Ignite: Healthcare Marketing Podcast

Hosted by Cardinal Digital Marketing

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247

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Hear the latest performance marketing strategies, industry news, and innovative tactics that will help grow your healthcare organization. Brought to you by Cardinal Digital Marketing, our CEO Alex Membrillo sits down with industry leaders and the nation's top healthcare marketing professionals to uncover practical insights to boost your digital presence and attract more patients.

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August 25, 2026Episode 22127 min

#221 - Building orthopedic growth through community partnerships

What if orthopedic growth starts long before a patient needs an appointment? On this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, VP of Brand Marketing at Cardinal, sits down with Brandon Weinberg, Senior Brand Strategist at Rothman Orthopaedics, to unpack how Rothman builds trust before the moment of need. Drawing on his background in sports marketing with the Philadelphia Phillies and Milwaukee Brewers, Brandon shares how Rothman uses community partnerships, patient stories, educational content, and digital access to stay relevant across the patient journey, from an urgent injury to elective surgery. In this episode, you'll learn: How sports partnerships create trust before patients need care How Rothman balances urgent and considered patient journeys Why authentic patient stories can strengthen orthopedic brand preference How marketing teams can grow demand while staying aligned with physician capacity If you want to rethink how your healthcare brand builds patient relationships before the moment of need, this episode is worth a listen. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Brandon - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ brandonweinberg/ Why capacity-driven marketing is non-negotiable - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ capacity-driven-marketing- media-investment-strategy/ What is a patient journey? Examples to grow your practice - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ what-is-a-patient-journey- grow-your-practice/ How to build a full-funnel healthcare marketing strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/ Why healthcare groups shouldn't fear website consolidation - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ multi-site-healthcare-groups- website-consolidation/

August 18, 2026Episode 22026 min

#220 - One brand strategy powers 40 dental locations

Most DSOs think scale requires complexity. But what if one brand could actually make growth simpler? On this episode of Ignite, host Ashley Petrochenko, VP of Brand Marketing at Cardinal, sits down with April Sharry, VP of Marketing at Dental Depot. April shares how she has spent 10 years helping scale the organization to 40 general dentistry locations and five orthodontic practices across four states, while keeping one recognizable brand at the center. She breaks down how that approach simplifies campaigns, budget allocation, and marketing operations while preserving the founder-led culture and community roots that make Dental Depot stand out. You'll walk away with: How one brand architecture simplifies marketing across dozens of locations Why founder-led culture protects brand integrity through expansion How fixing review management helped Dental Depot reach 4.7 stars Why community marketing can build recognition beyond traditional ROI If you're navigating multi-location growth or weighing a move toward one unified brand, this episode offers a practical blueprint for scaling without sacrificing what makes the brand memorable. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with April - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ aprilsharry/ DSO marketing: Branded house vs. house of brands - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/dso- marketing-branded-house-vs- house-of-brands/ Why healthcare groups shouldn't fear website consolidation - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ multi-site-healthcare-groups- website-consolidation/ 4 essential steps for marketing your de novo office - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/dso- de-novo-digital-marketing- strategy/ Dykema DSO 2026 takeaways: What dental marketers need to know for a strong EOY - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ dykema-dso-2026-takeaways- what-dental-marketers-need-to- know-for-a-strong-year-end/

August 11, 2026Episode 21918 min

#219 - From broken attribution to 14% dental patient growth

If you're still measuring marketing with disconnected dashboards, you're leaving patient growth on the table. In this episode of Ignite, host Ashley Petrochenko, VP of Brand Marketing, sits down with Kassie Churchill, VP of Marketing at Kids Care Dental & Orthodontics, to unpack how her team rebuilt a broken attribution system into 14% new patient growth. They dig into why AI search, online reviews, and hyperlocal marketing are reshaping how parents choose healthcare providers, and how to tie every initiative back to measurable business outcomes. You'll learn: How to rebuild attribution around patient growth instead of vanity metrics Why AI search and ChatGPT are already driving patient bookings How a review generation strategy drove an 85% increase in five star reviews How to prove marketing's impact with executive-level metrics Listen in to learn how today's healthcare marketers are turning better measurement into better patient growth. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Kassie - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ churchillk/ Optimizing for AI search: A new era in healthcare marketing - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ optimizing-for-ai-search-a- new-era-in-healthcare- marketing/ What is a patient journey? Examples to grow your practice - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ what-is-a-patient-journey- grow-your-practice/ How to build a full-funnel healthcare marketing strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/ Building a privacy-safe engine for patient growth - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ health-system-privacy-safe- measurement-framework-case- study/

