How to Build Community Partnerships That Attract Patients: A La Crosse, Wisconsin Dentist’s Guide
How to Build Community Partnerships That Attract Patients: A La Crosse, Wisconsin Dentist’s Guide
Key Strategies for Building Community Partnerships
- Identify Local Needs: Conduct surveys or engage in conversations to understand the health needs of your community.
- Collaborate with Schools: Offer dental health education programs or free screenings to students, fostering relationships with families.
- Engage Local Businesses: Partner with employers to provide health workshops or discounted dental services for employees.
- Support Nonprofits: Align with local organizations to sponsor events or provide dental care to underserved populations, increasing visibility and goodwill.
- Measure Your Impact: Develop metrics to track the effectiveness of each partnership, ensuring you can assess what works and adapt accordingly.
Benefits of Community Engagement
Building partnerships within the community not only helps in attracting new patients but also enhances your practice's reputation. Engaged dentists are seen as trusted figures, which fosters patient loyalty and referrals. Additionally, community involvement can lead to collaborative opportunities that may further enhance service offerings and outreach.
FAQs
What types of events should I consider for community engagement?
Consider health fairs, free dental screening days, educational workshops, and participation in local festivals. These events can showcase your expertise while connecting with potential patients.
How do I measure the success of my community partnerships?
Track metrics such as the number of new patients gained after events, patient referrals, customer feedback, and community engagement levels through surveys or social media interaction.
What are some common challenges in building partnerships?
Challenges may include finding the right partners, aligning goals, and effectively communicating the benefits of collaboration. Establishing clear expectations and maintaining open communication can help mitigate these issues.
How often should I engage with my community partners?
Regular engagement is key; aim for monthly check-ins or quarterly events to maintain relationships and assess the effectiveness of your partnerships.
Introduction
You already show up for your neighbors in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Now let those relationships fill your schedule. This guide turns community goodwill into measurable new-patient growth with simple systems you can repeat, track, and scale.
Start here: what problem are we really solving?
- You’re active in the community, but it’s not translating into booked appointments.
- Events eat time and budget without a clear way to measure results.
- Partners like schools, employers, and nonprofits want health support, but you need a repeatable system that also grows your practice.
Partnership ideas that actually bring in patients
Schools and youth sports
- Custom mouthguard clinics, sealant days, and dental injury talks for coaches.
- Report card reward cleanings for A and B students with a limited-time offer.
- Simple referral cards for school nurses with a QR code to a new-patient page.
Employers and unions
- Onsite lunch-and-learns on benefits and prevention. Hold same-week reserved new-patient slots for attendees.
- Fluoride, night guard, or whitening discount bundles tied to open enrollment.
- Assign a unique phone number or URL to track each employer.
Pediatricians, OB-GYNs, and family medicine
- Set up a two-way referral pathway for first dental visit by age 1 and prenatal oral health.
- Provide a Tooth Tips one-pager for waiting rooms with a QR to online scheduling.
Senior centers and assisted living
- Mobile hygiene days, denture checks, and dry mouth management workshops.
- Offer transportation help and caregiver scheduling by proxy.
Community nonprofits and public health
- WIC and Head Start oral health days. Pair free screenings with a low-barrier new-patient special.
- Co-host Diabetes and Your Mouth sessions with local health educators.
Gyms, yoga, and wellness groups
- Mini-workshops on bruxism, sleep apnea, or TMJ with a special on night guards or sleep screenings.
Colleges and technical schools
- New-student dental orientation tips, student plan navigation, evening clinic hours.
Faith and cultural organizations
- Bilingual materials, family oral health nights, culturally relevant outreach.
Local media and influencers
- A monthly Ask the Dentist radio segment. Short reels on sports mouthguards, whitening, or kid visits.
Make it easy to book on the spot
- Put a QR code everywhere. Slides, flyers, table tents. Send it to a mobile-first new-patient page with two to three steps max.
- Offer a clear, time-bound incentive. Example: Free electric brush for the first 25 new patients from this event.
- Hold 4 to 6 partner slots weekly so attendees can book within seven days.
- Train a team member to schedule chairside at events and to collect opt-in for text and email reminders.
Turn community interest into online conversions
- Google Business Profile: update hours, services, insurance notes, and add the events you attend as Posts. Use location photos from La Crosse venues so people recognize you.
- Google Maps and reviews: create a simple review ask card with a QR that opens your review link. Ask for reviews after each partner event and after the first visit.
- Website: build a fast page for each partner type with a short form, clear incentive, and online scheduling. Use partner-specific URLs with UTM tags.
- Social media: post short clips from events, tag the partner, and add the partner-specific booking link. Share a quick win the week after, such as five families booked from the mouthguard clinic.
La Crosse, Wisconsin partnerships that move the needle
Healthcare neighbors
- Gundersen Health System and Mayo Clinic Health System Franciscan Healthcare. Coordinate with pediatric and OB clinics for early-child referrals and prenatal talks.
Schools and universities
- La Crosse School District and Aquinas Catholic Schools for nurse referrals and sports mouthguard clinics.
