Wisdom Blog

Recently there has been a rise in medical practitioners acknowledging their patients are dissatisfied with their service. Most of the dissatisfaction comes from misdiagnosis and poor service. When patients walk through the door, they come with high expectations. Before visiting a certain practice, they will often use tools such as reviews and social media to do their research ahead of time. And if you have bad reviews, potential patients will likely go elsewhere. We are in an age where practitioners and other clinicians must raise the bar for the overall patient experience. We are an ideal source of referrals and this will help the practice grow. Today we will look at ten creative ways you can implement to improve overall patient satisfaction. Are you looking to get into a career in functional Medicine? Let MindBody Talent guide you in the right direction by pairing you with the perfect employer focused on the field of holistic healthcare. Visit our website today to talk to one of our specialists! 10 Creative Ways To Increase Patient Satisfaction 1. Engage With Your Patients Online Many patients will want to interact with your practice before ever meeting you in person. That’s why first impressions are crucial. Utilizing avenues such as websites, contact forms, and chatbots are ways that future patients can get to know you before they even step into your office. Patients also want convenience when booking appointments, so having online appointment applications on your website also helps. 2. Improve communication with patients The first step in patient communication is answering phone calls promptly or returning them if you can’t get to them the first time. If your staff doesn’t have the answers immediately for the patient, ensure there is a plan to refer them to someone who can help.  Making sure that office staff answers emails back promptly after receiving a “contact us” form from the website, for example, is vital as no one likes to wait for an answer. Related Links: The Hero’s Journey Of Functional Medicine in 2022 3. Create an appointment process To have a successful practice, you must have an appointment-setting process and a rescheduling process that makes it simple for patients to use. Keep the office lines open if you can during lunch, and if you can’t, make sure there is an alternative way for patients to get ahold of someone.  4. Be Quick About Answering and Returning Phone Calls You should never keep patients on hold for more than 15 seconds, especially new ones. Also, try to avoid transferring calls — this can frustrate the patient and give them a sense of disorganization within your organization. Establish a time frame with your office staff in which to return phone calls and emails. Set the standard high because this can be the difference between getting a new patient, to having one leave you for another clinic. Related Links: Health and Wellness Branding Tips For Functional Medicine Practitioners 5. Create A Simplified Billing Process Billing patients is a necessary evil, but make sure the process is easy and allows customers to pay their bills in full using various methods of payment.   Your staff should be knowledgeable and trained on how to discuss payments with customers and how to collect them without causing angst among your patients. Make sure the bills’ explanations are clearly understood and the components that make up each bill. 6. Ask Your Patients To Provide Feedback The only way your practice will improve is to allow customers to provide feedback. Don’t be afraid of feedback, and use it to enhance your practice and grow for the better. Encourage your patients to give reviews on your Google My Business page and other prominent social media sites such as your Facebook page. Make it easy for them to post reviews by providing links to your review pages. You can also create surveys and ask your patients to fill them out, whether in person or via email. Patients will enjoy giving you their feedback if they are a long-time customer because they ultimately know that it will improve their own experiences down the road as well. Are you a Functional Medical practice looking for the ideal candidate with holistic medicine experience? Visit MindBody Talent to find the perfect match for your practice! 7. Create Ways To Stay In Touch With Your Patients Follow-up is extremely important because it gives your patients a stronger sense of worth to your practice and helps to establish a bond with their doctors and the practitioners who care for them.   Start by sending out monthly newsletters and giving your patients advice and tips about generic healthcare items, for example. Make sure you include an opt-in area on your website, as well as opt-out links at the bottom of each newsletter.   8. Cultivate long-term relationships Make sure you focus on the long-term relationship with your patients and not just the short-term. Building rapport and getting to know your patients personally may seem minor, but it goes a long way in an industry where many medical practitioners have too many patients and not enough time. Sending simple things like birthday cards and holiday well-wishes can go a long way in showing that you value your patient’s business. You may even train your staff to pick up the phone and make a call once a year to your patients to check and see how they are. Related Links: Embracing Lifestyle Health 9. Provide More Education and Resources To Your Patients Providing your patients with the knowledge they require to improve their health and adopt a healthier lifestyle is critical to the patient experience.  Education is fantastic for establishing trust and authority among your patients. It’s essential during the winter months, for example, that your patients have resources and know about any particular strains of the flu that may be going around. Provide solutions to their problems and become the primary “go-to” practice for all of their health needs. 10. Empower your Clinical Team Teamwork makes the

