possible that paitients aren't noticing it? FindUrgentCare decided to test this theory by creating a virtual button, that would further communicate to patients the ease and accessibility of the automatic form.

Bingo! The weekend saw a major increase of the utilization of the form and is expected to continue receiving positive reviews from patients nationwide!

Stay hip on HIPAA

2008-02-11T13:14:00.000-08:00

Although it may be against the instincts of many patients to openly disclose private health care information, either over the phone with the receptionist at their primary care office, with health insurance agents, or even healthcare websites, they may not be aware of their own rights regarding patient privacy.

As a patient, you are protected by "HIPAA"- a patient privacy act that states patients must be made aware of all uses of their healthcare information by a provider or handler of that information. Providers and handlers are also required abide by secure methods of obtaining and transmitting that private information.

As a way to help consumers and health care organizations get information about what HHS is doing to enforce the Privacy Rule and pursue violators, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new “enhanced” website.Check it out by clicking here for more information.

This is a reminder that FindUrgentCare encourages all levels of patient privacy in the use of the Patient Pre-assessment Form and complies with HIPPA regulations.

FindUrgentCare Patient Pre-assessment Form

2008-01-10T11:51:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Steve Miller from Medframe, and lots of patience from our members, our automatic FindUrgentCare Patient Pre-Assessment Form was launched last week! This means that the same great form that has been available to patients on FindUrgentCare.com is now automatically sent over to clinics by fax and/or email.

The FindUrgentCare Patient Pre-Assessment Form is a quick, online form that patients may fill out to notify clinics prior to their arrival. The patient simply finds a clinic on the FindUrgentCare national database by city & state or zip code, clicks on the desired profile, fills out the linked form.

Clinics that have membership with FindUrgentCare may utilize this feature to streamline the paperwork process required during patient-intake or use it to track the success of their advertising on FindUrgentCare. A clinic's use of this feature can also be used to distinquish themselves among local competition and may be mentioned in ad campaigns and marketing.

It is important to mention that the The FindUrgentCare Patient Pre-Assessment Form complies with all HIPAA (patient privacy) regulations. The FindUrgentCare website uses a secure server to transmit all patient information directly to the desired clinic and patient informaion of certain information on the form is made optional. Patients are also required to read and acknowledge their understanding of patient rights as well as uses of the form prior to its transmittal.

This feature is just another added benefit of FindUrgentCare membership and its use is at no additional cost to the clinic. FindUrgentCare simply wants to make healthcare of all types more convenient and easy to access for patients nationwide!

To read more about our Patient Preassessment Form in the news, click here!

Happy Holidays from FindUrgentCare!

2007-12-06T09:06:00.000-08:00

Season’s Greetings from the little worker elves at FindUrgentCare!Working around the clock to bring you extra exposure this holiday season!

Can Patients Find your Urgent Care?

2007-12-04T09:36:00.000-08:00

In my quest for Urgent Care centers nationwide, I seek out the internet. According to market research, so do 94% of US consumers as their first stop for healthcare information. An advantage to performing the same research as our target consumer market, is that I experience the same frustrations and am able to tailor my site according to their needs. Have you seen the website of your competitor? Have you searched online for local urgent care centers? I encourage you to surf around, and find out how to market your clinic competetively.

Surprisingly, my biggest frustration as a potential consumer is the lack of vital clinic information posted on most primary websites. If I am fortunate enough to find a clinic's webpage, I often find that contact information is insufficient. Let me make a few suggestions that will help patients find your clinic:

* Include the zip code and a mapquest link if you can- providing an address without a zip code makes it much more difficult for mapquest users; most of the time, the program requires a zip code.

* Include the major crossroads, while still providing the exact address. It doesn't help a traveling patient who does not know crossroads if this is all you provide.

* Include the name of the shopping center and a familiar landmark. If a McDonald's is next to your clinic, you are allowed to mention this. Also, feel free to let the McDonald's know you are including their name in your marketing. Businesses generally appreciate more exposure, unless you mispell their name or they do not want to be associated with your business. You may even get a free Happy Meal =)

* Post pictures of your location, especially if your decor or building is something to be proud of! Either way, it will help patients quickly identify your building in your time of need.

* Use temporary, portable signage on sidewalks to attract passing traffic. This will especially help if it includes an arrow and "walk-in clinic". Clinics tucked deep into a plaza will especially benefit from this.

