Abstract
BackgroundMarketing arguably is the most critical administrative responsibility associated with the pursuit and realization of growth and prosperity, making prowess in the discipline essential for any healthcare institution, especially given the competitive intensity that characterizes the industry. But in order to truly gain an advantage, healthcare establishments must tap into innovative pathways that their competitors have yet to discover. Here, thinking like an outsider can pay tremendous dividends, as health and medical organizations tend to focus inwardly, limiting their exposure to externally-derived innovations and advancements which often can supply differentiation opportunities.DiscussionSome years ago, during a formative period in preparation for expanding its footprint, Willis-Knighton Health System opted to think like an outsider, peering beyond the walls of healthcare institutions in search of tools and techniques that would allow its growth ambitions to be realized. Associated pursuits and subsequent successes created a culture of challenging status quo perspectives, affording innovations and resulting competitive advantages. Marketing advancements, in particular, have been fueled by this outsider mentality, benefiting the institution and its patient populations. This article profiles several of these advancements, discusses the dangers of insular mindsets, and suggests avenues for encouraging broad perspectives.ConclusionsDue to extreme competitive intensity and ever-increasing patient needs, health and medical establishments must perform at optimal levels, with marketing efforts playing a critical role in the achievement of such. By shedding status quo perspectives and peering beyond the walls of healthcare institutions, health and medical providers have opportunities to discover new and different marketing approaches for potential use in their own organizations, affording mutual benefits, including all-important competitive advantages.
Highlights
DiscussionSome years ago, during a formative period in preparation for expanding its footprint, Willis-Knighton Health System opted to think like an outsider, peering beyond the walls of healthcare institutions in search of tools and techniques that would allow its growth ambitions to be realized
Marketing arguably is the most critical administrative responsibility associated with the pursuit and realization of growth and prosperity, making prowess in the discipline essential for any healthcare institution, especially given the competitive intensity that characterizes the industry
Due to extreme competitive intensity and ever-increasing patient needs, health and medical establishments must perform at optimal levels, with marketing efforts playing a critical role in the achievement of such
Summary
Beginning in the 1970s, during a formative period in preparation for expanding its footprint, WillisKnighton Health System opted to think like an outsider, peering beyond the walls of healthcare institutions in search of tools and techniques that would allow its growth ambitions to be realized. The institution turned to various structure, product, and process innovations, adopting the hub-and-spoke model of organization design [14, 15], establishing centers of excellence [16], and embracing the practice of adaptive reuse [17, 18], with each of these approaches notably emerging from outside of the healthcare industry [7] Successes experienced on these fronts were complemented by a range of equivalent successes in marketing, with each of these being derived not from following common pathways which looked within the healthcare industry for solutions, but by pushing the envelope of creative thought and action, assuming the role of outsider in search of novel advancements permitting extensive competitive advantages. Information sharing sessions can be conducted within healthcare establishments, permitting staff members to discuss observations gleaned from their broad searches and ponder potential application opportunities in their given organizations These and related efforts have greatly facilitated Willis-Knighton Health System’s marketing performance, demonstrating the power of thinking like an outsider as a means of fostering marketing innovation and competitive advantage
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