The Economics of Functional Medicine The primary focus of Functional Medicine is on the healing of patients from chronic illnesses and complex diseases. However, if any physician doesn’t pay attention to the revenue and profitability side of their practice, they won’t be able to stay in business or reach all of the patients who need their care. There is definitely money to be made in the discipline of Functional Medicine, but it may not be as baked-in and obvious as the world of pharmaceutical prescriptions and insurance reimbursements inherent in conventional medicine. As with the path of healing that Functional Medicine explores, the path to revenue may require additional creativity. Most people understand what a doctor does and the fact they make a significant annual salary. But many people looking to enter the medical field are hearing more and more about becoming a Functional Medicine doctor without knowing exactly how much they make. Today we will look at how much a Functional Medicine doctor makes, what they do, and whether or not becoming a Functional Medicine doctor is right for you. Let’s dive in! What Is Functional Medicine? Functional Medicine focuses on figuring out and addressing the root cause of a disease based on an interconnected, biology-based approach. Each symptom a patient has can be just one of many symptoms contributing to the person’s illness. When the patient receives their diagnosis, it could be the result of several factors. For example, depression is a symptom. Many people feel depressed, but this symptom can be caused by other issues such as inflammation and headaches.  The causes of these symptoms can be influenced by the patient’s environment, genes, and lifestyle. Treatments that address these causes can then have a positive, long-lasting impact on the individual, beyond simply addressing the symptom of depression. Are you looking to get into a career in Functional Medicine? Let MindBody Talent guide you in the right direction by pairing you with the perfect employer focused on the field of holistic healthcare. Visit our website today to talk to one of our specialists! What Is A Functional Medical Doctor? Many people don’t know or have never heard of a Functional Medical Doctor. As mentioned above, Functional Medicine is a holistic approach whose mission is to treat a patient’s condition by finding the leading or root cause of the disease.  If you have chronic pain or illness, using a more holistic approach to your disease gives you greater leverage to solve your problems over time because you are being treated as the whole person. Functional Medical Doctors believe that all of your issues are intertwined instead of isolated. Functional Medical Doctors use processes that look at a patient’s interaction between their biochemistry, genes, and pathophysiology to develop their medical solutions. Related Links: The Hero’s Journey Of Functional Medicine in 2022 How Much Do Functional Medical Doctors Make? Depending on your state, on average, functional medical doctors can make anywhere between $125,000 to $205,000 per year. According to Zip Recruiter, as of Oct 17, 2022, the median pay for a Functional Medicine Doctor in the United States is about $175,000 per year. If you want to dive a little deeper into details, $175,000 per year works out to be $14,591/mo, $3,367/week, and around $84.18 per hour.   Even though there have been reported much higher salaries, around $340,000, this is not normal. Right now, the Functional Medical Physician is in the 25th percentile regarding salary range.  Because of the extensive range in Functional Medical Doctors’ pay, this means there are lots of opportunities out there. Differences in salary will be based on years of experience, location of practice, and personal skill level.  Related Links: Health and Wellness Branding Tips For Functional Medicine Practitioners Is a Functional Medical Doctor Worth The Money? Many people wonder if adding a Functional Medical Doctor to your healthcare regimen is worth it. This will depend on several factors. Let’s go through some of the things you should ask yourself below.  Are You Open To Alternative Medicine? In the beginning, we mentioned that Functional Medicine is a growing field of medicine that uses a different approach for treating chronic illnesses. If you are someone who has tried everything from a traditional medicine standpoint, Functional Medicine is certainly an option worth exploring. Please note that healthcare insurance plans typically don’t cover visits to Functional Medical doctors, so ask about payment plans when searching for the right doctor for you.  