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On Paying Home
Health Marketing Staff
Steve
D. Wallace, CEO
Direct Rehab, Inc.
1635 N.E. Loop 410 Suite 900
San Antonio, Texas 78209
(210) 822-0475
(210) 822-0485 Fax
http://directptinc.com
Home Health marketing staff should be full time employees. From our experience,
it is hard to have a successful part-time marketing person. We've had only
one who was successful and she went from years of full-time marketing to
part-time (semi-retired) and knew how to manage her accounts in limited time.
Most referral sources expect to be able to contact a marketer anytime and
receive an immediate response.
Home Health marketing staffs need to be bona-fide W2 employees, not independent
contractors. You need to meet the IRS guidelines for supervision and control for
them to be a bona-fide employee.
Most marketing pay plans offer a base salary with an incentive on meeting
certain monthly thresholds, i.e., number of admissions (NOT referrals) and
weighted by type of admission, i.e., Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance,
orthopedic, etc. A point system based on type of admission works well because
all admissions are not equal. Agency thresholds vary, but most are somewhere
between 15 admits to 30 admits per month. We set a minimum “keep your job”
number of 12 admissions per month in the first 90 days in addition to setting
bonus goals of anywhere from 15 to 30.
Texas base salaries for experienced health care industry marketers can range
from $30,000.00 to $50,000.00, rarely higher. Many marketers can make
$70,000.00+ annually, with their bonuses. Starting base pay should reflect the
marketers’ experience.
The admissions that are counted should not be LUPA's or PEP's.
A
marketing expense budget should be allotted for each marketer of $200-$300 per
month. Some allow more, but then you're getting into competing for who can be
the best caterer/trinket giver. You need to set spending limits per referral
source and hold marketing staff accountable for every dollar spent.
Regarding continuing education, we have found that you must train marketers just
as you would clinical staff. Hold regular marketing meetings and include the
Director of Nursing, Rehab or other clinical managers. Get everyone in agreement
on what types of patients the agency can service, what special needs each
referral source has, and review every non-admit and reasons why.
We also find that there has to a ramp up period, regardless of marketer
experience and local contacts. It takes time for them to transition and get
their referral contacts comfortable with your agency. Your agency has to learn
how to meet the clinical service needs of new referral sources. As a result, we
set lower, conservative goals for the first 90 days.
We have our marketing candidates prove their past performance and drill down as
to why they are leaving their current employer. We go into every new marketer
relationship with minimal expectations.
Mileage reimbursement is whatever you can negotiate.
September 29, 2009
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