Thread by @schadhayes

I recently drove by a billboard for a health system. It showed a picture of a very happy patient and her very happy doctor, and it read:

"See a doctor who actually sees you."

My thoughts follow, and I'd love to hear yours.

I understand that there are patients who have been let down by our system and by doctors within it.

But I'm talking marketing, and I seriously doubt that the doctors at this one tiny little health system are the shit we've all been missing.

And I get it, from the marketing team's perspective. You've got to set yourself apart. Carve your niche. Why should people come to your hospital?

But.

By picking this as your angle, you're implying that nobody else gives a damn. Those other doctors...you're nothing to them.

You're implying that your doctors are the only ones that care about their patients.

I get bragging about your rankings for cardiac or stroke care, or the level of your trauma unit, or whatever service you provide that's actually unique.

But knowing how many other amazing doctors and other healthcare providers are out there working their asses off to do the best they can for their patients in a system with limited time/resources/control...this hit me.

It hit me at the moment, and it's still here 3 days later.

And even though this was a tiny health system in rural NC of absolutely no consequence to you or me, I just wanted to put this out there.

Be more convenient. Be more specialized. Be more generalized. Be bigger. Be smaller.

But don't act like you're the only ones that care.