The first health centers began opening in 1965 to create an affordable health care option for Americans. Today, over 1,400 centers serve roughly 30 million people with a goal of increasing access to primary care by reducing barriers for their patients such as cost, lack of insurance, transportation, and language. A Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) strives to help meet the needs of underserved areas and/or populations. These health centers provide substantial benefits to the country’s health care system by supporting the nation’s most vulnerable…but who is supporting our FQHCs?
FQHC Marketing Needs
Federally Qualified Health Centers receive funds from Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to provide primary care services in underserved areas. An FQHC must meet a detailed set of requirements, including providing care on a sliding fee scale based on a patient’s ability to pay. Understanding how to market the services of an FQHC is not a straight cut and clear as other health-focused businesses. It is a calculated mix of outreach and advertising designed to ensure the populations that most need the service have access to your resources while tracking specific metrics and UDS data such as payor mix, specific patient encounters, and quality reports.
An FQHC needs a marketing partner that understands the Health Center Program and the stringent requirements that come with it. PANO Marketing is an outsourced marketing department with years of experience serving FQHCs and their unique needs. PANO’s founder, Ryan Gates, was a consumer board member who has first-hand knowledge of using the tools and resources that an FQHC offers. He has served in the healthcare non-profit sector for decades, is an award-winning marketer and producer, and is a national health center advocate and activist. This leadership is the foundation upon which PANO is built. We see the bigger picture, we understand the industry, and most importantly — we understand the customer.
ADA & HIPAA Compliant
We believe that strategies come before tactics. When we do move into tactics, our tools are ADA, WCAG, and HIPAA compliant. Many companies out there offer tools that meet compliance, and the support typically stops there. PANO is more than just a resource center with compliant tools, we are a partner in your success, and we want to be invested in your success and the health & safety of your patients.
Sliding Fee Scales
Your patients pay based on their financial status, shouldn’t you as well? Every health center is different and has unique needs and resources, just like your patients. PANO has nonprofit hourly rates and creates customized pricing on a sliding scale for ongoing services designed to meet your needs at the price that your clinic can afford.
Our outsourced marketing department (OMD) model makes it easy and affordable for you to get high-quality marketing services for a fraction of the cost. OMD clients pay a flat, low monthly fee for marketing services that is less than the cost of one full-time employee (FTE). Agencies bill hourly and segment their work into silos, limiting them in what they can provide and making them costly when you need to adjust. With PANO, we are your marketing department and are as nimble as your team needs to be.
FQHC Marketing Strategies
Your health center is unique and has unique needs. Some of the strategies, tactics, and tools FQHCs often approach us for include:
- Rebranding or Brand Awareness
- Event or Service Launch Campaigns
- Payor Mix Goals
- Increased Patient Encounters
- Social Media Management
- Outsourced Marketing Department
- Pharmacy & 340B Campaigns
- Telehealth & Online Experiences
- Outreach Collateral Creation
- Google Ad Grants
- Ad Words & Online Display
- SEO & SEM Services
- Content Production
Where Do We Start?
It all starts with a meeting. There is no cost to meet and explore what a relationship with PANO could look like. We want to hear about you, your challenges, how you define success, and what your goals are. We then work with you to develop a strategy and seek a short-term project to start so you get a chance to see how we work (and we get to see how you work). We don’t do long-term contracts, we believe you should work with us because you want to. We believe in results-driven marketing. We won’t sell you on our services, but we think you’ll be sold once you’ve seen the results. Set up a meeting with us to learn more, we’re looking forward to meeting you.