August 4, 2026Episode 21816 min

#218 - CTV Isn't Just a Branding Channel Anymore

Your bottom-funnel channels can only take you so far. If you're pouring more budget into search or Meta and paying more for the same pool of patients, it may be time to rethink how you're generating demand. On this episode of the Ignite Healthcare Marketing Podcast, Lauren Leone, President of Cardinal Digital Marketing, sits down with Ruchi Patel, Group Media Director at Cardinal, to explain why Connected TV has evolved from a branding tactic into one of healthcare marketing's most effective demand generation channels. Drawing from real client campaigns, Ruchi shares how healthcare organizations can overcome market saturation, expand their audience before patients start searching, and turn CTV into an evergreen driver of patient growth. You'll learn: Why bottom-funnel marketing eventually reaches a growth ceiling How CTV creates demand that improves downstream conversions The KPIs that prove CTV is driving business results How to optimize CTV with audience, creative, and cross-channel testing If you want to build a more sustainable patient acquisition strategy instead of simply spending more on existing channels, this is an episode you won't want to miss. RELATED RESOURCES When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ expanding-channel-media-mix- strategy/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ performance-creative-the-key- to-paid-media-success/

July 28, 2026Episode 21716 min

#217 - Speed to Lead Wins More Patients

Generating more leads isn't enough if patients can't book an appointment when they're ready. In this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko Cardinal's VP of Brand Marketing sits down with Dental Marketing Industry Expert Ana Doran to explore why patient acquisition depends on more than great campaigns. Drawing on her experience supporting multi-location dental organizations, Ana shares how speed to lead, operational readiness, AI-powered engagement, and authentic branding help practices turn more inquiries into booked appointments. You'll learn: Why responding within 30 seconds can dramatically improve appointment bookings Why marketing and operations must work together to drive patient growth Why show rates matter more than lead volume when measuring marketing success What to validate before scaling a winning campaign across locations If you want your marketing to convert more patients instead of simply generating more leads, hit play on this episode. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Ana - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ ana-doran-ab5b53185/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-marketing- operations-alignment/ Is Your Organization Actually Ready for Marketing? - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ marketing-readiness/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ what-is-a-patient-journey- grow-your-practice/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/

July 21, 2026Episode 21626 min

#216 - Patient Acquisition Starts With Operations

Healthcare marketing doesn't have a lead problem. It has an operations problem. In this episode of Ignite, Ashley Petrochenko, VP of Brand Marketing at Cardinal, sits down with Colleen Mulder, a Multi-site, Private Equity Marketing Consultant and Fractional CMO, to explore why patient acquisition depends on far more than great marketing. Colleen shares how the fastest-growing healthcare organizations align marketing, operations, finance, and providers to turn patient demand into measurable business growth, instead of losing patients somewhere between the click and the appointment. You'll walk away with: Why patient acquisition depends on operational readiness, not just marketing spend How to measure marketing using completed visits, revenue, and EBITDA instead of vanity metrics Why referrals and direct-to-patient marketing should work together across one patient journey A practical framework for scaling campaigns across multiple locations without creating operational bottlenecks If you want to prove marketing's impact beyond leads and build a stronger healthcare growth engine, this is the episode to queue up next. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Colleen - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ colleen-mulder-94717310/ Marketing + Operations: Why Total Alignment is Vital to Growth - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-marketing- operations-alignment/ Why Capacity-Driven Marketing Is Non-Negotiable - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ capacity-driven-marketing- media-investment-strategy/ Is Your Organization Actually Ready for Marketing? - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ marketing-readiness/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ what-is-a-patient-journey- grow-your-practice/

July 14, 2026Episode 21528 min

#215 - Patient Trust Starts With Cutting Red Tape

Patient trust is becoming one of the biggest competitive advantages in healthcare, and reducing friction is where it starts. On this episode of Ignite, host Rich Briddock, Cardinal's Chief Strategy Officer, sits down with Pete Deutschman, CMO and Chief Partnership Officer at patient.com , to discuss why one of healthcare's biggest challenges isn't clinical quality, it's administrative friction. Pete shares how confusing benefits, repeat paperwork, and fragmented digital experiences create real barriers to care, and why trusted, AI-powered navigation will define the next era of healthcare marketing. In this episode you'll learn: Why patient trust has become a key driver of healthcare growth How administrative friction hurts both patient experience and provider performance What patients actually fear about AI recommendations in healthcare Practical ways healthcare marketers can build stronger, long-term patient relationships If you're looking to better understand how patient trust and administrative friction are shaping the future of healthcare marketing, this episode is worth a listen. RELATED RESOURCES Connect with Pete - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ petedeutschman/ What is a Patient Journey? Examples to Grow Your Practice - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ what-is-a-patient-journey- grow-your-practice/ 2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-marketing-trends- 2026/ Harnessing the Power of AI Marketing for Healthcare - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ harnessing-ai-marketing-for- healthcare/ How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-full-funnel- marketing-strategy/