* Use bright or distinct permanant signage that is visible from the street. Make sure you adhere to all tenant policies if located within a plaza.

* The most obvious rule for helping patients find your clinic: Location, location location! Purchasing a great location will save you marketing dollars in the long-run by making it easier for patients to find your clinic.

* Update your website or online listing regularly!! There is nothing more dissappointing than driving to a location only to find that the hours, location, prices, or even clinic name aren't as advertised.

* Is your website on page 8 of the search results? This is where FindUrgentCare becomes valuable, you may have a beautiful website, but it won't benefit patients unless they can find it. FindUrgentCare stays up-to-date on search engine standards to provide clinics with optimal exposure.

* Did you know FindUrgentCare.com allows clinics to post a picture, provides a map, a Patient Pre-assessment Form, a link to your primary website (optional), services offered, and hours of operation?? Patients may find us by performing a search for local urgent care in major search engines.

Lastly, make sure your direct mail or ads are consistent with your website and feature landmarks, pictures, and marketing highlights.

UCAOA Fall Conference: Marketing Lecture

2007-11-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

Amy and I managed to break away and head out to Chicago for the UCAOA Fall Conference despite all the fun at home surrounding Halloween. I couldn’t make it to all the marketing lectures that were offered, but I did attend “Hands on Marketing: Effective Campaigns & Ideas”, instructed by Cynthia Rilling, Director of Operations & Marketing of Acute Injury & Illness Centers, LLC.

As Ms. Rilling was instrumental in all stages of development for three successful urgent care centers, she has learned the "dos and don’ts" of marketing a clinic. Like many tend to agree, much is in a name. Although Urgent Care has many noted differences from Emergency Care, some states regulate the use of this name as it may be misleading to patients. Ms. Rilling spoke about the importance of checking your state’s legislation on this. She also spoke about adding words like “injury and illness center” so people know exactly what you do. Sometimes, depending on your area, short names like immediate care, walk-in center, urgent care or convenient care might not be as familiar to patients.

Ms. Rilling’s clinics have undergone name changes as well as adaptations to the logo. After realizing that using the red cross shape in their logo violated the Red Cross organization’s rights to this symbol, she had to replace all signage and marketing materials as well. Ms. Rilling described it as an expensive mistake for a brand new clinic, especially since stacks of marketing materials were fresh off the press, and the signage hadn’t even seen the clinic’s opening day. However, she was able to make it as cost effective as possible by only cutting the symbol out of the signage.

The logo underwent another conversion later on down the road, to a speedier looking red and yellow italicized cross. She also had another clinic that needed a backlit sign since it blended in too much with the building. Additional transformations like these required allocating valuable marketing dollars towards improvements in existing materials, but a simple change like this makes a world of difference in getting the patient's attention as well as to their first impression of the facility.

In fact, Ms. Rilling is very passionate about the patient’s first and lasting impression of the facility. She knows that the clinic’s design has almost as much impact on the patient as the care they receive. In her presentation, she noted “If your signage, your landscaping, and even the building you’re in isn’t the image you want to project, you will lose patients before they even meet the physician.” Her facilities’ designs employ everything from outer-space x-ray rooms, to custom murals in the waiting room, local art, plant life, a jungle themed pediatric room and a facility with a plasma screen TV. The list goes on because Ms. Rilling believes in exceeding the patient’s expectations. This is all part of removing the “white coat effect”- an expression she uses to describe the feeling of an uncomfortably sterile and bare facility—the last place you want to go when you are not feeling well.

More highlights of the lecture:
• Offer free or flu shots for a penny- for marketing purposes, not for profit
• Add more freestanding removable signage for the sidewalk
• Always mention a popular landmark in marketing materials, also include hours or other attractive benefits of your clinic, and a great picture of the facility
• Keep employees updated with your latest ad campaigns and specials
• Invite the community into your clinic for an open house with snacks and send them home with a magnet or other marketing materials

We have a winner!!! The 8gb iPod Nano was claimed by...

2007-11-07T14:44:00.000-08:00

Dr. Husain of Northwest Ohio Urgent Care! Our hearts are warmed to hear that he will be sharing it with his adorable son who accompanied him at the recent UCAOA Fall Conference in Chicago, where we featured the iPod drawing at our exhibitor booth. Congrats to Dr. Husain and family!

