These are truly unprecedented and challenging times. Countries around the globe are grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions. Drastic measures to curtail the spread of the virus have been implemented, including here in Ontario with the declared state of emergency and mandated closure of nonessential workplaces. The healthcare sector has been at the forefront of the fight to end the pandemic. Yet, this crisis will inevitably cease, and we will eventually return to a semblance of normalcy. To flourish, healthcare organizations or medical clinics need to think about things like healthcare website design and marketing services. In this article, we discuss 4 tips for healthcare clinics to thrive in a post Coronavirus landscape.

Have An Outstanding Website That Attracts New Clients And Increases Growth For Your Healthcare Practice

Once the pandemic ends, doctors must understand that outstanding website design will distinguish you from your competitors and attract new patients. A recent survey revealed that an astounding 63% of Canadians admitted they will not buy from a company that has a poorly designed website. This statistic is especially applicable to healthcare clinics, given that they must convey a high level of professionalism and trustworthiness. When it comes to their health, prospective patients will be far less inclined to choose a doctor with a website that does not exude credibility and absolute professionalism.

In a post Coronavirus landscape, it will be more important than ever for doctors and healthcare professionals to make a great first impression online with a well-designed, user-friendly, mobile-responsive website.

Exceptional Business Card Design Is An Indispensible Tool

For healthcare organizations or medical clinics to truly flourish once the crisis ceases, you must think about exceptional business card design. Within the healthcare industry in particular, business cards play a crucial role in conveying professional information, and creating a favourable first impression with potential patients and clients. Because conveying credibility and professionalism is paramount for those operating in the healthcare industry, a well-designed business card makes a powerful and lasting professional impression, gains brand awareness, and most importantly, trustworthiness.

SEO Strategies Will Be Imperative For Healthcare Clinics To Thrive

The COVID-19 pandemic will come to an end, and gradually things will return to normal. In a post Coronavirus landscape, healthcare and medical clinics should consider using effective professional SEO services. Small businesses that utilize the proven power of effective SEO will thrive. Not only will effective SEO strategies drive organic traffic to your clinic’s website, they will likewise maximize your ROI.

When the crisis inevitably dissipates, doctors and healthcare professionals must understand that effective SEO will be key to the success of their clinic. Proven SEO tactics such as optimizing your clinic or practice’s website for SEO, keyword research, in addition to using and optimizing Google My Business are all essential elements for success in a post Coronavirus landscape.

How The COVID-19 Economic Response Plan Pertains To Healthcare Clinics

The Coronavirus pandemic is a fluid situation, which shifts daily. Healthcare professionals are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19. The College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) is the regulatory body for all medical practitioners in the province. In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the CPSO released a statement:

“This is most certainly a difficult and challenging time for the world — especially for each of you within the Ontario healthcare community.

The CPSO’s expectation during a public health emergency is that physicians act in the best interests of their patients and support the provision of care directly or, where necessary, indirectly by supporting their colleagues and the larger system in responding to the emergency.

More than ever, it is important for the healthcare system to collaborate to meet the challenges we see today and the days ahead. This is a constantly evolving situation, and it will be essential for you to stay informed regarding appropriate practices from Public Health Ontario and other system partners. We will continue to work collectively to provide the best guidance available, and support you through this challenging and uncertain period.

Key Updates and Resources

• We have assembled answers to some of the more frequent questions we’re hearing from physicians and continue to update them as new questions arise.
• In an effort to help meet the increased demands on the healthcare system we are seeing, we are providing an expedited process for a Short Duration Certificate for applicants, which provides for a supervised license for a period of 30 days.
• We are also working closely with our colleagues across the country to expedite the registration of interprovincial applicants.

Ministry of Health COVID-19 Information

The Ministry of Health is providing regular updates on the status of cases in Ontario, and updating advice and guidance to the public.

Public Health Ontario has a resource page for healthcare providers, containing best practices for infection prevention and control of novel respiratory infections and comprehensive instructions for specimen collection, specimen requirements, specimen handling, testing methods and turnaround times.

Specific guidance for physicians and healthcare providers is available on the Ministry of Health’s website.

