Sanjeev Bhatia
PT & CRO, Clinic Acclerator
I’ve always considered running a clinic a seasonal business. A well-thought-out clinic management strategy is crucial to navigate these seasonal trends effectively, especially for physical therapy, chiropractic, massage therapy, and mental health clinics.
At the start of the year, January and February bring a slowdown in demand as many patients have already rushed to use their benefits in December before they expire. But it’s also New Year’s resolution season, which means you can maintain your clinic appointment schedules with effective patient retention strategies that attract patients committed to improving their health.
Spring and summer come with their own challenges—patients and clinicians alike take vacations, and families are busy with the end of the school year. But this doesn't mean your clinic has to slow down. Tap into seasonal trends, like evening walk programs or bike fits, to engage patients and fill appointment slots.
Then, as the year draws to a close, the benefits rush hits. People want to use their benefits before they expire, making this by far the busiest season for clinics. The more in tune you are with these seasonal patterns, the better you can plan your marketing and operations strategy to stay ahead of the game.
So, with October upon us, now’s the time to do two key things:
- Design and implement your October, November, and December marketing and operations plan.
- Set your goals for January, February, and March.
How to Create an Effective Year-End Marketing and Operations Strategy for Your Clinic
Let’s start with effective clinic marketing strategies like timely email campaigns and patient retention tactics. Both ensure you capture the attention of patients eager to use their expiring insurance benefits, leading to more appointments.
First, check your college guidelines about what you can say regarding benefits and expiration dates. Once you’re in the clear, here are some tried-and-true tactics that get patients through the door as benefits season approaches:
1. Email Campaigns: Send a sequence of emails to your patients (an initial message followed by 3-4 short follow-ups) to remind previous patients about expiring benefits. Learn how to Create a Benefits Reminder Email Campaign using JComm.
2. Referrals:
3. Social Media Posts:
4. Reactivation Calls: Dedicate two hours a week to calling previous patients and encouraging them to return—this is a practical, personal touch.
5. Paid Ads: Focus on benefits expiry in your advertising. It creates urgency.
6. Newsletter Mentions: Include benefits reminders in your monthly or quarterly patient newsletters.
7. Website Updates: Update the front page of your clinic website with benefits expiry reminders.
8. Clinician Social Media: Provide clinicians with ready-made posts to share on their personal social media accounts—make it easy for them to plug and play!
9. Admin Team Training: Ensure your front desk team is asking patients about their insurance coverage during appointments.
10. In-Clinic Posts: Place posters in waiting rooms and treatment rooms to remind patients about their benefits.
11. Lunch and Learns: Offer free sessions for local businesses within a 3km radius. Think restaurants, hotels, tech companies, and more.
12. Business Partnerships: Ask local businesses to post flyers in their staff rooms or send out emails to their employees. Make it simple—provide them with the content to share. You can even add a QR code to the flyers linking directly to your online booking page.
Now that your marketing is in place, it's time to shift focus to optimizing your clinic’s year-end operations for maximum efficiency.
Focusing on core operations like efficient patient management and follow-up processes, is critical to maintaining productivity during the busy year-end period.
October through December is the busiest period for clinics. Avoid starting new projects during this time and focus instead on the core processes that keep your clinic running smoothly:
- Answer the Phone: Ensure your team is booking new patients promptly.
- Treatment Plans: Book follow-up appointments during the initial assessment.
Drop-Off Process: Be disciplined and regimented about your daily and weekly follow-up processes so no patient falls through the cracks.
Key Strategic Considerations for Effective Year-End Clinic Management
With the busy season ahead, it’s crucial to lock in a few strategic details:
- Vacation Schedules: By September (or early October), confirm everyone’s Q4 vacation plans. Encourage clinicians to reconsider time off during the busiest months or explore alternatives like half-days or weekend shifts to boost earnings. It’s also a good time to check if they’re saving for a home, budgeting for a trip, or paying off debt—extra hours now could make a real difference.
- Holiday Party: Schedule your clinic’s holiday celebration in early to mid-January. October through December is all about doing the work to achieve your objectives, but you can still celebrate when things calm down.
- Front Desk Support: The busiest months often coincide with increased sick leave. Build redundancy into your admin team to cover these gaps.
Leadership Focus: Keep new projects on hold. This is a time for you to support the clinical and admin teams. Focus on clearing any obstacles they encounter so they can keep delivering top-notch patient care.
Setting Actionable Goals for Your Healthcare Clinic in January and February
While January might feel like a time to catch your breath, it’s actually an opportunity to capitalize on New Year's resolution time. Launch your healthcare marketing campaigns and encourage clinic appointment rebooking to continue the momentum from the benefits rush.
Setting clear, actionable goals and initiatives ahead of time ensures your team is prepared to start the year strong without the usual post-holiday lull. Here’s what to focus on:
- New Year’s Resolutions Campaigns: Patients are often eager to commit to their health goals at the start of the year. Build your marketing around this. Consider campaigns like "New Year, New You" that promote wellness and long-term care plans.
- Early Patient Rebookings: Encourage patients to schedule their next appointments now, before the holidays hit. Not only does this secure revenue for January and February, but it also keeps patients on track with their care.
- Team Training: Use quieter time in January to refresh your team’s skills and professional development. Focus on things like improving patient communication, streamlining operations, or reintroducing effective cross-referral processes. This way, you can enter the new year more efficient and ready to tackle challenges.
- Goal Alignment with Clinicians: Set goals with each clinician based on their personal motivations. Whether it’s boosting their patient numbers, enhancing service offerings, developing new skills, or achieving personal financial goals like saving for a house, tailor their targets to inspire them.
By planning ahead and making January and February productive, you’ll not only keep the clinic busy but also continue the momentum from Q4. Don’t wait until the rush is over to think about the new year—start setting yourself up for success now.
Start Planning Now for a Successful Q4 and Beyond
October is the perfect time to take control of the rest of your year while laying the foundation for a strong start to the next one. Implement a focused marketing and operations plan now to ensure a smooth, productive Q4 and start the new year strong.
Don’t forget to set your goals for January and February early, and stay ahead of the seasonal shifts, plan proactively, and make this your clinic’s most successful season yet!
