From concept development to first cases, the start-up process for a new or expanding surgery center can take years to complete, and initial procedures are just the beginning. A robust marketing strategy is critical to drive visibility within the community to support a ramp up of surgical volumes.
The Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopaedics (CSMO), located in Chattanooga, TN, is celebrating the one-year anniversary of opening their new outpatient surgery center. The facility houses 10 operating rooms and strives to improve access to healthcare while providing an exceptional patient experience.
Becky Farmer, the CEO of CSMO, made sure that the patient was at the center of all decisions that were made related to the facility’s design.
“We were fortunate enough to be able to start from the ground up. Everything we do, we think about what the experience is going to be for the patient, and then secondary, what is the experience going to be for our physicians.”
Dr. Chad Smalley, one of CSMO’s Medical Directors, reiterated the patient-focused approach.
“I'm most excited about the streamlined effect of building around the patient experience. I think that's one of the keys and that makes our facility very unique. When you build it from the ground up, you can start with the patient and then build out from there.”
CSMO partnered with Stryker on a comprehensive technology solution to outfit their facility and further collaborated on a grand opening event and co-marketing campaign to drive awareness of their new location and the services provided using Stryker technologies to prospective patients and referring physicians.
CSMO orchestrated the details of the grand opening event and opened the facility to the public for tours. Stryker provided demonstrations of its cutting-edge technologies that are used within the facility, educating attendees. This event provided an opportunity to connect with the local community to showcase the patient-centric design of the surgery center while educating on the advanced Stryker technologies that are used to perform surgical procedures.
A subsequent co-marketing campaign was launched to drive continued awareness of the new surgery center and the cutting-edge Stryker technologies used within the facility. The patient experience was at the forefront of the campaign which utilized Here. Then Home.® messaging highlighting the outpatient care provided by CSMO using Stryker technologies. Many tactics were used, including postcards, digital displays in the local online newspaper, and streaming audio. The multi-channel approach allowed CSMO and Stryker to connect with the target audience through various channels, amplifying the message that the facility was now open and accepting patients while creating a cohesive brand experience.
For Lauren Lawson, Director of Marketing & Public Relations at CSMO, having a partner with expertise in marketing a new surgery center and an established program helped to make the deployment of the campaign easy.
“Working with Styker to implement our co-marketing plan was a seamless experience. Their team made the entire process easy, helping to identify where they could bring added value to our launch strategy. The partnership truly made a significant impact on the project’s overall success.”
Through this partnership, Stryker and CSMO were able to formally introduce the community to the Center for Sports Medicine & Orthopedics and the technologies and services that will help drive improved healthcare in Chattanooga, TN.
Click here to watch CSMO’s story
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkVRa2xW4iU