2007 UCAOA Fall Conference- Chicago

2007-11-06T13:19:00.000-08:00

Having fun being tourists in the "Windy City". We didn't have a ton of time to play unfortunately, but our late flight allowed for a bit of shopping and browsing. We did, however, experience some great eats at "De La Costa" and "Red Light" for dinner the two nights we were there.

Amy(right) and I(left) working hard on our macs at the UCAOA Fall Conference in Chicago October 27th. We had a ton of fun demoing the brand new upgraded and redesigned FindUrgentCare site for existing members and many aspiring FindUrgentCare clinics. Check out our press release!

Surcharges for Minor Emergencies in the ER!

2007-08-29T14:13:00.000-07:00

No bones about it, visiting the ER may be unavoidable for some patients suffering from minor illnesses or injuries. Maybe you are unsure of the severity of your medical condition? You should go to the ER. Need immedate attention after, the after-hours clinics are closed and don't know of any local on-call doctors? Or is there simply confusion about the difference between the ER and an Urgent Care facility? Don't know of a local Urgent Care Clinic, or is the hospital just closer? Undoubtedly, going to the ER is the better option for some, but if convenience is your only motivation to attend the ER, think again.

If you are not aware of the services offered at an Urgent Care, click here and scroll down, if you are well-versed on Urgent Care, skip ahead to the next paragraph. When any of the minor medical illnesses or injuries listed occurs, Urgent Care is the answer. It is especially convenient when your Primary Care physician is overbooked, you need medical attention after-hours, or when you are on vacation.

Northeastern Florida Hospitals attempt to solve over-crowding issues in the ER by implementing extra charges for those whose health concerns do not warrant emergency medical attention. Check out more on the hospitals implementing this surcharge. So far, these surcharges are right around $100.

Although, these surcharges have only been written about in Florida, a policy like this may catch on for it's value as a preventative measure for ER overcrowding. The best way to avoid this surcharge is to visit an urgent care. If you don't know of one in your area, go to FindUrgentCare.com. Our site lists each clinic's normal hours of operation, and services offered, like 24/7 On-Call physician care. If the ER is a must for your minor illness or injury, ask about surcharges!

Can't get no satisfaction?

2007-08-15T12:43:00.000-07:00

I was thinking again about this idea of how Urgent Care is perceived by the public and about patient satisfaction in Urgent Care. Aside from my own Urgent Care experience mentioned in the previous blog, surveys also show the number one reason patients become irritated is their wait time exceed expectations. But catch this, it's not just the waiting that makes them irritable, it's not being informed of delays. Check out the article Fostering Patient Loyalty In Urgent Care Settings, by Penny J Miceli, and Dave Van Remortel. This article addresses the public perception of an Urgent Care as convenience driven (as it partially is), and thus, most patients are expecting a wait time of zero minutes. The survey also noted that patients were not likely to return unless they were 100% satisfied. If a patient bears an unexpected wait and remains dissatisfied whether or not he/she received quality service, they are still not likely to return. Simply informing of their estimated wait time and allowing them to decide whether they want to leave or stay prevents irritability and increases the likelihood of their return. On the optimistic side, this lessons the stress of the front-end staff by easing tension in the waiting room. Surprisingly enough, people are willing to wait, if they are adequately informed.

Urgent Care Spys.....Watch Out!

2007-08-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Ever heard of a secret shopper? I'm sure this concept isn't new to many. They are typically hired by a corporate chain of a retailer or restaurant to act as a customer and rate the quality service. Ever heard of a secret shopper in the healthcare industry? Believe it or not, it has been done.

According to the Boston Globe, Beth Israel Deaconess,a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School started employing secret shoppers to rate their operators and waiting rooms. One report from a shopper recorded service as poor as a receptionist asking a patient to speak louder when giving his social security number. The Shopper heard the number clearly from the back of the room. After using results from secret shoppers in the last couple of years in order to better train their staff, the article reports service ratings jumping from "fair" to "excellent". I was surprised to hear this had been done before, with all the HIPPA regulations one would need to comply with, but after recently enduring the waiting room at an urgent care, I thought it was a great idea.