Are you a functional medical practice looking for the ideal candidate with holistic medicine experience? Visit MindBody Talent to find the perfect match for your practice! Are You Ready To Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone? Functional medicine treatment centers around patient-focused care and individualized care plans created by your health practitioner.  Functional Medicine is very different from traditional medicine practices. These types of treatment centers focus on patient-focused whole healthcare based on lab work, health history interviews, and diagnostic imaging.  Once the above is completed, the assessment will tell your Functional Medical Doctor how your body systems interact through a biology system-based perspective. Typically, you will be asked to actively participate in your own wellness journey. This may require you to make diet or lifestyle changes, which can often be uncomfortable at first.  Are You Ready To Build New Habits? Bad habits are what get many people in trouble in the first place. Overeating, drinking too much alcohol, and smoking are some of the top culprits to bad health. The trick to making yourself healthier is to change those bad habits and make a pledge to yourself you will maintain those good habits over time. A Functional Medical doctor may give you a specific plan that addresses the needs to solve your issues. Some habits will be harder to change than others, so be prepared to be vigilant and stick with your plan in order to see the results you want in your health.  Just like any other changes in life, it won’t happen overnight. You will

The Braver Path of Health Care Health care practitioners who pursue the path of Root Cause patient care are some of the bravest people we know. Despite battling enormous odds, billions of dollars of industry propaganda, and relentless misconceptions, they have chosen this far more difficult path in order to bring real healing and disease recovery to their patients. Their path is far longer and requires more patience. Financially, there is little-to-no support by the insurance industry or the more profitable, quick-fix pharmaceutical solutions. They are often ridiculed by “conventional medicine” practitioners who spread falsehoods saying that Functional Medicine solutions are “alternatives” to “real” healthcare protocols and not backed by science. Many are even accused of “quackery”. Still, Functional Medicine practitioners know the truth. Their Hero’s Journey takes them on a path of diligent detective work to determine the root cause of complex diseases and chronic illnesses. Then they define healing paths for their patients that change lives, even save lives that conventional medicine views as lost causes. Overview of Functional Medicine Functional Medicine can seem like an ambiguous term. Although this area of health care is becoming more mainstream, it’s still a pretty new concept to the general public, as well as to many doctors. The term and practice of Functional Medicine refer to something entirely different from the standard model of care that is often called “conventional medicine”. Let’s explore the hero’s journey in Functional Medicine. Related: Fueling the Healthcare Revolution Great physicians treat the whole patient and root causes of disease, rather than managing disease by treating the symptoms of isolated problems. That’s the core principle of Functional Medicine; it takes a whole body, biology-based approach and focuses on determining and solving the root cause of illness. Functional Medicine practitioners take a holistic approach to understanding their patients and designing a unique medical plan for their needs. By combining a clinical approach, environmental influences, and imbalances in the body, they can design care plans that restore health and vitality to their patients. For example, instead of prescribing a drug to treat the symptoms of a disease, a Functional Medicine doctor would dig deeper into why their patient has those symptoms in the first place and work toward addressing the cause. There are five core principles of functional medicine: Functional Medicine Practitioners Face Challenges A career in Functional Medicine brings some unique challenges. For example, Dr. Cheryl Winter (a Functional Medicine practitioner) talks about her biggest challenges getting into the field during this interview. When asked about her most significant challenge in building her Functional Medicine practice, Dr. Winter replied that the financial aspect was the hardest to overcome. Getting certified in Functional Medicine isn’t cheap or easy, leading many healthcare professionals to pursue career paths in other disciplines. She does have some advice for those wanting to start a functional medicine practice: Don’t do it all alone. You can’t accomplish everything required for a Functional Medicine clinic alone without more hours in the day — you’ll get burnt out. Instead, work with someone experienced in the Functional Medicine field, like our experts at Mindbody Talent. Overwhelmed with the challenges of practicing Functional Medicine? We can help you set your practice up for success. Some Practitioners Want To Focus on Solving Patient Problems Functional Medicine is more complex than conventional medicine, taking additional time and engagement with each patient. And while