Marketing for Healthcare Professionals: A Guide to Drive Patient Engagement and Growth

Founded in 1980, Froedtert Health, in partnership with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), has evolved into a leading healthcare network in Wisconsin. Beyond providing care, it serves as a training ground for future healthcare professionals. However, like many healthcare organizations, Froedtert recognized the need to transform walk-in patients into long-term primary care patients to enhance care continuity and maximize patient value.

Case Study Overview: Froedtert Health’s Success

Froedtert launched a targeted marketing campaign to engage patients without primary care physicians, using a multichannel approach that leveraged both email and direct mail. With support from The Marek Group, Froedtert achieved compliance with HIPAA and PHI regulations while executing a data-driven strategy that resulted in:

• 7,000 new patients engaged via email and mail.
• 12% direct mail return rate, converting walk-ins to primary care.
• $1.2M in new lifetime patient value from 788 primary care conversions.

This campaign underscores the power of personalized, data-driven marketing in healthcare.

How to Develop a Campaign That Drives Patient Engagement and Growth

To replicate Froedtert’s success, healthcare marketers should focus on these steps:

1. Identify Opportunities in Patient Data

• Analyze your patient data to identify gaps, such as transient walk-ins or patients without primary care providers.
• Prioritize opportunities with high potential for long-term value.

2. Define Clear Campaign Goals

• Set measurable objectives like increasing primary care conversions or improving engagement rates through specific channels.

3. Segment and Optimize Your Audience

• Divide your patient base into meaningful groups (e.g., by demographics, visit frequency, or health needs).
• Clean and validate data to ensure it’s accurate and actionable.

4. Select Your Channels

• Use a multichannel approach, such as email for tech-savvy patients and direct mail for those less likely to engage digitally.
• Personalize messaging based on audience segments.

5. Partner with a Compliance-Focused Execution Team

• Choose a marketing partner with a proven track record in healthcare compliance (e.g., HIPAA, HITRUST certifications).
• Ensure workflows align with strict data security requirements.

6. Test, Measure, and Optimize

• Continuously track campaign performance through metrics like engagement rates, return rates, and ROI.
• Use insights to refine messaging and channel strategies over time.

Ready to Drive Patient Engagement?

Download our complete guide to explore Froedtert’s strategy in greater depth and discover actionable insights to grow your healthcare organization.