ORLANDO, Fla. – Medical Marketing, Inc. (MMI), a national healthcare marketing and public relations consulting firm based in Orlando, celebrates 25 years of service this month.
A pioneer in her field, Andrea Eliscu co-founded MMI in 1984 to help physicians prepare and plan for the rapidly changing healthcare marketplace. The firm has served a broad range of healthcare clients from group practices and hospital systems to healthcare attorneys and employers with healthcare related projects. Recognizing the new challenges and opportunities in the marketplace, MMI’s services have evolved over the years to encompass not only branding and targeted marketing strategies, but also helping physicians harness the power of social media and social networking to build their practices and strengthen patient relationships.
“To us, marketing has always been about building trust and community – between physicians and their patients, between physicians and other physicians, and between physicians and the neighborhoods they serve.” explains Eliscu. “Today, the patient voice is more powerful than ever before and has been amplified by the Internet. Patients are more informed and involved in their care. The marketing basics are still important, but social networking has become a powerful new tool for healthcare providers, and we are helping our clients embrace this technology to engage their patients in unique and effective ways, allowing them to share experiences, knowledge, opinions and emotional support.”
Marc Middleton, chief executive officer of Bolder Health and the Growing Bolder Media Group, has worked closely with MMI on several projects. “Andrea Eliscu is a pioneer who helped define an industry,” he said. “What’s even more impressive is that she remains a visionary leader – a powerful voice in the transformation of healthcare from a ‘you need us when you’re sick’ model into a ‘you need us for life’ model. Under her direction, MMI has become a healthcare sherpa, guiding forward-thinking groups into the effective use of cutting-edge social media tools and more.”
Several of MMI’s clients have worked with the firm for many years. One of its first clients, Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic, has turned to MMI for 24 years. “They have been our marketing compass,” said Jewett Marketing Director David Cassidy, Med., ATC/L, CSCS. “They have set the gyroscope for our company’s branding and name recognition, and we have never deviated from that successful approach.”
Another client, Texas Retina Associates, has worked with the firm for seven years. “We are true partners,” explains Texas Retina Associates CEO Jeff Brockette. “It’s not just another project to them. We jointly develop our marketing strategies, and MMI skillfully and professionally executes them in an efficient, cost-effective manner.”
A registered nurse with 45 years of health care experience, Andrea Eliscu has authored three books – her recently released A+ Marketing: Proven Tactics for Success (also available on Audio CD) as well as Ready –Set –Market! and Position for Success! Strategic Marketing for Group Practices. A graduate of Michael Reese Hospital and Medical Center School of Nursing, and the Holt School at Rollins College, she serves as a national resource on healthcare marketing, speaking at seminars and conferences throughout the country. She currently volunteers her time providing leadership on the council of governors of M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando, the advisory board of the University of Central Florida’s College of Health and Public Affairs, and the boards of Cornerstone Hospice and Women Playing for T.I.M.E.