conventional medicine can be great for treating emergency and acute medical situations, Functional Medicine is much better suited for discovering root causes to treat chronic illnesses and complex diseases. Why? Because Functional Medicine practitioners focus on quality over quantity, spending more time with their patients. The appointments are longer and go more in-depth to focus on each patient’s specific health needs. Functional Medicine focuses on solving a patient’s problems — not just their symptoms. It’s not about getting a “quick fix;” it’s often a process that takes time, detective work, and active cooperation from patients to be successful. Patients who have seen traditional doctors without getting effective treatment often seek out Functional Medicine providers to dig deeper into the root of their health issues. Healing at the core of what’s ailing patients is where Functional Medicine doctors excel. Facing Other Challenges Unfortunately, there are many lines of resistance to Functional Medicine. Functional Medicine Practitioners Have Better Outcomes Even with these challenges, a career in Functional Medicine is a fulfilling one that offers practitioners a better work-life balance than conventional medicine and better collaboration with like-minded healthcare professionals. And collaboration is a big part of Functional Medicine, giving patients better care and, ultimately, better outcomes. Not to mention that clinicians can typically generate more revenue and work fewer hours. This model helps to prevent burnout. Functional Medicine is a promising field that offers long-lasting benefits to providers and patients alike. Patients Receive Better Care Let’s look at some findings from the Cleveland Clinic’s recent study to see how Functional Medicine helps provide patients with better care. Some of the most significant results include: These results likely occur because Functional Medicine practitioners look at their patients as a whole, understanding how the mind, emotions, spiritual state, and environment all play important roles in overall health. Patients are treated as an individual, not another number in the healthcare system. Looking for the best place to make a difference in your patients’ lives? Find the perfect practice and role for your skillset with our expert candidate placement services. Functional Medicine Is a Rewarding Discipline Part of Functional Medicine’s allure — and why academic medical centers like the Cleveland Clinic continue to embrace it — is the shift from patient volume to patient outcomes. And the success of Functional Medicine doctors comes from their approach to care, which consists of addressing the root cause of disease or illness and partnering with their patients to help heal their bodies. Another reason why Functional Medicine is such a rewarding discipline is that practitioners can surround themselves with other healthcare professionals asking the same

The mass exodus of unhappy workers — also known as the great resignation — has hit traditional healthcare harder than many other industries. The field has recently lost around 20% of its workforce, including 30% of its nurses. In 2022 alone, millions have quit their healthcare jobs — but why? According to one report, 28% of them quit due to burnout. This great resignation creates fears of future staffing shortages, but it also raises another question: Where are these healthcare workers going?  Many take other jobs in the healthcare industry, resulting in doctors and nurses pursuing other medical disciplines,including the field of functional medicine. Related: Embracing Lifecycle Health COVID-19 Accelerates the Healthcare Worker Burnout Healthcare workers took a unique hit during the great resignation — the pandemic caused many of them to be affected by death, trauma, misinformation, and abuse on a massive scale. The result was healthcare workers were unable to perform their jobs safely and with the same satisfaction. We cannot underestimate the effect of COVID-19 on our healthcare workers. In some of the major cities reported by news, the frequency of tragedy and death, especially during the peak COVID waves, was more than most healthcare workers ever experienced. The number of deaths across the age spectrum was more than many nurses and physicians knew how to process. And with many healthcare clinics closed to the public during the height of the pandemic, the connections between healthcare professionals and their patients suffered.  Finally, the politicization of many healthcare decisions was (and still is) highly stressful to doctors and nurses across the country. These healthcare workers interact with patients, families, and colleagues, behaving uncivilly. Doctors Moving Towards New Medical Disciplines During the great healthcare resignation, physicians search for new ways to treat their patients better while still caring for themselves. And the field that many have gravitated to is functional medicine. Functional medicine allows physicians to take a personalized approach with their patients, re-establishing the connection they lost during COVID closures. This field also helps alleviate the shortcomings of conventional medicine that many healthcare professionals are finding during this period of extreme burnout. And while conventional medicine will always play