touch point podcast

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore why traditional healthcare marketing is falling behind, and how focusing on relationships instead of reach may be the only sustainable path forward. They unpack the data showing the industry’s growing gap between visibility and value:

Only 28% of healthcare marketers have a documented content strategy.

65% of patients search online before contacting a provider, yet most health system sites still frustrate or confuse.

Retention costs up to 25x less than acquisition, but most budgets are still chasing awareness.

Chris and Reed discuss how loyalty and lifetime value (LTV) are reshaping the marketing playbook - arguing that connection, not conversion, is the next competitive advantage. They explore what happens when hospitals treat patients as long-term partners instead of one-time encounters, and how CRM, automation, and authentic storytelling can turn engagement into measurable growth.

Key themes of this episode include:

Why healthcare must shift from transactional outreach to relational engagement

How trust and personalization directly influence lifetime value

Practical steps to audit patient touchpoints and measure engagement beyond claims data

Why the future of marketing belongs to teams who build community, not campaigns

Mentions from the Show:

Calculating the Lifetime Value of Review-Generated Patients: The Complete ROI Framework for Healthcare Providers

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For all the talk about digital transformation, finding a doctor is still one of healthcare’s most frustrating experiences.In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore why access and accuracy remain elusive even as health systems roll out new self-service tools, AI agents, and “digital front door” platforms. The paradox is clear: smarter technology has not simplified the search for care—it has layered complexity on top of broken data. They discuss:

In the guest interview, Morgan Beschle, VP of Product at Kyruus Health, shares findings from a new 2025 study that exposes persistent provider data issues and highlights how consumers are redefining what “finding care” really means in the age of AI.

Mentions from the Show:

Charted: Wait for a doctor's appointment is longer than ever

 CMS Contract Year 2026 Proposed Rule

Morgan Beschle on LinkedIn

Kyruus Health

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As AI becomes more fluent, empathetic, and embedded in communication workflows, healthcare’s relationship with voice, empathy, and trust is being redefined. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore the coming shift where technology mediates the patient experience itself, interpreting emotions, intent, and tone.They discuss:

In the expert interview, Stephanie Wierwille, EVP of Engagement at BPD Healthcare, shares her perspective on how AI will reshape creativity, communication, and the psychology of trust, and why healthcare marketers must lead this next transformation.

Mentions from the Show:

Stephanie Wierwille on LinkedIn

BPD Insights

The Einstein Divide blog post

Laurin Engle Bobo on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The era of easy targeting and attribution in healthcare marketing is over. With disappearing cookies, stricter platform restrictions, and growing consumer expectations, health systems are being forced to rethink how they segment audiences, measure ROI, and test emerging channels. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Segmentation in a Privacy-First World – Why CDPs, not CRMs alone, are becoming the foundation for first-party and cohort-based targeting, and how to balance richer signals with regulatory risk.

Measurement in the Age of Proxies – How marketers can use matchbacks, lift studies, and proxy metrics (like click-to-directions or portal logins) to prove ROI when platforms restrict attribution.

Consumer Readiness for New Media – The growing role of CTV, podcasts, and AI-powered campaign tools — and why testing budgets and structured measurement are essential.

In our expert interview segment, Laurin Engle Bobo and Craig Blake from Amsive share insights from the field, including how they help health systems adapt segmentation strategies, measure ROI with imperfect data, and invest in emerging media without falling for hype.

Why this matters today: Healthcare marketers can no longer rely on “easy” targeting and reporting. Success will depend on how quickly they adapt to privacy-first segmentation, faster but defensible ROI proof, and disciplined experimentation in new media channels.

Mentions from the Show:

Amsive blog

Craig Blake on LinkedIn

Laurin Engle Bobo on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HIPAA is no longer the only rule that matters in healthcare privacy. State laws, FTC enforcement, and even wiretapping lawsuits are reshaping what health systems can and cannot do with data — and AI is adding another layer of complexity. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Beyond HIPAA: How state privacy laws and enforcement actions are redefining what “compliance” means for digital marketing.

Wiretapping lawsuits: Why session replay, chat tools, and pixels are pulling hospitals into new liability risks.

AI oversight: Where AI introduces opportunity in marketing workflows, and where it creates risk in advertising and personalization.

Compliance as differentiator: How health systems can turn responsible AI and privacy practices into trust-building brand advantages.

 In our expert interview segment, Jennifer Everett and Jen Pike from Alston & Bird share their legal perspective on HIPAA’s gaps, state law proliferation, FTC enforcement, and what marketers should expect next in AI regulation.

Why this matters today: Marketing leaders can no longer treat privacy as an afterthought. Success will depend on integrating legal frameworks and AI governance directly into digital strategy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For years, HIPAA has been the rulebook for healthcare privacy. But in 2025, the real drivers of risk (and opportunity) come from state laws, FTC enforcement, and lawsuits that extend well beyond traditional PHI. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Why state privacy laws are reshaping digital marketing more than HIPAA.

How the marketing funnel is being rewritten, with upper-funnel tactics carrying the highest risk.

Whether health systems should shift back to safer group-based targeting and focus more on owned channels.

How AI fits into this conversation — transformational for efficiency, but potentially dangerous in third-party advertising contexts.

Jeremy Mittler, CEO and Cofounder of Blueprint Audiences, unpacks how state laws are colliding with HIPAA, what enforcement trends are signaling to health systems, and why privacy must be built into every stage of the funnel.