July 7, 2026Episode 21432 min

#214 - The Strategists' Corner: Getting Leadership Buy In

Healthcare marketers often know what needs to change. Getting the organization to act on it is the hard part. In episode three of The Strategists' Corner, host Rich Briddock sits down again with Ben Dutter, Chief Strategy Officer at Power Digital, to explore why the biggest barrier to better marketing isn't strategy. It's organizational change. Together, they unpack what actually drives resistance inside marketing teams, how to challenge long held assumptions with evidence, and how to build a testing culture that earns leadership trust. You'll learn: The three real blockers stopping marketing teams from changing course Why provocation often works better than education when driving change How long to actually run a test before you call it a failure How to build testing roadmaps that earn stakeholder trust and improve performance If you've ever struggled to get your team or C-suite on board with a better way forward, this is the episode that gives you the tools to make the case. RELATED RESOURCES The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ healthcare-incrementality- testing/ RevRx™: Unlocking the Power of Media Mix Modeling - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ media-mix-modeling-revrx/ When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ expanding-channel-media-mix- strategy/ How to Build a Healthcare Marketing Roadmap That Drives Patient Growth - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/how- to-build-digital-marketing- roadmap/

June 30, 2026Episode 21316 min

#213 - The Creative Briefing Is Now a Media Decision

Your Meta targeting isn't reaching who you think it is, and your creative is why. On this episode of Ignite Healthcare Marketing Podcast, Cardinal President Lauren Leone sits down with Group Media Director Brandon Wilhelm to break down why creative is now the most important media decision you make. As AI-driven platforms like Meta and Google take over audience selection, the concepts and assets you load into a campaign have become the primary signal determining who sees your ads. If your creative brief isn't being built alongside your media strategy, you're already behind. You'll walk away knowing: Why Meta's Andromeda update shifted targeting power to your creative How to build distinct messaging pillars that actually move performance What a 3x performance lift looks like when creative strategy leads the build How to unify creative concepts across paid social, search, and programmatic If you're still relying on audience targeting as your main growth strategy, this conversation will change how you think about media performance. RELATED RESOURCES Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ performance-creative-the-key- to-paid-media-success/ How Meta's Andromeda Changes Healthcare Marketing Forever - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ meta-andromeda-update/ Mastering Performance Max (PMAX) for Healthcare - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ performance-max-pmax- healthcare-guide/ The Meta Strategy That Reduced Acquisition Costs by 73% - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ meta-strategy-patient- acquisition-case-study/

June 23, 2026Episode 21215 min

#212 - The Real Role of AI in Healthcare Performance Creative

AI won't save a weak creative strategy, it will just produce more of it, faster. Cardinal's President Lauren Leone sits down with Sr. Creative Director Jean Zhang on the Ignite Healthcare Marketing Podcast to break down what it actually takes to make AI work in healthcare marketing. From Meta's Andromeda update to real production tests comparing AI video against traditional shoots, this conversation covers the creative shift that's quietly reshaping performance marketing. You'll walk away knowing: Why creative diversity is now a targeting signal, not just a design preference How to use AI for production speed without losing brand authenticity Where AI genuinely falls short in the creative process (and what to do instead) Quick wins in-house teams can act on right now with limited resources If you're trying to keep up with the changing role of creative in healthcare marketing, don't miss this conversation. RELATED RESOURCES How Meta's Andromeda Changes Healthcare Marketing Forever - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ meta-andromeda-update/ Performance Creative: The Key to Paid Media Success - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ performance-creative-the-key- to-paid-media-success/ Harnessing the Power of AI Marketing for Healthcare - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ harnessing-ai-marketing-for- healthcare/ Mastering Performance Max (PMAX) for Healthcare - https://www. cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/ healthcare-resources/blog/ performance-max-pmax- healthcare-guide/