a role in urgent and acute care, it’s hard to ignore its shortcomings in other cases. Thinking about moving to a different discipline like functional medicine? See how we can help you find the perfect role. But why this shift to other medical disciplines? Why functional medicine specifically? Functional Medicine Is More Important Than Ever Functional medicine isn’t about treating symptoms; it’s about identifying and addressing the underlying cause of a patient’s symptoms. Functional medicine doctors aim to treat the whole person. Aside from the typical shortcomings of conventional medicine, various trends worldwide are making a perfect storm of healthcare crises. The pandemic aside, chronic illness rates continue to rise — so are treatment costs. Related: How MBT Fuels the Wellness Revolution This predicament can mean more profit for the world’s largest industries, like pharmaceutical companies — solving these chronic illnesses rather than treating them isn’t necessarily in their best interests. Doctors and healthcare professionals are gravitating to functional medicine to solve the issues of: The Traditional Healthcare Resignation: Making the Move to Functional Medicine We could talk about physician burnout all day — and COVID-19 only made it worse — but we’d we’re more excited to focus on where the healthcare professionals are going after resigning. The move to functional medicine creates a new model for primary care — one based on relationships, leading to better outcomes for doctors, nurses, and their patients and colleagues. Some of healthcare workers’ greatest skills include connecting, listening, and collaborating across highly complex systems; however, they rarely get to use those skills in the “one and done” mindset of conventional medicine. Functional medicine allows these healthcare professionals to lead a fulfilling career by working together with each other and their patients instead of sending a referral or prescription and moving on to the next number in line. Functional Medicine Practitioners Must Adapt To the Post-Pandemic World Going beyond COVID-19, healthcare workers — and the healthcare system as a whole — must undergo serious changes, or the great resignation may only worsen. Providers and health systems must have open and honest discussions about the future of healthcare, including topics like: Patients Prefer Functional Medicine Post-Pandemic There’s another reason why healthcare providers are increasingly taking a functional medicine approach: Patients are rapidly moving to functional medicine practitioners, especially in the post-pandemic landscape.  They’re sick and tired of, well, being sick and tired. They don’t want a pill to fix their symptoms; they want a personalized treatment plan to better manage or eliminate them. Functional medicine focuses on health and takes an evidence-based approach to treatment. It’s also patient-centered — providers look into why their patients aren’t feeling well instead of only treating their symptoms. Functional medicine is personal. Providers put their patients in charge of their health. It’s a joint effort to develop a plan that allows each individual to pursue their ideal health and take control of their well-being. Patients are ditching procedures and prescriptions in favor of treatments that do more than alleviate symptoms; they tackle your health problems as a whole. The time to make the move to functional medicine is now — learn how we help wellness practitioners provide expert service at Mindbody Talent. Healthcare Has Been Affected By the Great Resignation Undoubtedly, the great resignation significantly affected (and continues to affect) the healthcare industry. However, it’s not all bad. Because many burnt-out healthcare workers are turning to functional medicine after leaving their other roles, doctors, nurses, and patients are all experiencing better outcomes. The healthcare twist on the great resignation doesn’t have to be a recipe for disaster — it can be a recipe for much-needed change in the field. Related: Fueling the Healthcare Revolution

Throughout the pandemic, hospital turnover increased by almost 20%. The average for the general workforce is around 4% — that’s a significant difference. Physician burnout existed before the pandemic; however, it nearly doubled over the last two years. And it’s not just healthcare workers feeling the effects of the pandemic — patients, large organizations, and small practices have all changed since 2020. Some things have changed for the better, and others for the worse. Let’s explore how COVID changed healthcare and what it means for providers, their patients, and their colleagues. Related: How MBT is Fueling the Wellness Revolution COVID and Healthcare Worker Burnout Burnout is nothing new in healthcare, but COVID fanned the flames of physician exhaustion with:  These are all factors that contributed to physician burnout rates during COVID — so what are providers doing about it? Doctors Looking to Change Their Disciplines Physicians are more frustrated with the healthcare industry now than ever, and they’re looking for new ways to offer care. And in response, many are turning to functional medicine as a way to prevent burnout and get more in tune with their patients (and themselves). This field offers doctors and nurses new ways to care for