Physicians facing immediate challenges (less than 10 days of supply) with their personal protective equipment supply levels can email the ministry at EOCLogistics.MOH@ontario.ca. A Health Care Provider Hotline has also been setup at 1-866-212-2272.

The Minister of Health has issued a statement requesting that all hospitals further implement pandemic plans by carefully ramping down elective surgeries and other non-emergent clinical activity.

Government of Canada

The federal government is providing daily updates on the status of COVID-19 in Canada, with information on the situation across the country, as well as providing updates on the federal government’s response.

World Health Organization

The World Health Organization is providing daily updates on the global status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their daily situation reports include information on the global spread, as well as updates from the WHO’s Operations Supply and Logistics team on the availability of critical resources.

To supplement the inevitable income loss that many Canadians are experiencing during Coronavirus pandemic, it is important to understand the relief measures implemented by the federal government in the COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. Amongst the measures providing economic support to Canadians during this unprecedented time is the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB):

“We will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 every 4 weeks for up to 16 weeks to eligible workers who have lost their income due to COVID-19.

The CERB is available to workers who meet all of the following conditions:

• live in Canada and are at least 15 years old
• stopped working because of COVID-19 or are eligible for EI regular or sickness benefits
• have not voluntarily quit their job
• had income of at least $5,000 in 2019 or in the 12 months prior to the date of their application.

On April 15, we announced changes to the eligibility rules to:

• Allow people to earn up to $1,000 per month while collecting the CERB.
• Extend the CERB to seasonal workers who have exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to undertake their regular seasonal work because of COVID-19.
• Extend the CERB to workers who have recently exhausted their EI regular benefits and are unable to find a job because of COVID-19.

An online questionnaire will help us direct you to the service option that best fits your situation (i.e. eligibility for Employment Insurance benefits or not).”

Federal finance minister, Bill Morneau explained the impetus for the introduction of CERB.

“We know that people are worried about their health, their jobs and their financial situations. Our government is doing whatever it takes to protect the health and safety of Canadians, and to support workers, families and businesses. The Canada Emergency Response Benefit would make sure that money gets in the hands of workers as quickly as possible to support them in their time of need, and would help businesses keep their employees during this difficult period. Canadians can rest assured that the government stands ready to take any and all necessary actions as we continue to confront these challenging times together,” Morneau stated in a press release.

In addition, in the beginning of April the federal government announced the details of measures that will support Canadian businesses affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. On April 1, the Department of Finance announced the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS): 

“The Government of Canada is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to support Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of the global COVID-19 outbreak.

To help Canadians and businesses get through these tough economic times, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced that the Government is proposing to introduce a wage subsidy of 75 per cent for qualifying businesses, for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020.

This measure, which is a part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, would support businesses that are hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and would help protect the jobs Canadians depend on during these difficult times.

• The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy would apply at a rate of 75 per cent of the first $58,700 normally earned by employees – representing a benefit of up to $847 per week. The program would be in place for a 12-week period, from March 15 to June 6, 2020.
• Eligible employers who suffer a drop in gross revenues of at least 30 per cent in March, April or May, when compared to the same month in 2019, would be able to access the subsidy.
• Eligible employers would include employers of all sizes and across all sectors of the economy, with the exception of public sector entities.
• For non-profit organizations and registered charities similarly affected by a loss of revenue, the government will continue to work with the sector to ensure the definition of revenue is appropriate to their circumstances. The government is also considering additional support for non-profits and charities, particularly those involved in the front line response to COVID-19. Further details will be announced in the near term.
• An eligible employer’s entitlement to this wage subsidy will be based entirely on the salary or wages actually paid to employees. All employers would be expected to at least make best efforts to top up salaries to 100% of the maximum wages covered.”

As we are in the midst of this challenging and unprecedented time, it may seem difficult to behold a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Yet, the Coronavirus crisis will cease, and we will prevail collectively. In the interim, stay safe, stay well, stay connected to family, friends, and neighbours, and remember to be kind.

Sarah Bauder

Sarah Bauder is a senior content specialist at Little Dragon Media. Sarah has a degree in journalism and has a decade of experience writing content at numerous renowned publications. She enjoys writing about digital marketing, business, entrepreneurship and more.