Introduction
KH healthcare centre has various marketing activities which are aimed at creating awareness among the patients, the workers and the general community. There are number services that are offered to the patients as well as other members. It is therefore necessary to make them aware of what is available for them (Nelson 2008).
Product
These include books, journals as well as other media such as personal computers that are available for use by the patrons. The hospital website also acts as a source of information to the members of the larger community. Packaging is also part of the product. It is basically aimed at collections attractive. This entails appropriate shelving of the hospital furniture among others (Stavins, 2004).
Price
Marketing is carried out free of charge. The recipients are not charged. Prices are only charged when delivering the services. Maintaining and promoting the collection is charged and this is always part of the annual budget.
Place
There are means of conveying information to the medical personnel. The various methods include websites, notices, lobby areas and libraries. These places are fully accessible to the patrons as well as other members.
Promotion
The collections that are available are provided to the customers. This is aimed at ensuring that they use it as it is intended. It clearly shows haw value can be added and what is there to be offered to the community. The Hospital management is therefore forced to think competitively (Noonan & Savolaine, 2001).
KH Healthcare Centre has a marketing plan. The plan includes three groups of people who are part and parcel to the organization. The groups include:
- The hospital health professionals
- The patients and their families in the hospital
- The surrounding community
The plan is effective because it takes into consideration all the needs of the groups involved. This ensures that the targeted objectives are attained and that the hospital moves from one level to the other. It is important the needs of the concerned groups are fully met because this is one way of ensuring that the targeted objective is attained (Fottler, 2006).
The plan is as follows:
Hospital health professionals:
- Schedule meetings with the staff members and setting out agenda for each of the departments
- Meeting personnel in public relations department; this helps in creating additional interest to the message.
- Holding of workshops
- Development of monthly newsletter
Patients and the family members within the hospital:
- Keeping the library open to the patients and their family members
- Developing handouts to be given to the patients who have been admitted to the hospital
- Adverting services in common places such as cafeteria and lobby
The community members:
- Arranging meeting with public librarians and sharing information with them
- Making appearances in the local TV
- Speaking at civic groups
- Development of display boards which can be loaned to the community health fairs
The plan relates well with the hospital’s level of performance in terms of value of care as well as the financial viability. The costs involved in carrying out the activities are budgeted for. This therefore means that the organization is quite aware of its source of income and it is out of that the plan is created. A certain percentage of the total income is channelled towards the work and at the same ensuring that all the needs of the organization are met (Eastaugh, 2008).
References
Eastaugh, S. R. (2008). Diversification in the hospital industry. Journal of Healthcare Finance, 34(4), 52-65. Web.
Fottler, M. D., et al. (2006). Comparing hospital staff and patient perceptions of customer service: A pilot study utilizing survey and focus group data. Health Services Management Research, 19(1), 52-66
Nelson, W. A., et al. (2008). The organization costs of ethical conflicts. Journal of Healthcare Management, 53(1), 41-53. Web.
Noonan, M. D. & Savolaine, R. (2001). A neighborhood of nations. Marketing Health Services 21 (4), 40. Web.
Stavins, C. L. (2004). Developing employee participation in the patient-satisfaction process. Journal of Healthcare Management, 49(2), 135-139. Web.