Healthcare Is Looking for Solutions. Can They Find Yours?
Yesterday I attended the second edition of Frontlines & Founders – Reverse Pitch in Innovation, hosted by Institut du Savoir Montfort in Ottawa, ON. The premise is simple: Instead of startups pitching hospitals, healthcare organizations pitch their real, operational challenges to founders. Innovators in the room listen, explore collaboration, and build solutions grounded in real-world care environments. Some presenters admitted their organizations didn’t know where to start to find the technologies they needed. Did they already exist? Or did they need to be invented? Sitting in the room as a content marketer, their requests for help reinforced one core truth: HealthTech doesn’t have an innovation problem. It has a discoverability problem. The companies that will win are the ones that are visible, credible, and specific enough to be found when healthcare organizations search for solutions. Healthcare Organizations Are Seeking Solutions At the Frontlines & Founders event, healthcare leaders from the region outlined six specific operational challenges they are actively trying to solve. The challenges presented were operational and urgent. The requests for HealthTech solutions included: A sleep clinic with a fax backlog looking for an automation that digitizes intake, reduces manual triage, improves demand visibility, and modernizes scheduling to shorten access times. —Presented by Julie Poulin from Hôpital Montfort Radiologists overwhelmed by constant interruptions looking for a communication triage solution that prioritizes urgent messages, confirms receipt, and protects deep diagnostic workflow. —Presented by Matt Head, MRT(R)(MR), MRSO(MRSC) from CHEO A 600+ bed hospital juggling 12–15 daily admissions into highly specialized units looking for predictive bed planning technology that maps upcoming admissions, optimizes bed matching, and reduces unnecessary transfers. —Presented by Kathy Greene from Bruyère Health A hospital delivering 10,000 minutes of translation annually, looking for a scalable, privacy-compliant, on-demand translation technology. —Presented by Blake Daly from Bruyère Health A rehab hospital looking for digital tools, clinical supports, or training innovations that bridge rehab and addiction care within existing workflows. —Presented by Allison Philpot from Providence Care A critical care team buried in unstructured shift handovers and 60–200 page charts across multiple EHR screens, looking for an AI-powered summary tool that generates structured handover reports and patient snapshots. —Presented by Marie Parish from Hôpital Montfort HealthTech’s Discoverability Problem If you work in HealthTech marketing long enough, it’s easy to become cynical. You can start to believe hospitals don’t want change. Or that clinicians resist new tools. Or that procurement is a brick wall. Or that your job is to “convince” organizations to adopt something they never asked for. Yesterday’s event demolished that narrative. Healthcare leaders weren’t defending the status quo. They were asking for help. Canadian hospitals are actively seeking collaboration with technology vendors. Meanwhile, networks like CAN Health Network are conducting market scans to identify Canadian companies aligned with each challenge. And it’s true—sometimes an organization can’t find a product because it hasn’t been brought to market yet. But often healthcare organizations struggle to find the right solutions because: There are thousands of vendors. Messaging is generic or confusing. Case studies are vague. Differentiation is unclear. Operational fit is hard to assess quickly. As a HealthTech vendor, if your story is unclear, quiet, or buried under jargon, you will not be found. For example, if your product reduces fax backlog but your homepage says “transforming digital care ecosystems,” then no sleep clinic director will recognize themselves in your message. Or if your tool triages clinical communication but your content speaks to “workflow optimization,” you will get lost in the noise. The Power Of Clarity and Storytelling for HealthTech Companies Events like Frontlines & Founders aren’t just innovation showcases. They are reminders that marketing can’t be an afterthought. It needs to be done strategically, centered around clear explanations and precise storytelling. If you are building in HealthTech: Tell your story in operational language. Name the exact problem you solve. Quantify the impact. Show where you’ve deployed. Make it easy for hospitals to see themselves in your solution. Because here’s what I saw yesterday: The companies that will win are the ones that are visible, credible, and specific enough to be found when healthcare organizations search for solutions. And their leaders are already searching. Have you made your solution easy enough to discover? About Me Lauren McGill (NÉE Root) WRITER | CONSULTANT | fCMO I’m a Canadian freelance medical writer with 15 years of healthcare experience, helping SaaS providers, clinical research firms, regulatory agencies, and physicians tell impactful medical stories. With a background in medical transcription and hands-on work in the ICU, palliative care, rehab, and ER, I bring real-world medical insight to my writing. Today, I help B2B healthtech companies makers of EMRs, digital front doors, research software, and digital care tools craft stories that drive sales. Linkedin Envelope Get your free playbook here Get the Playbook Sign up for my Newsletter Get honest, thoughtful insights on marketing, writing, and strategy—straight from my desk to your inbox. SubscribeBuilt with Kit Stop waiting for “later.” Become the authority now. Book a free discovery call, or send a message directly. Let’s talk about how to define your category and build your authority. Book a free discovery call now RootWord – Website Inquiry Full NameEmailHow can we help?Send Message
Find Your Story. Tell It Loudly.