- UW La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College for student orientations and evening appointments.
Employers and business groups
- Trane Technologies, Kwik Trip headquarters, Logistics Health OptumServe, City of La Crosse. Offer onsite sessions during open enrollment with partner-tracked booking links.
- La Crosse Area Chamber of Commerce. Host a Dental Benefits 101 breakfast.
Community events and nonprofits
- Riverfest, Oktoberfest, Rotary Lights, La Crosse Loggers games. Run small, high-touch booths with scheduling QR and kid-friendly demos.
- Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater La Crosse, YMCA, Mississippi Valley Conservancy. Pair river cleanups with prevention kits and new-patient specials.
Senior care
- Hillview Health Care Center and Benedictine Living Community. Offer mobile hygiene days and caregiver education.
Media
- WXOW, WKBT, WIZM, and La Crosse Tribune. Pitch seasonal oral-health segments on sports season, holidays, or Medicare season.
Local practicalities
- Accept ForwardHealth if applicable and note it in community materials.
- Winter planning: prioritize indoor events November through March. Push outdoor partnerships April through October.
- Transit: include MTU bus routes and parking info on event flyers for access.
How to make the ask and get a yes
Lead with their goals
- Safety, wellness, absenteeism, member satisfaction. Tie oral health to those outcomes.
Keep it light
- Propose a 30-minute pilot, not a big program.
Bring a one-sheet
- What you provide: topic options, duration, supplies.
- What they do: space, promotion, sign-ups.
- Clear benefit for their audience and any incentive.
Sample outreach
- Subject: Quick wellness idea for your team or students
- We help La Crosse families prevent dental emergencies and stretch benefits. Could we host a 30-minute lunch-and-learn next month? We will bring everything and hold a few reserved new-patient slots for your folks. If it is helpful, we can repeat quarterly.
Confirm the follow-through
- Co-branded flyer and email copy.
- Unique QR or phone number to track response.
- Calendar holds for reserved appointment slots.
Keep score so you know what is working
Set simple targets per partner
- Attendance, bookings within 7 days, show rate, cost per new patient, 90-day retention.
Tracking basics
- Unique URLs with UTM parameters and dedicated phone numbers.
- Add How did you hear about us to intake forms.
- Tag the partner source in your practice management software.
Review rhythm
- Hold a 30-day debrief after each event. Double down on the top 20 percent performers. Exit low-yield activities.
Budget-friendly ways to fund it
- Start in-kind. Education and screenings instead of big sponsorships.
- Micro-budgets that convert. A few 50 dollar gift cards for a raffle, custom mouthguards for one team, minimal printing.
- Grants and local support. Delta Dental of Wisconsin Foundation, La Crosse Community Foundation, United Way of the Greater La Crosse Area.
- Trade value. Whitening certificates or family packages in exchange for partner promotion.
Mind the compliance without slowing momentum
- HIPAA: obtain photo and record consents. Avoid collecting PHI at public tables. Direct people to your secure scheduler.
- Liability: confirm event certificates of insurance. Follow OSHA and infection control standards for any procedures offsite.
- Accessibility: use ADA-friendly venues, clear signage, and interpreter or bilingual materials when needed.
- Wisconsin specifics: align with state rules for hygienist services in community settings. Check ForwardHealth communications guidelines if you bill or promote covered services.
Getting Expert Help
- Marketing systems: a dental-specific agency can build tracking pages, QR flows, and KPI dashboards that plug into your practice software and Google Analytics.
- Legal and compliance: ask counsel to review consent language, raffles, sponsorships, and BAAs if a partner will see PHI.
- Finance: your CPA can set budgets, track ROI by partner, and identify eligible community benefit deductions.
- Local resources: UW La Crosse SBDC, SCORE mentors, Wisconsin Dental Association tools, Coulee Region Dental Society for peer ideas.
- For personalized help building a complete partnership system, contact us. Call 920-285-7570 or email in**@****ce.com
A simple 30-day action plan
Week 1
- Pick two partner types, one school or youth group and one employer.
- Draft your one-sheet and email pitch.
- Build a partner-tracked landing page with online scheduling.
Week 2
- Send five outreach emails.
- Hold 4 to 6 partner appointment slots on your calendar.
- Order table materials and print QR flyers.
Week 3
- Run the first event.
- Book onsite.
- Log every lead with source tags and note which incentive was used.
Week 4
- Debrief with your team, refine the offer, and schedule the next two dates.
- Share a quick outcome note with the partner to build momentum.
- Post an event recap to your Google Business Profile and social channels with the booking link.
Where this goes from here
Start small, measure, and iterate. In a few months you will know which La Crosse, Wisconsin partners consistently turn goodwill into loyal patients. With a clear offer, QR booking, and tracking, your team can scale across seasons and neighborhoods without burning out. Most important, you will serve the community while growing a healthy, resilient practice.
Ready to build partnerships that book appointments and improve community health? Call 920-285-7570 or email in**@****ce.com