their patients by providing a more personalized approach and reestablishing the relationships that were lost during the height of COVID. As burnout increases, functional medicine is helping physicians overcome the shortcomings of conventional medicine that are leading to burnout symptoms in the first place. Healthcare changes are inevitable. Some are good. Some are not. As for doctors changing disciplines to combat burnout and the negative impacts that COVID had on the healthcare industry, moving toward functional medicine can be a rewarding and life-changing move. Considering making the move to functional medicine? Learn how we help wellness practitioners find their ideal roles. Patients Need to Trust Their Physicians COVID didn’t just change healthcare for workers and organizations in the industry — it changed how patients perceive healthcare, too. In the flurry of misinformation and changing policies that COVID brought to our everyday lives, many patients weren’t sure who to trust. Now, as we frequently get updates to new medical information, patients are looking to feel seen, to feel heard, and that their best interests are being prioritized for a different type of care — and physicians need to earn their trust. Related: Fueling the Healthcare Revolution In the post-COVID landscape, patients want personalized treatment plans instead of a quick fix for their symptoms. They want a provider who helps them identify why they aren’t feeling well rather than prescribing them a pill in hopes that it will solve their issues.  This is why patients and physicians alike are turning to a functional medicine model and moving away from more conventional approaches. Telehealth Plays a Vital Role in Post-Pandemic Healthcare This 2022 report about telehealth post-pandemic shows how vital a role it will play in the future of healthcare. Around three-quarters of surveyed patients plan to continue using telehealth services after the pandemic, and patients and providers agree that virtual care helps build trust. Patients and doctors alike found telehealth easy and convenient, so much so that they want to keep using it routinely post-COVID. Let’s explore some key findings from that report: Virtual Visits Do Have a Downside Even though telehealth typically results in increased patient satisfaction, virtual visit detractors have pointed to the physician-patient relationship as one factor that they cannot maintain through telemedicine. One reason is because many major online telehealth platforms direct patients to the first available provider — a downside that physicians can solve by offering in-house virtual care solutions. And in a world where patients have ready access to their doctors, that detraction might hold up; but most patients face long waiting lists to see their providers, especially during COVID, shifting the balance. Taking a New Approach to Care Post-Covid Is Crucial While COVID brought on a lot of negative aspects as it relates to healthcare, there is a shift that’s happening. Let’s explore how healthcare professionals are taking a new approach to provide better care in a post-COVID setting. The ever-growing solution is functional medicine — a model of care based on relationships, science, and creating better outcomes for healthcare workers, their patients, and their colleagues. Whether it’s an in-person or virtual visit, functional medicine practitioners are fighting against the negative changes that COVID brought to the industry to bring their patients better care in an ever-changing landscape. COVID changed healthcare, but that doesn’t mean you can’t provide your patients with expert service — see how we can help you take a new approach in the post-COVID landscape at Mindbody Talent. Functional Medicine Helps Provide Better Care There’s no doubt that COVID has changed healthcare as a whole. And while it brought higher rates of burnout and some less-than-desirable patient outcomes, there have been good changes, too. The challenges brought on by the pandemic gave many healthcare professionals the push they needed to pursue other disciplines in the industry, particularly functional medicine. The result is healthcare workers with more fulfilling careers and patients with better outcomes. Related: Embracing Lifecycle Health

With the global health and wellness market projected to continue growing, branding your functional medicine practice is more important than ever. Because the healthcare sector is expected to see significant growth over the next few years, the health and there are plenty of services to offer. Functional medicine practitioners must focus on branding their practice sooner rather than later to stand out from their peers. We’ll explore the elements of successful health and wellness branding and discuss several tips to help you get started. Related: Building a Great Wellness BrandWhat Is Health and Wellness Branding?The primary point of health and wellness branding is to personify your practice through storytelling and brand strategy that focuses on communication, design, and patient experience. Before we get into the branding tips, let’s review the traits that all successful branding practices share. The elements of the best health and wellness branding strategies include: Staying consistent in your messaging across all touchpointsBuilding an emotional