It’s every founder’s dream: Getting a call from a big reporter who wants to feature your company. But in a recent conversation with a Canadian healthtech founder, I was reminded that there can be a dark side to media mentions. First though, let’s talk about what media mentions are, and why they matter. What are media mentions? Media mentions happen when a publication, journalist, podcast host, newsletter writer, or influencer references your company, product, founder, or research in their content—without you paying for it. Think: A quote in a TechCrunch or Forbes article A mention of your product on a healthcare innovation podcast Your product listed in a “Top 10 AI Tools for Hospitals” roundup Your clinical results mentioned in a medical journal Why do media mentions matter for HealthTech? Media mentions act as third-party validation in a space where trust is everything. Health systems, investors, and regulators are naturally skeptical—so when someone else vouches for you, it carries weight. A mention of product in the media can help you: Build credibility with enterprise buyers and decision-makers Establish thought leadership in a niche vertical Attract investor and partner attention Boost SEO and organic visibility Create social proof for sales and fundraising decks This kind of coverage builds trust because someone else is vouching for you. Are there any downsides? So what could possibly be the downside? Zero control. In the case of the HealthTech founder I spoke with, he had done it all right. He had nurtured long-term relationships with reputable journalists. He reached out proactively to the media with compelling, specific stories. So naturally, he was thrilled when a big newspaper reached out to interview him for a piece on his company’s technology. But when the article came out? Disappointment. “I realized you don’t have control over the headline and some editors prioritize shock value,” he told me. Although his product wasn’t painted in a bad light, the overall story angle wasn’t entirely positive. “There’s all this talk about the need for healthcare innovation, but then when you share your story, it can get twisted to fit into a negative narrative.” What should you do? Do I offer this anecdote to scare you off earned media mentions? Absolutely not! Despite his initial disappointment, this founder was quick to point out the bump in new users when the article went live. It’s important to understand the limits of earned media. If you want full control over the final story, it may be best to consider other avenues. That’s why I typically recommend a blend of earned media mentions, combined with other messaging strategies to get your story told both widely and accurately. Want to learn about the role of paid media next? I’ll tackle that in my next newsletter. About Me Lauren McGill (NÉE Root) WRITER | CONSULTANT | fCMO I’m a Canadian freelance medical writer with 15 years of healthcare experience, helping SaaS providers, clinical research firms, regulatory agencies, and physicians tell impactful medical stories. With a background in medical transcription and hands-on work in the ICU, palliative care, rehab, and ER, I bring real-world medical insight to my writing. Today, I help B2B healthtech companies makers of EMRs, digital front doors, research software, and digital care tools craft stories that drive sales. Linkedin Envelope Get your free playbook here Get the Playbook Sign up for my Newsletter Get honest, thoughtful insights on marketing, writing, and strategy—straight from my desk to your inbox. SubscribeBuilt with Kit Stop waiting for “later.” Become the authority now. Book a free discovery call, or send a message directly. Let’s talk about how to define your category and build your authority. Book a free discovery call now RootWord – Website Inquiry Full NameEmailHow can we help?Send Message
Is there ever a downside to media mentions?
It’s every founder’s dream: Getting a call from a big reporter who wants to feature your company. But in a recent conversation with a Canadian healthtech founder, I was reminded that there can be a dark side to media mentions. First though, let’s talk about what media mentions are, and why they matter. What are media mentions? Media mentions happen when a publication, journalist, podcast host, newsletter writer, or influencer references your company, product, founder, or research in their content—without you paying for it. Think: A quote in a TechCrunch or Forbes article A mention of your product on a healthcare innovation podcast Your product listed in a “Top 10 AI Tools for Hospitals” roundup Your clinical results mentioned in a medical journal Why do media mentions matter for HealthTech? Media mentions act as third-party validation in a space where trust is everything. Health systems, investors, and regulators are naturally skeptical—so when someone else vouches for you, it carries weight. A mention of product in the media can help you: Build credibility with enterprise buyers and decision-makers Establish thought leadership in a niche vertical Attract investor and partner attention Boost SEO and organic visibility Create social proof for sales and fundraising decks This kind of coverage builds trust because someone else is vouching for you. Are there any downsides? So what could possibly be the downside? Zero control. In the case of the HealthTech founder I spoke with, he had done it all right. He had nurtured long-term relationships with reputable journalists. He reached out proactively to the media with compelling, specific stories. So naturally, he was thrilled when a big newspaper reached out to interview him for a piece on his company’s technology. But when the article came out? Disappointment. “I realized you don’t have control over the headline and some editors prioritize shock value,” he told me. Although his product wasn’t painted in a bad light, the overall story angle wasn’t entirely positive. “There’s all this talk about the need for healthcare innovation, but then when you share your story, it can get twisted to fit into a negative narrative.” What should you do? Do I offer this anecdote to scare you off earned media mentions? Absolutely not! Despite his initial disappointment, this founder was quick to point out the bump in new users when the article went live. It’s important to understand the limits of earned media. If you want full control over the final story, it may be best to consider other avenues. That’s why I typically recommend a blend of earned media mentions, combined with other messaging strategies to get your story told both widely and accurately. Want to learn about the role of paid media next? I’ll tackle that in my next newsletter. About Me Lauren McGill (NÉE Root) WRITER | CONSULTANT | fCMO I’m a Canadian freelance medical writer with 15 years of healthcare experience, helping SaaS providers, clinical research firms, regulatory agencies, and physicians tell impactful medical stories. With a background in medical transcription and hands-on work in the ICU, palliative care, rehab, and ER, I bring real-world medical insight to my writing. Today, I help B2B healthtech companies makers of EMRs, digital front doors, research software, and digital care tools craft stories that drive sales. Linkedin Envelope Get your free playbook here Get the Playbook Sign up for my Newsletter Get honest, thoughtful insights on marketing, writing, and strategy—straight from my desk to your inbox. SubscribeBuilt with Kit Stop waiting for “later.” Become the authority now. Book a free discovery call, or send a message directly. Let’s talk about how to define your category and build your authority. Book a free discovery call now RootWord – Website Inquiry Full NameEmailHow can we help?Send Message
Is your content optimized for ChatGPT?
