Operations, IT & Marcom: Natural Enemies or Collaborators?
We recently sat down with Stewart Gandolf of Healthcare Success to discuss the natural tension that exists between these three critical groups within the patient experience, and the worth-while journey of turning that tension into magic.
Listen to the full episode here- https://open.spotify.com/episode/48JBYgP9DZbO8vx9tIKXTd?si=c4a0d436a56343e3
Don’t have time to listen to our amazing 40-minute conversation? No problem- check out our 3 key takeaways 😊
Great Marketing can’t overcome broken operations
Healthcare organizations often focus on generating demand, but growth stalls when patients encounter friction after they raise their hand. Marketing, access, scheduling, call centers, and clinical operations all need to work together. The patient experience doesn't start and stop with a campaign—it continues through scheduling, access, and care delivery. When those functions operate in silos, organizations lose patients they worked hard to attract.
Data should be a bridge, not a barrier
One of the biggest disconnects between marketing, IT, and operations lies in the data. Success comes from creating a shared view of performance and using data to identify bottlenecks, improve access, and measure outcomes. Rather than debating ownership of technology, organizations should focus on how data can align teams around common goals and patient needs.
Collaboration is a growth strategy
The most successful healthcare organizations don't treat Marketing, Operations, and IT as separate functions competing for resources. They create alignment around shared objectives—improving access, increasing conversion, enhancing patient experience, and delivering measurable results. When these teams move from "natural enemies" to true collaborators, technology investments become more effective and patient outcomes improve.
TLDR; Patient acquisition isn’t a marketing problem or an operations problem- it's an organizational problem.
