Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Who are you trying to target --- professional referral sources or families? If it's professional referral sources -then FREE CEU's are a great place to start. With the hospital so close, if you can get the SW, Discharge Planners, etc. to come to you great --- if not, then go to them with a lunch-n-learn program. After work cocktail parties -- perhaps co-hosted with a complimentary agency is a nice networking/getting to know you event. Some hospitals strongly discourage employees from attending these kind of events, however. Do drop by visits to physician offices. You must have or develop a list of referral sources and cultivate relationships with them. Since you have a hospice unit and a "secure" unit, maybe become a support group site for those with terminal illness or memory loss. It seems as if your facility offers a lot --- try and focus on the one service you do exceptionally well and promote that. If you are known for your memory care with the secure unit --- promote that and then you can also include the pet therapy and activities geared for those with memory impairment. Also, most with AD/dementia will eventually need hospice --- so you have a built in flow to your hospice unit. As for the families, most are not actively looking to place their family member until a crisis makes its an absolute necessity. All you can do is try to build goodwill in the community and build name recognition -- participate in and/or sponsor health fairs for the senior population. Use your pet therapy to visit the senior center, participate in /sponsor community events that appeal to both older adults and their family members.
Hope this helps -- Good luck.

What about working from the Medicaid end of the spectrum and offering a free luncheon/info session for families dealing with aging parents/other family considerations --- what Medicaid covers, what resources are available to the families, etc. and rather than blatantly promoting your particular ICF, you are more of an information-provider yet you're still getting your name in front of the appropriate people.

Offer this in local community centers and other venues of that nature. Chambers of Commerce, etc.

Another avenue to explore.

Marketing-Riot

You have to think beyond your services offered to do free CEU's. CEU's must be non commercial. And they must be pre approved by whoever establishes the guidelines. So you just can't create a presentation and market it as CEU's-- and there are fees involved. In the AIA, its about $3K.

One of my first client was in this field. We created non commercial presentations on planning and affording extended care. We took it to chambers and other trade orgs -- there are few people in the room that won't be faced sometime with that dilemma. VFW's were also targeted.

After establishing contact, we faxed daily reports on bed availability to case workers in nearby hospitals. Its frustrating to them, the patients and their families to refer someone to a facility that is full. Our reps made personal calls to those people, bringing cookie breaks (in personalized boxes). We did a lot of open houses. And we asked for referrals from docs.

You have to keep in continual contact with these people. Out of sight and you are out of mind. Put them on a call back schedule.

Look at all areas of the facility. We reviewed how the grounds looked, the neatness of the lobby, and how the phone is answered. Make sure all call in information is funneled to you. Make sure everyone who is in contact with a potential client knows how to handle the call and the message is consistent.