#202 - Patient Acquisition Needs Programmatic Infrastructure

If your patient acquisition strategy depends on last-click performance, you're missing the system that actually drives demand.

In this episode of Ignite, Lauren Leone, Cardinal's Chief Growth Officer, sits down with Lisa Fisher, Associate Media Director, Paid Social & Programmatic Lead, to break down why programmatic should be treated as always-on infrastructure, not a short-term campaign. They share how healthcare marketers can use programmatic to build demand, improve performance across channels, and drive measurable growth over time. This shift is critical as competition increases and traditional channels hit saturation.

You will learn:

• Why small programmatic budgets fail and what to do instead

• How programmatic increases branded search and organic performance

• The right way to measure impact beyond last-click attribution

• How to build full-funnel patient journeys with video and CTV

If you want a more scalable and predictable patient acquisition strategy, this is the episode to queue up next.

RELATED RESOURCES

Connect with Lauren- https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurenthomasdigital/

Connect with Lisa- https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisaruthfisher/

How to Build a Full-Funnel Healthcare Marketing Strategy - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-full-funnel-marketing-strategy/

The Search Plateau Problem: Why Healthcare Providers Need Incrementality Testing - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-incrementality-testing/

When & How to Expand Your Healthcare Media Mix - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/expanding-channel-media-mix-strategy/

2026 Healthcare Marketing Trends: The New Rules Redefining Growth - https://www.cardinaldigitalmarketing.com/healthcare-resources/blog/healthcare-marketing-trends-2026/