After signing in at the Urgent Care for a sore throat, I was told I would be called when they were ready to see me, so I grabbed a magazine and sat down. During my 45 minute wait, not too shabby considering there were about 5 people in front of me, I made a pretty thorough assessment of the level of service the Urgent Care facility was producing on the front end. To be sure, I want to clarify that working with facilities all over the nation does not necessarily breed one an Urgent Care snob. I have a high level of respect for those who are pioneering our relatively new facet of the health care industry. I am aware of the hurdles great healthcare professionals must gracefully traverse in establishing a business when urgent cares still carry the stigma of “doc-in-a-box” or “the fast-food of the healthcare industry” , (although thankfully these titles are starting to disappear). I kept all this in mind, but it didn’t altogether prevent me from becoming frustrated with the front of the house.

I realized during this visit, that sometimes one bad apple spoils the whole bunch. The sour attitude of the receptionist seemed to permeate the room as it became more crowded. Those not expecting a wait became visibly indignant within five minutes, it didn’t help that they hadn’t been prepared with an estimated wait time. Patients started talking amongst themselves when little action seemed to be taking place past the waiting room door. A few potential patients walked out. An ambulance came and went, wheeling in a stretcher and wheeling it back out, empty. Finally my name was called and I could feel the bitter stare of a woman who was there before me. The perception of this group of sick and cranky people was that they were wasting their time at a poorly managed clinic, one they might have never previously visited and might never visit again. The receptionist was not interested in patient relations, seeming entertained by her computer screen.

After making it past the front end, I heard the steady buzz of busyness and was relieved to see a staff working hard behind the scenes. The PA informed me that the medical staff had been struggling with a woman who needed emergency care and repeatedly turned away the ambulance. I was out in no time, leaving satisfied with my level of care. As someone who serves the Urgent Care community, I knew enough not to jump on the bandwagon of critiquing the entire clinic, but it also occurred to me that very few patients have this insight. The doctors might be extraordinary, but something as easy as an aloof receptionist is enough to make a patient never want to come back. Secret shoppers don’t sound like such a bad idea. I think most clinic managers would be surprised to hear how poorly the waiting room can reflect on their facility.

If you have multiple clinics, send an employee to another clinic. They’ll know what the employees should be doing. They can slip in unnoticed or be “waiting for their friend to come out”. For an evaluation of your clerical and medical staff, refer someone to your clinic with a business card and have them give you a call after their visit. Offer them a discount for further motivation to provide feedback. Whether you hire someone for this role, or send someone from another clinic, I would suggest creating an evaluation form that compliments the flow of operations. Understand that feedback won’t be valuable if you don’t communicate it with your staff and follow up with a resolution. Finally, remember that praising improvements is a great motivator for people to keep doing what works well.

I wanna be like HealthCare Marketing Guru Eric Berkowitz some day...

2007-07-19T13:23:00.000-07:00

As we are revisiting our yearly Marketing Plan I was reminded to check back over my notes from the lecture delivered by Eric N. Berkowitz (Not to be confused with Erik G. Berkowitz—Computer Programmer and author) at the 2007 Urgent Care Association of America (UCAOA) Conference in Daytona Beach, Florida. I was fortunate enough to steal away from my exhibitor booth and let Amy fight the crowds, as we were repeatedly mistaken, fairly enough, for “Registration”. Thanks to our wonderful conference organizers at the UCAOA, we had a prime location next to the entrance but, even our FindUrgentCare.com banner didn’t stop many an attendee from intently parking in front of us to ask for their name-tag. However, the frequent stray did result in many fruitful contacts and of course, a few good laughs. Although during this afternoon lecture, and to Amy’s delight, she was steadily entertained with visits, but for the most part the crowds dissipated.

Even with 500 attendees present, the expanse of exhibitor domain on third floor of the Hilton quieted to a low buzz, with the exception of the animated Dr. Berkowitz’ voice and intermittent laughter sneaking past the double doors and adding high notes. Peering inside the lecture hall, a latecomer like me found it hard to slip in and find a seat and either ended up in the back-row or held up the wall for easy access to their booth. But even these spaces weren’t inconspicuous to the dynamic lecturer who coursed the room, engaging his audience in jests. At one point he dialogued with a woman to whom he responded loudly, “Do you love your children?” I was too far away to understand the context of the matter but despite this, I laughed into hysterics with the rest of the room. Although highly entertained, would you believe I still scribbled 4 pages of notes?

For those of us who haven’t read any of Dr. Berkowitz’ publications or received formal Marketing training specific to the Health Care Industry, his lecture entitled “Distinguishing Your Urgent Care Center in the Marketplace” truly shed light on how much there is to be learned in the realm of marketing an Urgent Care. He taught many basic marketing principles, but applied them directly to the HealthCare Industry, drawing from over 30 years of experience in marketing and consulting.

Among the many questions he asked were:
• What is your Differential Advantage- How do you stand out from the crowd?
o Ex. Later hours than your competitor
o Ex. Participating in a Patient Benefit Program
• What is the value added for patients at your clinic?
o Ex. Staffing MD’s and PA’s
o Ex. Sending Medical Records to the patient's primary physician

• Who is my target market?
o One man replied “women between the ages of 18-35” to which he replied “NO! --- Married women with children and a husband with a fixed income”
--I wasn’t the only one who didn’t expect such an exclusive demographic group

• How are you working on keeping the patients you already have loyal?
o Don’t make any major changes that will alienate the majority
• Where are you advertising? Not everyone should see your ad, just people who are looking for Urgent Care

I don’t know Dr. Berkowitz personally or professionally, but I’d hate to go on about his lecture without some mention that he expounds on this material much more eloquantly in his many publications. You may join me in purchasing one of his books specific to Marketing in the HealthCare Industry.

If I may, I’d like to highlight a few of the points he touched on and add to it from my own experience more specifically in Internet Marketing. One thing he recommended regarding a primary website, (in addition to of course for instance a webpage on FindUrgentCare.com...Shameless plug #2) was to list your clinic’s prices competitively on your webpage. His main point behind this was that people like to shop, and they might associate prices too low with poor quality, but what they appreciate is a reasonable deal and the option of knowing prices in advance. This will almost always drive them to your door versus an emergency room.

Another recommendation he made was to list all medical staff with a short bio on your primary webpage. I scale through many Urgent Care primary webpages on an average business day. Most look dated, are missing zip codes or other vital information for finding the clinic. I would also recommend featuring a picture of the clinic so that patients may see the building they are searching for. If you are going to spend the money on a webpage, I also recommend that you make sure it’s accessible to the public, and not on the 10th page of search results on Google.com.

Taking the advice of Dr. Berkowitz, FindUrgentCare has been working on adding value to the services of our clinics, with the X+raCare Patient Benefits Network. We only target web users who are searching for Urgent Care online, which is ususally only available to those who have a fixed income and are able to afford internet service. We allow a link for a primary webpage with more detailed information about the medical staff, or this content can be posted directly on your FindUrgentCare site. Vital information like office hours, address and phone number is found on every listing, and services offered or any other detailed information may always be added to the page content.

I know that I am one of my product's greatest fans, so let's hear about your's....Has anyone else started to implement some of these marketing principles to their Urgent Care? Comments are also welcome for those who though we were registration!

How did FindUrgentCare get started?

2007-07-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

FindUrgentCare saw the expansion of Urgent Care within the Healthcare Industry as patients needed immediate care without waiting weeks for an appointment with their family doctor or multiple hours in the emergency room. Primary Care and ER physicians even started referring patients to local Urgent Care facilities due to overbooking or patient or doctor vacation.

Finding a local Urgent Care center can prove tedious, especially for patients who are traveling. In addition to this, since Urgent Care is a relatively new facet of the Healthcare Industry, most patients are not familiar with the many names it assumes. Urgent Care facilties can be called anything like "immediate care", "walk-in clinic", "convenient care" and the list goes on. FindUrgentCare simplifies the process of finding the nearest Urgent Care clinic. Just enter your city and state or zip code and the results are immediate!

What Is Find Urgent Care?

2007-07-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

FindUrgentCare is an interactive tool which enables patients to locate the nearest Urgent Care facility by zip code or city & state, eliminating the hassle of cumbersome search engines with limited search scopes. FindUrgentCare is a priority driven system that locates Urgent Care centers by geographic areas.

FindUrgentCare delivers patients to the doors of Urgent Care clinics using a sophisticated search engine database and patient information gathering tools.

Additional information can be found at:

https://www.findurgentcare.com