Strategy Shift Generates 155% Increase in Patient Volume for Pediatrix

Overview

Pediatrix Medical Group, Inc. is a prominent healthcare organization with a rich history dating back to its founding in 1979. Originally known as MEDNAX, the company is headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, and has established itself as a leading provider of clinical services specializing in women's and children's health. Pediatrix collaborates with hospitals, health systems, and healthcare facilities to deliver high-quality medical services to its target demographic.

Challenges

Increase Brand Awareness Amidst Major Rebrand

In the dynamic landscape of healthcare, Pediatrix faced several challenges, particularly in the realm of lead generation. In 2022, the company underwent a significant name change, rebranding itself as Pediatrix Medical Group, which presented the need to raise awareness about the new identity.

Strategy Focus On Regional-Specific Markets

Pediatrix also aimed to increase patient volume for specific specialties, necessitating a strategic focus on regional-specific markets. Tailoring marketing and outreach efforts to address the unique characteristics and healthcare needs of different regions became a priority. This challenge involved developing targeted campaigns that resonated with specific local demographics and healthcare preferences.

Adapting Strategies For New Connexions Program

Pediatrix also was working on a new program for practices, The Connexions Program. An innovative initiative empowering individual practices with the flexibility to deploy personalized marketing strategies tailored to their unique needs and goals. Departing from conventional approaches, this program recognizes and leverages the diversity within the network of practices, allowing each to navigate local healthcare markets with a nuanced and targeted approach. By fostering a deeper connection and engagement at the community level, The Connexions Program aims to maximize the impact of marketing efforts, contributing to the overall success and visibility of each participating practice within the Pediatrix Medical Group.

Platforms Leveraged

Google Ads

Meta Ads

LinkedIn Ads

Strategies

Brand Shift Awareness:

Pediatrix implemented a comprehensive strategy to create awareness around its name change. Recognizing the importance of a national presence, the company leveraged its existing National Brand and new Connexions Program to communicate the transition effectively. Through various marketing channels, including digital and traditional media, Pediatrix aimed to ensure that the updated brand identity resonated with both existing and potential clients.

• Increased Spending: Pediatrix witnessed a remarkable 37% year-over-year increase in spending on its Branded campaign. The financial commitment to boosting brand awareness was evident in the shift, reflecting a strategic decision to invest in promoting the newly established Pediatrix identity.
• Prominent Presence for Branded Terms: The heightened spending translated into a strong and prominent presence for branded terms. The search impression share experienced a significant uptick of 33%. This demonstrated that the increased investment was effectively capturing the attention of individuals actively searching for Pediatrix-related terms.
• Strong Relevance and Engagement: The relevance of Pediatrix's brand ads was underscored by a noteworthy 15% increase in the Click-Through Rate (CTR) compared to the previous year. 
• Stable Cost-per-Lead: Despite the significant increase in spending, the Cost-per-Lead (CPL) remained stable. This demonstrated the efficiency of Pediatrix's advertising efforts in generating leads, emphasizing a strategic approach that maximized the impact of the increased budget.
• Optimal Conversion Rate: Although the conversion rate experienced a slight decrease, it remained close to an impressive 50%, signifying the effectiveness of the branded campaign. Pediatrix managed to maintain a strong conversion rate, providing a positive outcome even with the increased advertising investment.

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Refocus Regional Efforts:

Acknowledging the diversity of healthcare markets across the country, Pediatrix strategized to refocus its national campaigns on six major markets. By tailoring its approach to the unique needs and characteristics of these regions, Pediatrix aimed to optimize its marketing efforts and generate increased patient volume for specific medical specialties. This approach involved a blend of localized advertising, community engagement, and targeted outreach.

Through our new Regional Efforts, we uncovered significant website navigation pitfalls and several CRO opportunities that allowed us to mitigate bounce rates and decrease lost patient volume.

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Introduction of the Connexions Program:

In an interest to expand marketing beyond the national level, and to provide more individual, customized marketing tactics, Pediatrix introduced the Connexions Program. This initiative involved onboarding, building, and maintaining unique advertising accounts and strategies for practices joining the program. By customizing its approach for each participating practice, Pediatrix sought to maximize the impact of its marketing efforts, aligning them with the specific goals and specialties of each practice.

