How and WHEN to Reach Out

Getting Started and Reaching Out

You may be reading this consultation after already starting to visit MD offices or you may have procrastinated to the point that you are now ready to build your practice. We all get caught up in complacency, not because we are comfortable financially, but because we lack the effort and focus to change the infrastructure of our offices to expand. This is true with any REAL business, but to be successful we have to overcome these plateaus and rise to the next level. The MD Referral Program is BOTH an internal and external program. Without the proper attention to both it prolongs your success and slows the pace.  

Today, let’s focus on getting started! The first step is often the hardest, so don’t think too much about it; just start. You have the database of your patient’s MD Primary Care and MD Specialists or if you are just starting out, a listing of MDs in a 10 mile radius around your practice from the BC/BS Provider Manual. What is next? I will tell you what my office did; it WORKS and it WORKS well. Typically, you will need to be in the MD’s office 5-6 times for the referrals to start the exact approach is based on whether you are meeting with the MDs or the Staff.  I will explain more on that shortly. Once you start, you will need to be CONSISTENT…Each visit builds on the next. Your office staff needs to be there every 2 weeks without FAIL at the beginning.  I would rather you work on building relationships with 5 offices and be consistent than have a list of 200 that you are not able to build a relationship with. 

Here is the script that my office used to make INITIAL contact with the offices. If you have patient’s of theirs we approach this ONE way, if you do not have patients (just starting out) then we approach it different way.  When these calls are being made by your staff (or you if you are starting out), make sure the name of the person you spoke with is listed on you referral grid.   When your staff (or you) goes to the MD’s office, you introduce yourself and say,“My office spoke with _____ about stopping by.”

YOU HAVE CURRENT PATIENTS OF THE MD UNDER CARE

“Hello [staff member], this is [your staff member or you] from Dr. Owens’ [our yours] office and we currently have [patient name] under care. We have a copy of the patient’s report here as well as imaging reports [if you have them] and would like to drop them off.  Is there a better time to do that when patient flow is lighter? I dont want to stop by when its too busy.

Here is what you take

Your CV

Patient Report [New Patient E/m or Re-evaluation]

Office Marketing Materials [Post-card, more on that soon]

YOU ARE JUST STARTING OUT AND DO NOT HAVE ANY PATIENTS

You are ALWAYS going to start with YOUR patients, the only time you should do this is if you are starting out.  If you are truly starting out with no patient MDs to contact, do NOT pre-call, you want to just stop by.  If you are in this position, please call me and I will guide you.  I want to make sure that you get started right.  

Now remember, this is a guide. Any script should be modified and come from the heart. Just use this as a conceptual guide. The key is to start stopping by offices within a week of calling. DO NOT MISS FOLLOWING UP; THIS IS EVERYTHING…DON’T DROP THE BALL. It will SEVERELY tarnish your reputation as a professional and that does what they say it will do.