Today on the Podcast: Build a Physician Liaison Team That Works!
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About This Episode
Want more doctor referrals? Ever thought about hiring a Physician Liaison?
Today, I'm talking to Ryan Miller and Kalina Robles from Movement for Life, a 27-location physical therapy clinic that has a team of 5 physician liaisons!
You'll learn….
- What physician liaisons do
- Stats to track their progress
- What messaging and tactics work best for physician marketing
Let's boost your doctor referrals!
Learn more about Movement For Life at https://www.movementforlife.com/
Listen Above or Read The Summary Here:
Building a Successful Physician Liaison Team for PT Practices
Neil welcomes Ryan Miller, Business Development Director, and Kalina Robles, Marketing Manager, from Movement for Life—a 27-location PT group—to share actionable strategies for building and optimizing a physician liaison (PL) team. Their experience scaling PL efforts across multiple states reveals key lessons for PT owners looking to increase physician referrals and foster sustainable growth.
1. Relationship-Driven Outreach: The Core of Physician Liaison Success
- Genuine relationship-building is non-negotiable. Kalina emphasizes that “you have to really get in the habit of asking people for what you want, but how do you do that without off-putting them?” Instead of generic drop-ins, each visit must have a clear purpose, and liaisons should seek to understand the unique workflows and key players (front desk, referral coordinators, MAs) within each physician office.
- It’s a process, not a transaction. Neil and Kalina liken the referral-building journey to dating: “Don’t go in and ask for marriage on the first date.” Multiple visits may be needed before asking for referrals, and sometimes an honest conversation is required if a relationship isn’t yielding results.
- Identify the real decision-makers. Often, it’s not the doctor, but the referral coordinator or MA who influences where patients are sent. Building trust with these gatekeepers is critical.
2. Data-Driven Strategy: Tracking, Metrics, and Continuous Improvement
- Metrics matter, but context is key. Movement for Life uses Salesforce and custom reports to track weekly and monthly referrals, new referring providers, and visit frequency per office. Kalina shares, “I would compare my Salesforce notes…and then you see it translate on your new referral report where you see all these MDs and you’re like, okay, great. Finally, after three months…I finally have a onesies and twosies of them sending a few patients over.”
- Consistency and frequency drive results. Ryan recommends visiting each target office two to four times per quarter, and aiming for 40-60 office visits per week (adjusted for market size), to keep relationships fresh and top-of-mind.
- Front desk data collection is essential. Accurately tracking “how did you find us?” at intake helps clarify which marketing efforts are working—whether referrals are from doctors, online searches, or word of mouth.
- Objective and subjective KPIs include number of office visits, rate of getting past the front desk (Ryan says a 60% success rate is realistic), and qualitative feedback from offices.
3. Supporting Liaisons with Marketing Assets and Multi-Channel Presence
- Customized collateral makes a difference. Kalina leverages her digital marketing background to create leave-behinds that meet real needs: “A lot of our best pieces of collateral have come from our PLs going to an office and identifying a need.” This includes reference sheets, co-branded exercise handouts, and QR codes, all tailored to the specific referral source.
- Lunch & learns and education build credibility. Neil highlights the value of educational sessions for medical assistants and nurses: “It kind of took us from being that pharmaceutical rep equivalent to more of a medical professional equivalent.” This approach helps position your clinic as a partner in patient care, not just another vendor.
- Online reputation must reinforce referral efforts. Even with strong physician relationships, patients will check Google, your website, and reviews before booking. “There’s not one thing that completely works. It has to work together,” Neil states. A unified, professional web and social presence, along with active review management, increases conversion from physician recommendations.
- Multi-channel tracking reveals true referral sources. Many referrals are a blend of physician suggestion, online research, and word of mouth. Accurate attribution enables smarter allocation of marketing resources.
Key Takeaways for PT Owners
- Prioritize authentic relationships with all office staff—not just physicians.
- Develop clear KPIs for your liaison team and use data to guide strategy.
- Support liaisons with tailored marketing assets and ongoing training.
- Integrate your referral-building with a strong digital presence to capture modern patient decision paths.
- Continuously adapt to market needs and seek feedback from referral sources and your own data. As Ryan advises, “We’re only as good as the communities we support.”
By building a physician liaison team focused on genuine relationships, supported by data-driven processes and strong marketing assets, PT practices can create a sustainable referral engine and adapt to evolving market dynamics.
Common Questions Practice Owners Ask About This Topic:
- What is the role of a physician liaison in healthcare?
- How can physician liaisons increase doctor referrals?
- What metrics should be tracked for physician liaison performance?
- What are effective strategies for physician marketing?
- How do you build a successful physician liaison team?
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See how the right marketing ideas can help you grow your Physical Therapy or Chiropractic clinic