Case Study: Bloom Pediatric Partners Builds a Patient Waitlist in Less Than 12 Months

Executive Summary

While opening her pediatric clinic on the heels of a global pandemic, Dr. Melinda Beavers tried to balance business operations, patient care, patient acquisition, and social media management herself. Quickly, she realized the business model wasn't sustainable, so she turned to Social Cascade for support. With Social Cascade onboard, Dr. Beavers watched new social media followers convert to new patients, and one year later, her new pediatric clinic was running a new patient waitlist.

At a Glance

• Dr. Beavers reduced her time on social media each week from 15 hours to 15 minutes.
• The practice grew to 1,200 patients in less than 12 months without spending a single advertising dollar.
• Each month, Dr. Beavers reaches approximately 42,000 local families through social media.
• Relationships with Medicaid patients have improved due to Social Cascade's content strategy.
• Today, 1 out of 3 patient families follow the clinic on social media.

The Challenge

In 2022, Dr. Melinda Beavers opened Bloom Pediatric Partners in Angier, N.C. As if opening a medical practice on the heels of a global pandemic wasn't enough, Dr. Beavers was busy juggling between establishing her practice, acquiring new patients, and providing high-quality care.

"It's impossible to ignore the value of social media in today's society. I knew that social media could be our megaphone for reaching patients, but I was spending 15 hours or more each week on social media — time I could have spent caring for patients or at home with my family."

The Solution

Dr. Beavers handed the keys to Bloom Pediatric Partners' social media accounts to Social Cascade in 2022. Social Cascade used its AI-powered platform to develop relevant content for Dr. Beavers' patient population. In less than 12 months, social media followers grew exponentially, and that growth was all organic. Dr. Beavers has never spent a single advertising dollar on social media, yet the practice has reached 42,000 local families.

The clinic's new social media followers quickly led to new patients, and in 2023, Dr. Beavers moved to a larger office. By the end of that year, the practice had grown to 1,200 pediatric patients and implemented a patient waitlist.

"If you told my fresh-out-of-medical-school, aspirational self that I'd one day open a clinic in the middle of a global pandemic and not only survive but quickly have a waitlist of patients, I wouldn't have believed you."

Word of Mouth at Scale

Patient acquisition doesn't come from daily content posts alone. It also comes from personal recommendations made by parents. Every day, parents seek opinions and recommendations from other parents they know and trust, and they often use social media to reach the largest pool of opinions.

With Social Cascade, Bloom Pediatric Partners has 1 out of 3 patient families following them on social media, which directly funnels the practice's recommendations.

"Our patients are our biggest advocates, and they recommend us daily. When parents move to our community and inquire about local pediatricians, they find our existing patients recommending us on social media."

Reaching Medicaid Patients

Access to trusted information is particularly important for Dr. Beavers' rural community, many from low-income families or on Medicaid. Historically, reaching these patients at scale has been difficult. Bloom Pediatric Partners has found that roughly 20% of Medicaid patients change their phone number or address each year, making social media the most consistent way to stay connected.

A Word to Other Healthcare Providers

"My patients often ask if I plan to accept offers to expand or join a larger organization. While those offers can be tempting, I know it would change how I serve and care for patients. The culture I have created includes connecting with families inside and outside of the office, and that wouldn't be possible without social media."

Learn more about how Social Cascade is helping providers like Dr. Beavers stay top of mind and create meaningful patient relationships year-round. Start your 30-day free trial now.