the-heartfelt-letterAppreciation is an important aspect of building a successful Health Care practice. Patients need to know that they are appreciated & cared for. Nobody likes to be treated like a number or a file. Patient’s want to know that they have the practitioners undivided attention. They want personal treatment, not just an assembly line, factory-type experience.

Your new patient visit & Recommended Action Plan does a lot of good as far as building rapport & fostering a personal relationship with your patients. All the different events & promotions that a practice owner has in his or her office create a fun experience for patients. Having patient appreciation days shows that you care for your patients & appreciate them, but nothing shows appreciation for your patients like the “Heartfelt Letter.”

Write a short personal note to your patients letting them know how much you appreciate them, & how thankful you are for their understanding & utilization of your services. By doing this, you create a bond with your patients by letting them know that you truly do value them as people & that you value their patronage of your office.

Start alphabetically & write 2-5 letters per week. Yes, it will take a long time for you to get through your database of patients depending on its size. By the time you get to the letter Z, months or years may have gone by. But then it is time to start all over again, especially since a flood of new patients will have joined your database of patients.

As you can see, the “Heartfelt Letter” is an ongoing process that never ends. The practitioner becomes closer to his patients, the patients feel closer to their practitioner & your office reputation as the place to be grows with leaps & bounds. Once again, the heartfelt letter is quick, inexpensive & nearly effortless, once you set the process in motion. So just begin.

Below is an example of a “Heartfelt Letter” (it may not exactly suit you or your practice but can be the ‘base’ for your own letter):

Dear Paul,

I just wanted to send you this short note of appreciation for being a member of my practice. I personally put a lot of effort into getting my patients well & then to keep them well. It is gratifying to me when a patient understands that once they are well they still need to work on it to stay well. Paul, you have got this message. It has been an absolute pleasure taking care of you for the past 6 years. I am proud to be a member of your healthcare team. I also enjoy your smiling face every time you come into my office. You really liven up my day & my practice.

Thanks for choosing me.

Sincerely,

Dr. Anthony Capiaghi

I look forward to helping you reach your practice & life goals.