by Amin H. Karim MD
If one jumps into a solo practice, one of the first items on the agenda is how to market the practice.
Back in 1980’s here is what I did. Things are bit different now but the samem principles apply:
Making friends with Primary Care Physicians: I made a list of as many primary care physicians in the area as I could find; target was independent physician offices and excluding those connected with the Medical Schools, VA System, County Hospitals etc since they were obligated to refer within the system. When time allowed I would visit each one of them and provided they were not busy with patients meet with them and leave business cards. Remember the 3 words that someone taught me a long time ago: be AVAILABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND AFABLE! Not all PCPs are easy to convince and break away from the usual referral patterns or ” buddy networks” but even a few breaks are welcome and once you start working with them and impress them with your communication and good care, you may get a long term referral source. More convincing is if the patient goes back and says good things about you.
Arranging an talk at a restaurant on a cardiology topic that would interest other physicians. This would take some investment or if one is lucky a drug rep might offer to underwrite the expenses. This is as long as they understand that your talk will be unbiased.
Buying an infomercial on local TV or radio. Luckily I was approached by a Spanish TV station to be interviewed by an anchor and answer questions on cardiac topics. Same with local radio stations. This gets your name out in the community.
Organizing special events: (1990s) Here we learned something from Prof. Denton Cooley. Although, Dr. Cooley was full resident of St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital, and on faculty at the University of Texas, Houston and founder and Chair of the Texas Heart Institute, but in fact he was a private practitioner just like the rest of us independent cardiologists. He has about 6 partners in his practice and he had an exclusive arrangement with St. Luke’s such that no other CV surgeon could have privilege to do surgeries at the hospital unless they joined his practice. It was rumored that even Dr. Michael Reardon, who was his fellow, got independent surgery privileges at St. Luke’s. As a result, Dr. Reardon ended up going to next door Methodist Hospital ( a big gain for Methodist as Dr. Reardon established a very good practice and continues to be a busy CV surgeon at Methodist.
In any case, Dr. Cooley excelled in marketing his practice. A cardiologist Dr. Virendra Mathur, was his referral and with him Dr. Cooley would visit Bombay, India and meet cardiologists there, ensuring a steady referral from India. As expected, these referrals would be well to do people or VIPs paying cash to St. Luke’s. (which had a good cash pay program for overseas patients). Personalities like Bollywood singer and actor Kishore Kumar and Pakistani nightingale singer late NoorJejan came to St. Luke’s for their CV surgery. So di many industrialists from Pakistan, some of who later became my patients once they found that there was a Pakistani descent cardiologist just next door to St. Luke’s.
Locally, Dr. Cooley would organize a get together of his referral cardiologists every holiday season at his beautiful ranch in Rosenberg, Texas called the Cool Acres Ranch. It had streams running through it and 5 big houses. He would arrange a barbeque and fire works for children. We would have a good picnic at his ranch. It was friendship, camaraderie, marketing and goodwill all rolled into one and showed his talents, outside the operating room. He was a pleasant and friendly person who treated his colleagues with respect. His surgical skills do not need any praise as he was outstanding. In later years, he would not keep up with the advances in CV surgery like mini-cab with smaller incisions and off pump CABG, calling them ” mere gimmicks” ( as he once told me). But his legend, like that of Dr. DeBakey lives on at the Texas Heart Institute Building.
TAKING PART IN HEALTH FAIRS:
One way to spread the word about your practice was to take part in Health Fairs, some organized by the hospital system, some by the local community associations (eg Association of Pakistani-Descent Physicians of North America APPNA South Texas Chapter) or the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) or the Islamic Council of North America (ICNA) or the Pakistan Association of Greater Houston (PAGH). Photo below is the Health Fair in 1995 at the Women’s Hospital of Texas on Fannin Street.
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