It is widely held in healthcare that patients should always come first. And yet, our most important stakeholder can all too often be underrepresented in strategic marketing discussions. Which is why, over the past 30 years, I’ve felt it important to advocate for the voice of the patient at some of the country’s top healthcare organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic, Montefiore Health System, Northwell Health, OhioHealth, New York Proton Center, and in my current role as a healthcare marketing consultant. Together we’ve built consumer-grade health brands, increased conversion across the patient journey, and used bold, nontraditional tactics to engage with patients on a personal level.By aligning clinical leadership, operations, digital marketing, and public relations teams around what matters most to our patients, I’ve been fortunate to lead organizations to the forefront of digital engagement, help turnaround multi-million dollar service lines and, secure double-digit growth in market awareness and overall patient volume.