Current Trends

The last several decades have seen numerous changes in the provision of regional pediatric health care and, thus, the role of transport medicine. As specialty pediatric services become more prevalent in the community and as hospital alliances/networks expand, the marketplace for neonatal-pediatric transport has become more competitive.

This changing marketplace requires hospitals to evolve their market­ing strategies. Although not all transport systems function in a competitive landscape, the role of marketing has become increasingly important to the success of any transport program. The transport staff stands on the market­ing front line—both indirectly as an ambassador for the hospitals’ brand image and directly as a tool to recruit and maintain clients at referral facili­ties. Attention to the principles and practices of marketing are required to demonstrate the core hospital philosophy while improving positioning in the marketplace.

This chapter details how to research, develop, and implement a market­ing plan for a neonatal-pediatric transport program.