• Varied Budgets, Divergent Results: Results within the Connexions Program varied significantly due to diverse budgets among practices. For instance, UC Florida achieved an impressive 8.1k conversions, illustrating the impact of a robust budget, while Perinatal Mid Atlantic achieved 841 conversions. These differences highlight the importance of aligning budget allocations with the specific goals and scale of each participating practice.

• Emphasis on Branded and Remarketing: While maintaining a strong search impression share, there's a recognized need for a stronger emphasis on branded and remarketing efforts within the Connexions Program. This strategic adjustment can further enhance brand visibility and engagement, nurturing relationships with potential patients at different stages of the customer journey.
• Focused on Bottom of Funnel (BOF): Given budget constraints, the Connexions Program has primarily focused on the Bottom of Funnel (BOF). However, there is a strategic vision to gradually expand and build out a more robust, full-funnel plan per practice. This phased approach ensures a methodical evolution, aligning with the unique needs and capacities of each practice.
• Strong Overall Engagement: Pediatrix observed strong engagement across the Connexions Program. High total engaged session average and low bounce rates suggest that the traffic generated is of higher quality and more actively engaged with the provided content.
• Varied Cost per Lead: The Cost per Lead (CPL) varies across Connexions practices, reflecting different goals and conversion events per page. This diversity in metrics, including CPA and Conversion Rate (CVR), underscores the importance of streamlining processes to derive meaningful insights and optimize performance across the board.

The Connexions Program has demonstrated both the potential for significant success and the need for ongoing strategic refinement. By addressing budget variations, emphasizing branded and remarketing efforts, and gradually expanding the funnel strategy, Pediatrix aims to enhance the overall effectiveness of the Connexions Program and deliver impactful results for each participating practice. The focus on quality engagement and the recognition of diverse metrics provide a foundation for continuous improvement and optimization.

Addition of Recruiting Strategies:

Recognizing the pressing issue of extended wait times in healthcare facilities, particularly due to a shortage of medical professionals, Pediatrix Medical Group along with our team implemented targeted recruiting campaigns to address this critical challenge. The initiative focused on bringing in skilled medical professionals to fill various specialty benches, such as Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists, Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NNP), and other specialized clinicians, in an effort to enhance staffing levels and improve patient access to care.

• Targeted Approach: To effectively address the shortage of medical professionals, Pediatrix deployed highly localized and targeted recruiting campaigns. Leveraging the reach and precision of Google Search and LinkedIn, the company aimed to connect with qualified candidates who could contribute to specific specialties within Pediatrix practices.
• Localized Campaigns on Google Search: Pediatrix utilized Google Search to run localized campaigns, ensuring that the recruitment efforts were tailored to the specific needs of each practice. By targeting geographic areas with high demand and strategically placing ads in search results, the company sought to attract medical professionals who could fill critical roles in the identified specialties.
• Strategic Presence on LinkedIn: Recognizing the professional nature of LinkedIn, Pediatrix extended its recruiting efforts to this platform. The company strategically crafted campaigns to engage with healthcare professionals actively seeking new opportunities. This approach allowed Pediatrix to connect with candidates who were not only qualified but also aligned with the values and goals of the organization.

The targeted campaigns on Google Search and LinkedIn successfully attracted a pool of qualified candidates. This influx of medical professionals enabled Pediatrix practices to adequately staff their offices, alleviating the strain on resources and contributing to more efficient and timely patient care. One practice had successfully filled their bench within 3 months of paid recruiting efforts. By strategically addressing the shortage of doctors, especially in critical specialties, Pediatrix made substantial strides in mitigating wait times. Patients experienced reduced waiting periods, leading to an improved overall healthcare experience. The recruitment campaigns not only addressed the immediate challenge of staffing shortages but also contributed to the overall efficiency of Pediatrix practices. Adequately staffed offices were better equipped to handle patient demands, leading to smoother operations and improved service delivery.

Results

• 322% increase in spend YoY
• 155% increase in leads YoY
• 470% increase in Conversion Rate YoY
• 11 Connexions Practices onboarded