Increase your Treatment Center's Bottom Line – Pt. 2 – Develop a Professional Network

Over the past few years, addiction treatment has become part of mainstream healthcare and has undergone huge changes in regulation, reimbursement, and certification. Treatment centers who do not adjust their practices will find themselves left behind or out of business.

In 2019, it became illegal to use kickback referrals to market treatment centers. This piece of legislation is causing problems for facilities who do not have a network of professional relationships in their local area. Partnering with other healthcare providers and developing mutually beneficial relationships in the community is key to keeping your facility in business.

There are different strategies you can use to begin growing your network. Choose from one of the ideas listed below.

Partner With Trusted Treatment Providers

If your treatment center does not provide a full continuum of care, you should build relationships with trusted providers who provide services that you don’t. You should reach out to local MAT centers and sober living homes. Always be sure to select a treatment provider who you are certain provides outstanding care. If you send your patients to a facility with suboptimal care, it will reflect poorly on your facility, too.

Meet the Physicians in Your Area

Primary care physicians, emergency room physicians, urgent care doctors, and other specialists are more likely to meet your potential patients than you. You need to earn the trust of these providers by positioning yourself as the caring expert in your community.

Providing education to these providers on how to care for or identify patients with substance abuse disorders can help them see that you are committed to quality care. If possible, offer these courses as a part of continuing medical education for doctors, nurses, paramedics, and other providers. These courses lay the groundwork for referral relationships while improving patient care.

Develop Content for Patients and Providers

You are the expert on addiction treatment; share that expertise through great content to gain trust. You can use your knowledge to create content for webpages, blogs, education courses, lectures, handouts, and more. This content can help answer people’s questions and improve their awareness of your facility. The more people you are able to reach, the more likely you are to receive referrals.

Get Involved with Your Community

It’s not just healthcare providers who may refer patients; family members and friends may encourage patients to seek out your services as well. By connecting with your community at local events, you develop a relationship and reputation with community members.

For instance, you may give lectures at local schools about addiction and avoiding drug use. You may offer courses on caring for a loved one with substance abuse disorder at a local community center. The more ways you are able to offer value to your community, the more likely they are to see you as a caring, trustworthy facility.

Using all these strategies can help increase the number of referrals your receive and positively impact your bottom line. For more ideas on increasing revenue for your addiction treatment center, please contact Datapro Billing at 805-579-3537 or fill out our online form.