How do you find and keep referral sources?

People don’t just stop by here; they’re sent by their doctors. We have software that tracks how many patients we are referred by a particular doctor. We review that on a quarterly basis. If we see a decrease, the owner will call and ask if there’s something we need to work on. But we communicate well with doctors; if they have had a problem, they’ll call.

There are three hospitals in the community, and they’re highly competitive. If one hires a new doctor, it will advertise that in the newspaper. Plus, we’re at the three hospitals every day.

We’ve been here since 1965, so we’re well-known in the community. We do continuous marketing—we send out a quarterly newsletter, do some in-services, advertise on TV, and have a Web site.
Carla Craft, Office Manager
Virginia Prosthetics Inc.
Roanoke, Va.

If it were just one thing we’d be doing it all the time. There are so many different people we’re trying to please. I think if it were one thing it would be what John Michael said [at the AOPA National Assembly]—that we’re not patient care providers anymore; we’re patient care managers.

Often you send patients home with prostheses and they disappear. We need to get them in for therapy and follow-up and monitor our outcomes. In order to keep referrals, we need good outcomes.

It’s a bigger part of what we do, now more than ever. We had someone in sales and marketing, but found that we needed to have a practitioner. You’re missing that one question from a doctor and you lose the referral. We now have a certified practitioner who spends half her time marketing.

We track referrals by dollar amounts. If they drop off, we call. For instance, we saw a drop off in spinal orthoses, and it was because patients didn’t need as much external support with the new procedures they were doing.
Timothy Evans, CP, FAAOP, COO
Arimed Orthotics & Prosthetics Inc.
Brooklyn, N.Y.

You’ve got to work for [referrals], especially when you have competition. I go by and see the physicians and the therapists on a regular basis. I say hi and leave them some of my cards or prescription pads, and most of them know me by sight. I try not to make a nuisance of myself. They’re busy. I play golf with them and fish with them and that sort of thing.

If a new physician or therapist comes into town I go by and talk to them and give them a brief detail of what we do over here and what we’re able to do for them.
Gerald Faulkner, CO
Ada Artificial Limb & Brace Inc.
Ada, Okla.

I think the best way to get a referral source is by word of mouth, and [by] creating a strong relationship based on good work. That’s how you get the best referrals and the ones who will keep coming back.

[It] outweighs marketing every time. People who do a lot of marketing might win [patients] for the short term but not the long haul. They overextend themselves by making promises they can’t keep.

With patients who are very happy, I go introduce myself to that doctor or physical therapist who they’re working with. If it’s definitely someone who I don’t know I try to do that.

I’ve been here 10 years, and I haven’t gone golfing. Your quality of work speaks for itself. If you stand behind your work, people notice that, and they’re going to come back. There are no shortcuts.
Tammie McElhinny, CP
Green Prosthetics & Orthotics LLC
Meadville, Penn.

I’m getting as many referrals as usual, but it’s not translating into business.

You can get as many referrals as you want, but if you don’t have the insurance contracts people are not going to pay cash, they’re going to go where their insurance is.

I’m sure you’re familiar with the Linkia/Hanger deal. I think it’s unethical business practice.
Duane Ellis, CO
Central Maine Orthotics and Prosthetics
Waterville, Maine

We have a pretty large pediatric practice, so we go into all the schools and treat [children] there. Most schools have a small special needs population and a part-time physical therapist. We’ll call the head of the special needs program or the physical therapist. Lots of parents work, and they say, “If you can treat the patient in the school, you can have the patient.”

We keep [our other] referrals by following up with them every couple of months. Some of our referrals, like nursing homes, can possibly have high turnover, so we ask if there’s been a change in staff. Otherwise, we keep them by doing top-notch work. Our work talks for us.
George Boutross, CPO, FAAOP
American Prosthetics & Orthotics
Braintree, Mass.