Award-Winning Blog and Newsletter Lift St. Louis Health Care Practice

Early in 2007, Prosthetic and Orthotic Care, Inc., launched a new blog, The Care Digest. Winner of a Gold Star awarded by the popular marketing consultant Elizabeth Mansfield, this blog is an electronic version of P&O Care’s popular print newsletter by the same name, available for download on their website at http://pandocare.com/news.html.

The Care Digest’s frequent blog posts profile patients and practitioners, and it allows anyone to rate their experience with the clinical practice. It also summarizes news and provides commentary with a personal perspective on the P&O industry here in St. Louis and around the world. Together, the blog and newsletter reach over 1,100 people in St. Louis and enable P&O Care to connect better with their patients and referring health care professionals. “We hope patients take the opportunity to upload their own commentary, pictures, video and unique stories,” says blog creator Bill McLellan.

Both versions of The Care Digest form part of an innovative outreach campaign begun just over a year ago. Since August 2006, the successful plan has enabled P&O Care to grow from five prosthetists and orthotists to eight, and from twelve to twenty employees. Prosthetists Manny Rivera and Dan Luitjohan came on in 2006, and Orthotists John Lartonoix and Shawn McAdams started this year. The practice also added orthotic intern Luke Brewer and prosthetic resident Maggie Ware-Smith in June and July. With the addition of Bill McLellan as Director of Sales and Marketing a year ago, P&O Care has a dedicated liaison coordinating the crucial relationships among patients and their doctors, nurses, therapists, prosthetists and orthotists.

“We don’t want to be the biggest P&O practice in town, just the best,” says CEO Jim Weber. “This business is all about providing a superior clinical service, not just manufacturing limbs and braces. Though not widely utilized by health care practitioners, good marketing ensures that competition works the way it’s supposed to. Patients get more for their money, such as fast, quality service and complementary home visits.” McLellan adds, "Turning a quality newsletter into a blog is easy and fun. It's a good idea for any professional practice, whether in health care or other fields of specialized service. Blogs are interactive and easily updated with stories, pictures, and online video; and they provide an excellent way to stay connected with patients and colleagues."

To sign up for the e-mail or snail mail versions of The Care Digest, or to become a contributor on this blog, contact Bill McLellan at BMcLellan@PandOCare.com. P&O Care is a team of health care professionals with a common goal of creating innovative prosthetic and orthotic solutions to help people live their lives to the fullest by regaining their mobility, strength and independence. Their care centers are located in Des Peres, MO, and Fairview Heights, IL.