Lightstream partners with a wide range of healthcare and wellness providers, including health systems, health networks, practice groups, and digitally enabled value-based care platforms. Our clients range from large systems with more than 45 hospitals and 31,000 employees to single critical-access hospitals with fewer than 25 beds. We also work with digital medicine platforms that proactively manage chronic conditions. This breadth of experience gives us unique insight into the marketing and communication needs of today’s healthcare organizations.

We’ve specialized in healthcare marketing since 2012. Every business day, we add to this experience, supporting the marketing and communication needs of health systems and other healthcare and wellness providers. This gives us valuable insight into best practices, so we can help clients save time, reduce costs, and achieve better results.

Yes. We work with healthcare and wellness providers from coast to coast. Our clients find that we offer significant advantages over local agencies that lack an understanding of the industry. Because we work with such a variety of healthcare organizations, we bring a unique perspective on what works in different regions and for different types of providers

Our expertise includes every major audience that healthcare organizations communicate with to promote population health. This includes patients and their families across every demographic; advanced practice providers, other healthcare professionals, and staff; community members; and policymakers.

First, it saves time. Our clients don’t need to educate us about their services, audiences, or business goals. We already understand service-line, recruitment, referral, capital-raising, and brand awareness campaigns. We know how to approach shifting service-line capacity. We can introduce new services and promote new facilities. We understand how to support the C-suite with strategy documents and event presentations. We know how to communicate directly with advanced practice professionals. We are experienced with promoting internal initiatives to staff. And so much more. Second, our knowledge helps clients avoid costly missteps while making the most of new opportunities. Combined with our flat hourly rate and zero-markup business model, healthcare organizations benefit from proven expertise delivered with exceptional value.

Every day, we help health systems and other healthcare and wellness providers attract new patients and healthcare professionals, strengthen referral networks, deepen relationships with existing patients, inform and educate employees, strengthen ties to the community, and raise money for capital projects. We also support brand positioning and digital transformation initiatives. By combining our unique depth and breadth of industry expertise with cost-effective execution, we help healthcare organizations achieve business goals while building brand value over time.

Yes. We follow a structured onboarding process designed to make collaboration smooth from day one. During onboarding, we learn about your goals, challenges, communication preferences, and internal review procedures. We also share our experience and best practices. The process is flexible: Some clients move quickly, while others prefer a slower pace. In either case, our approach ensures a comfortable start, faster alignment, and better long-term results.

Our business model is built on transparency and client value. Key features include:

• Flat hourly rate: Our flat hourly rate is well below the industry average.
• No retainers or restrictive contracts: Clients can scale up or down as their needs change.
• No markups or commissions: Outside expenses such as printing, media, or distribution are passed through at cost.
• Transparent billing: Itemized monthly invoices provide full visibility into hours worked and outside costs.

No. We don’t require health systems and other healthcare and wellness providers to commit to a minimum number of hours. We work on a project-by-project basis, even when serving as a client’s agency of record. This flexibility allows clients to engage us when and how they need us, without being locked into restrictive agreements.

Our approach offers several advantages:

• Value: Deep industry expertise at a reasonable cost.
• Flexibility: Range of options for full-service support, ongoing programs, or individual projects.
• Results-focused: Recommendations that are always based on our clients’ needs, not the potential to make more commissions (because we don’t charge any).
• Transparency: Estimates and invoices that are clear, detailed, and easy to understand.

Clients engage with us in the way that provides the most value to them:

• Full-service partner: We handle nearly all marketing activities.
• Agency of record (AOR): We provide ongoing strategy, creative, and execution.
• Project-based resource: We step in for specific initiatives or overflow capacity.

Our client relationships often last for many years. For example, we have been working with our largest healthcare client for over a decade. Long-term partnerships like this demonstrate the value, trust, and results we deliver.

Yes. We collaborate seamlessly with in-house marketing teams at health systems and other healthcare and wellness providers. Our team frequently partners with internal staff to:

• Fill skill gaps: Providing specialized expertise in strategy, creative, web development, or media buying.
• Provide coverage: Supporting during vacations, leaves, or staffing transitions.
• Handle overflow: Taking on extra projects when workloads spike.

Yes. We will gladly work with your preferred vendors, whether they handle printing, distribution, or media placement. Because we don’t add markups or commissions, we have no profit motive in vendor selection. Our only priority is what’s best for your organization.

We typically issue monthly invoices covering the previous month’s work. Each invoice includes line-item detail showing how much time was spent and any outside costs, with no markup. This level of transparency ensures health systems and other healthcare and wellness providers know exactly where their money is going and can easily reconcile marketing expenses.

Our healthcare clients consistently give us positive feedback for our responsiveness, expertise, and results. If you’d like to hear directly from your peers, we’re happy to provide client references who can share their experience and the value Lightstream delivers.