The team at Elmhurst (IL) Memorial Healthcare (EMHC) cares a lot about what the physicians in their area think. So much so, that involving the physician community and soliciting their feedback about new facilities is a matter of course for the Midwest organization.

Before EMHC built its first ambulatory facility in 1999, the planning team spent considerable time talking with physicians, as well as local government officials and community members.
They're using the same blueprint now, as the organization plans a second ambulatory facility in the western portion of their market area. It's a new opportunity to recruit new and existing EMHC physicians to office on site at the facility, says Sue Benedetto, vice president of marketing.

"We've sat down with physicians very early in the planning process to let them know this is something we'll be doing. We don't want our physicians to see us as a competitor. We want them to see us as an organization that wants to work very closely with them."

Another goal, Benedetto says, is to enhance the public's perception of EMHC as well as its physicians. Linking the physicians directly with the facility creates a strong message about the healthcare system's position in the community and its physician network.

"A lot of the community and physician relations work we do, we see as primary to building volume in our facilities," she says. "It's been a hugely successful strategy for us, and with CHG, we have a strong recruitment plan that's delivering some very positive results."

The communication will continue once the facility is open for business, she adds. "We will continue to work very closely with the physicians. Our goal is to make sure the physician tenants in our facility are happy with the way the facility is operating and happy with the feedback they're getting from their patients who come to our facility."

Benedetto and her team have good reason to be optimistic about the success of their second ambulatory center-their first facility has shown remarkable results. Since the '99 opening, physician referrals from targeted ZIP codes are up 55 percent; total outpatient volume to any health system site from targeted ZIP codes has increased 11 percent; and radiology procedures and physical therapy visits at up 61 and 60 percent, respectively.

To print this page select the print button from your browser window or click here.