connection with your patientsMaking a positive difference by interacting with the communityHelping your patients during every step of their health and wellness journeyMaintaining honesty throughout your communications and actions Overwhelmed with the whole process of branding your practice? We make it easy with our complete marketing systems!Why Brand Your Practice?As a functional medicine practitioner, your first priority is promoting optimal patient wellness through your practice. However, building a quality brand is a vital part of making a positive impact on their lives. Health and wellness branding is what shapes a patient’s first impression of your practice and healthcare services. With the right branding, you can use storytelling and visual elements to show potential and current patients what value you can bring to their day-to-day lives. When your patients understand your brand, they are more likely to engage with you and become lifelong advocates of your practice.Branding Tips for Your Functional Medicine PracticeNow, let’s look at six of the best health and wellness branding tips you can use to market your functional medical practice:Know Your AudienceBefore branding your functional medicine practice, you need to understand the patients you want to attract. You should clearly answer these three questions: Who is your ideal patient? Consider what kind of patients are most likely to need your services — their age, demographic, etc. These attributes can help you shape your branding plan from the start. What value can you provide them? This answer boils down to the lifestyle your ideal patient lives, their health and wellness goals, and how you can help them reach those goals. What are your practice’s long-term goals? Health and wellness brands go through constant changes due to continuous research and shifting trends — how will your practice adapt to these? Create Branding Elements Your health and wellness branding strategy must be cohesive; your voice, visuals, etc., needs to stay consistent across your messaging and echo your brand as a whole. To get started, you should: Create a logo. There’s a reason why brands have unique logos — it makes you more recognizable, giving patients an easy way to remember your practice. Creating a logo builds a visual foundation the rest of your branding can follow. Develop branding guidelines. After deciding on a logo, it’s time to establish the elements of your brand. Develop a “brand kit” that consists of guidelines defining:The font you useThe colors you useKey visual elements that follow your logoRules for how to apply your visual branding Create a User-Friendly WebsiteBranding your functional medicine practice is about bringing in new patients — and your website is where many of them will make their decision to visit you or not. Your website must be: FastAccessibleMobile-friendly Related: Building a Great Web Presence In addition, your website should include the following: A homepage that draws attentionAn about us page to showcase your story as a health and wellness brandThe services your practice providesA contact form for patients to message youA blog to inform patients about new health and wellness trendsLanding pages to bring in potential patients from Google Tell Your Practitioner JourneyMaking a human connection is what can set your functional medicine practice apart from others. Taking your current brand and helping your patients understand your practitioner’s journey can bring many benefits to your practice. It can help you build a true connection with your patients by showing them how you’ve transformed the lives of others. Potential patients want to see real people that got real results — so show them! Be honest and transparent, and use case studies to back up your claims of success.Use Social MediaSocial media as a marketing tool is no joke — your patients are likely on multiple platforms daily. One of the most impactful ways for health and wellness brands to connect with their patients is through social media, including: Instagram ads to post visual storiesFacebook to interact with patientsTwitter for short, meaningful interactions0YouTube to create helpful content aimed at your patients’ health issuesReddit to drive more patients to your brand Always Engage with Your AudienceBuilding an online relationship with your patients is only the first step. Next, you want to engage with them by encouraging them to opt-in to receive newsletters, follow your social media, leave reviews online, etc. The most important part is being authentic — patients won’t engage with your brand if they don’t have a good reason. So be real in all that you do — post genuine results, connect with actual people, and talk about true success stories from your functional medicine practice. Connect and engage with your patients the right way with our wellness branding and marketing specialists at Mindbody Talent!These Branding Tips Help You Stand Out from the Crowd The health and wellness field holds many different growth opportunities. Your patients have clear expectations for your brand and how it should contribute to their health and wellness journey. Follow these branding tips and your practice will be better positioned to play the role of a true healthcare partner to your patients throughout their lives. Related: Fueling the