Mentions from the Show:

IAPP US State Privacy Legislation Tracker

HHS OCR Bulletin: Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA-Covered Entities

IAPP: Key Trends in U.S. State Privacy Law Amendments (2025)

Court Vacates Portion of OCR Guidance Regarding Proscribed Combination

OCR Updates Guidance on Use of Online Tracking Technologies (Mar 2024)

Jeremy Mittler on LinkedIn

BlueprintAudiences.com

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health systems are facing a new reality: “do more with less” is no longer a slogan, it is the baseline. With shrinking margins, delayed capital investments, and workforce fatigue, marketing leaders are under pressure to deliver growth and digital progress with fewer resources. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Constraints as the new baseline: why financial pressure, staffing shortages, and stalled capital projects are redefining digital priorities.

Resilience over perfection: how leaders can avoid paralysis by prioritizing impact over effort and sequencing initiatives more intentionally.

The role of AI and efficiency: why digital and AI are high priorities but must be approached with caution, sequencing, and patient-first framing.

Chris Pace, VP Healthcare Industry at SearchStax, shares lessons from his post “When Strategy Meets Reality”, his pivot from Banner Health to the tech sector, and why patient-centered leadership frameworks matter most when resources are tight.

Mentions from the Show:

2025 US Health Care Executive Outlook — Deloitte

2025 Global Health Care Outlook

Digital Transformation Investment Gaps — McKinsey

Costs of Caring Report — AHA

2025 Workforce Scan — AHA

GenAI in Healthcare Trends — McKinsey

Chris Pace on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health systems have long promised to “break down silos,” but are marketing, IT, and clinical teams finally being forced to collaborate in meaningful ways? In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore how consumer expectations, ROI pressures, and enabling platforms are reshaping what patient engagement really means: 

From Silos to Systems – Why joint governance across marketing, IT, and operations is no longer optional, and how access- and flow-aware campaigns help avoid wasted spend.

Measuring What Really Matters – Why CTRs and impressions aren’t enough, and how marketers can prove ROI with metrics that tie directly to booked appointments, care-gap closure, and clinical outcomes.

The Role of Emerging Tech – How AI, programmatic media, and CRM platforms are influencing engagement strategies—when they deliver value, and when hype gets in the way.

They’re joined by Sam Seering and Josh Taranto from Epic Systems, who share how Epic’s CRM and Campaigns tools are supporting closed-loop outreach, practical ROI measurement, and the real-world lessons health systems are learning as they navigate consumer expectations and new technologies.

Mentions from the Show:

Deloitte: 2025 global health care outlook

Achieving Hospital-wide Patient Flow

The role of personalization in the care journey: An example of patient engagement to reduce readmissions

Becker’s Health systems’ ROI on generative AI

To help improve the accuracy of generative AI, add speed bumps

Epic Systems

Implementation Guide for Linking Digital Marketing to Appointments

Sam Seering on LinkedIn

Josh Taranto on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Healthcare marketers are navigating a landscape where martech is both exploding in scale and under pressure to prove its value. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore the latest shifts shaping the future of healthcare marketing and technology:

The rise of autonomous systems – moving from pilots to practical tools that reshape operations and engagement.

Human–machine collaboration – how AI copilots, wearables, and adaptive systems are augmenting—not replacing—marketing teams.

Scaling challenges – balancing infrastructure, talent, and regulatory realities in the age of compute-heavy GenAI workloads.

Personalization as strategy – why advanced targeting and AI-driven tools remain a growth lever for healthcare organizations.

Guest experts Kathy Divis and Mike Schneider from Greystone.net, share insights from their work with health systems across the country, and preview what’s ahead at the upcoming Healthcare Internet Conference (HCIC). Give it a listen and learn how marketing leaders can stay ahead of martech trends while preparing for the next wave of innovation.

Mentions from the Show:

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/mckinsey-digital/our-insights/the-top-trends-in-tech

https://www.deloittedigital.com/nl/en/insights/perspective/marketing-trends-2025.html

https://thehill.com/policy/technology/5460663-generative-ai-zero-returns-businesses-mit-report/amp/ 

https://www.williamflaiz.com/blog/marketing-ops-vs-revops-vs-martech-what-s-the-difference

Kathy Divis on LinkedIn

Mike Schneider on LinkedIn

Healthcare Interactive Conference

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Behavioral modeling is reshaping how campaigns are built, measured, and optimized, moving us from broad strokes to precise strategies that drive measurable impact. Hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore how healthcare organizations can adapt to this shift:

Why behavioral modeling changes media planning, creative strategy, and workflow collaboration.

Moving past CTRs to metrics that align with business outcomes like patient lifetime value and conversion quality.

How to personalize without crossing the “creepy” line and losing consumer confidence.

The role of modular content, analytics partnerships, and executive education in making this shift stick.

Tim Duer, VP of Data Analytics & Strategy at Causeway Solutions, shares his team’s work helping health systems apply behavioral modeling to marketing and communications. He provides best practices, lessons learned, and practical guardrails for building campaigns that are both precise and trustworthy.

Mentions from the Show:

Unlocking the next frontier of personalized marketing

Targeted Marketing Best Practices

Tim Duer on LinkedIn

CauseWaySolutions.com

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices