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"It's going to require finessing triage so we're spending time with the patients
who truly need on-the-spot care and coordinating the next step of care for
patients with chronic pain, which can be an urgent matter for them."
Word of mouth
Dr. Lee says getting the word out about the practice's walk-in clinic has required
a great deal of local marketing, which included a television spot (starring Dr.
Lee!), a social media presence, print materials and radio ads, which surprisingly
have been the most effective. The practice has also reached out to local athletic
trainers, physical therapists and primary care physicians to make them aware of
the service. "Once you get things rolling, word of mouth becomes your best mar-
keting tool," says Dr. Lee. "We're starting to see that now."
Ms. Fragale can vouch for that. She says demand for OSMS's urgent orthope-
dic care has exploded since the practice began offering it 2 years ago, thanks to
satisfied patients telling their friends and family about walking in and having
their injuries treated almost immediately. Ms. Fragale is one of those satisfied
patients. Last November, she blew out her ACL and limped into the clinic,
where a doc scheduled an MRI and braced her knee. A month later, Ms. Fragale
had the ligament repaired in the practice's surgery center. What did she learn
from the experience? It's simple: No one wants to go to the ER.
OSM
