A Large, Multi-Specialty Medical Group Practice…
From it origins in the early 1950’s until 2017 when it merged with the Summit Medical Group, New Jersey Associates in Medicine (NJAIM) was a privately owned, multispecialty group practice. When NJAIM began working with Trestle Point in 2013, the practice was made up of 18 health care providers delivering care in one location situated in Fair Lawn, NJ. At that time NJAIM provided medical services in 11 specialties. It also operated a diagnostic laboratory and a sleep disorders center. The NJAIM mission and vision: to provide patients with the most courteous, empathetic treatment and the highest quality of medical care available, all delivered under “one roof”.
- Challenges
Like many office-based healthcare practitioners, the doctors and doctor leader of NJAI
M were concerned about the rapid and uncertain evolution of the U.S. healthcare system. However, unlike so many of today’s practices, NJAIM had a strong foundation because of its well-established “critical mass” of various medical specialties in a collaborative, single location practice setting providing quality, comprehensive, cost effective healthcare and services to its patients. The prime challenge expressed by the practice leaders was to better “market” the value NJAIM. Embodied in this challenge was also the traditional/characteristic doctor distrust/misunderstanding of “marketing” (often expressed as “advertising”) as a viable means to convey how well the practice delivered its services to patients and potential patients.
- Assistance Provided
To engage cooperation and build trust, a strategic marketing plan was developed that included: complete profiling of the service offerings, a value proposition assessment, a market place situation assessment, SWOT analysis, and a realistic marketing communications tactical budget. NJAIM’s doctor leader had several visionary ideas that melded well with the prospective and step-wise marketing action plan. Together Trestle Point and NJAIM set out to rebrand the organization and launch a coordinated business improvement/marketing action plan that continued on as a “living” collaboration of business improvement ideas and execution support.
- Outcome/Client Assessment
The rebranding effort literally came to life with a refreshed identity and color palate based on the simple but highly emotive image of the leader’s stethoscope. Though the implementation timetable experienced disruption from time to time, necessitated by patient care delivery priorities, once in place the new identity spread to every aspect of visual communications including building and office signage, each and every piece of stationary, the practice’s website, open house/community events, as well as logo images provided by community sports teams sponsorship. Coordinated with an entire “facelift” of the practice’s offices and patient care spaces, the new identity captivated patients, staff, referring physicians and community leaders alike. Altogether, this produced increased patient volume, enhanced patient satisfaction, and provided greater financial performance for the practice. As the New Jersey Associates in Medicine leadership evolved the practice beyond its historic underpinnings and single location, the positioning and messaging strategy build around comprehensive, convenient care evolved with Trestle Point invited to continue its trusted support and contributions up until the time of NJAIM’s attraction to and integration with the larger, regional, Summit Medical Group, in November of 2017.