How to request something from your administration or stakeholders 1 your case Build


A “business plan” doesn’t necessarily have to be something an MBA graduate would develop, but it should lay out your case with data to back up your arguments. Your administrative staff or practice business manager may be able to help you develop the plan.


is ‘Will it increase market share?’ That’s what hospitals are always interested in. So, if you have technology that you think will capture more market share, then that’s a good business plan.”


Framing the ask A “business plan” doesn’t necessarily have to be something an MBA graduate would develop, but it should lay out your case with data to back up your arguments. Your administrative staff or practice business manager may be able to help you develop the plan. And seek out colleagues with experience in advocating to hospital administration to help you formulate your request.


Barry T. Katzen, MD, FSIR, has been working closely with hospital administration for four decades. He is the founder and chief medical executive emeritus of Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute in Florida, which is a part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest healthcare organization in the South


16 IRQ | FALL 2023 2 larger context Provide the 3 presentation Hone your


Florida region. He is also chief medical innovation officer for Baptist Health South Florida.


“One of the things I’ve always done in any interaction—not only in working as an interventional radiologist with the hospital, but also with other physicians— is think about what the other party wants and try and structure win–win situations,” Dr. Katzen said.


Consider the current economic and hospital environment, too. “You have to really assess the landscape, sense the character of the people that you’re dealing with, and do all that yourself … and that takes time,” Dr. Katzen said.


Frame the “ask” as part of something bigger, he explained, which could be increased profit, an innovative new procedure the hospital can market and/or a benefit to multiple specialties and departments. Don’t shape your argument as something that benefits only you as a physician.


“I never make the ask upfront,” Dr. Katzen said. “I always tell a story.” Explain why something is needed and then walk the administrator through the clinical problem, the unmet need and the potential benefits. Only then, make your request.


Dr. Katzen provided a few examples of what to say:


• “There are these new applications that are developing.”


• “There’s a new technology on the horizon that we need to be planning for.”


• “There’s a new program that could benefit more patients that we’re not treating now.”


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Keep an open mind


• “We have a new way of treating something that could move things to the ambulatory space.”


Using communication strategies Dr. Katzen’s method aligns with recommendations from communications experts. Present your case with a “think, feel, do” approach, said Lia LoBello Reynolds, founder and owner of strategic communication and consulting agency ofDC Communications.


She explained how the approach works: “This is what I want people to think when I tell them about this, this is what I want them to feel when I tell them this about this, and this is what I want them to do.”


However, it can be human nature to jump straight to the “do” portion: “‘I just want someone to write me the check. I just want someone to say yes to my idea.’ It’s easy to forget about what you want them to think and feel: ‘I want them to think that this is a great idea. I want them to feel excited at what I’m bringing to the table,’” LoBello Reynolds said.


At the same time, don’t make your presentation overly scientific or technical. Don’t present all the studies supporting the value of a piece of equipment or the full details on how it works. Save that information for follow-up questions.


“We need to think about retention of a message,” LoBello Reynolds said. “No one’s going to memorize three pages of literature, but they will remember, ‘Here’s the value proposition, and here are the three points they made that helped me understand it.’ So, keep it simple.”


Dr. Desai recommends practicing your presentation several times before you make your case.


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