There’s a shift happening in how buyers research and choose HealthTech products. And it’s happening fast. A year ago, a hospital CIO might have Googled: “Top remote patient monitoring platforms 2024”. But today? They’re asking ChatGPT: “Which remote patient monitoring platforms are best for chronic condition management in rural populations?” Depending on what content exists about your company, you might show up in the answer. Or you might not. Whether or not your product appears will partially depend on the quality and quantity of your BOFU content. What is BOFU content? BOFU = Bottom of Funnel. It’s the type of content you create for decision-ready buyers—the people comparing you to alternatives, building their shortlist, or asking legal and procurement to vet you. If you’re in a competitive HealthTech space, this is kind of content that earns trust and moves deals forward. It’s about your product. Your approach. Your features. Your benefits. BOFU pieces are not always flashy, but this is the stuff buyers are actively looking for—and tools like ChatGPT increasingly rely on to give accurate answers. BOFU content includes: Product comparison pages Use-case-specific landing pages One-pagers and datasheets Buyer FAQs and evaluation guides Pricing explainers Case studies (with real metrics) Objection-handling blog posts “Why choose us over [X]” articles Security, compliance, and integration documentation Why does BOFU matter now? The way people search has changed. Until very recently, search engines rewarded high-level, TOFU (top of funnel) content, which answered questions like “What is virtual care?” or “Why does interoperability matter?” But now, large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Gemini are trained to summarize content from your website. That means if your company is going to be mentioned in someone’s research phase, you need product-level content for LLMs to pull from. No BOFU content? No mention. If your potential clients can’t find clear, credible, bottom-of-funnel content from you, then they’ll go with the company that did show up. (Even if your product is better.) Here’s a good place to start in the next two minutes: ask ChatGPT what it knows about your product. You might be surprised to find what’s missing. And then you can get to work filling those gaps. About Me Lauren McGill (NÉE Root) WRITER | CONSULTANT | fCMO I’m a Canadian freelance medical writer with 15 years of healthcare experience, helping SaaS providers, clinical research firms, regulatory agencies, and physicians tell impactful medical stories. With a background in medical transcription and hands-on work in the ICU, palliative care, rehab, and ER, I bring real-world medical insight to my writing. Today, I help B2B healthtech companies makers of EMRs, digital front doors, research software, and digital care tools craft stories that drive sales. Linkedin Envelope Get your free playbook here Get the Playbook Sign up for my Newsletter Get honest, thoughtful insights on marketing, writing, and strategy—straight from my desk to your inbox. SubscribeBuilt with Kit Stop waiting for “later.” Become the authority now. Book a free discovery call, or send a message directly. Let’s talk about how to define your category and build your authority. Book a free discovery call now RootWord – Website Inquiry Full NameEmailHow can we help?Send Message
Should you pay for media coverage?
Wondering if paid media coverage is the right move? Here’s the honest answer: Sometimes, yes. But not always. And not everywhere. What is paid media? Paid media is exposure you pay for. It gives you immediate reach and control over messaging through things like sponsored content, native ads, paid partnerships, and influencer campaigns. How paid media supports fundraising and market entry If you are an early-stage HealthTech company, paid media can play a supporting role in two key milestones: fundraising and new market entry. Fundraising: Investors do their homework. If your company appears in a respected outlet—even if it’s sponsored—it creates a perception of legitimacy. A well-placed piece in MedCity News or Endpoints that clearly communicates your traction, your vision, and your differentiation can reinforce what your pitch deck says. But never rely on it to replace the pitch. Market entry: When you’re entering a new region, specialty area, or buyer segment, sponsored content can help compress the time it takes to build awareness. A targeted piece in a channel your new buyers already trust (like HIT Consultant, Fierce Healthcare, or a niche LinkedIn newsletter) can signal relevance and familiarity—even if they haven’t heard of your brand before. When should you pay for media coverage? When to consider paying: When you can place your sponsored content in a publication your buyers actually read When paid newsletter placements will reach industry-specific audiences When you can produce native ads that feel educational—not salesy When not to: If the outlet is unknown or shady If they promise to “interview” your founder—if you pay a fee If there’s no real audience fit, and no trust value. If you haven’t nailed your messaging yet But first, messaging Paid media isn’t evil. It’s just a tool. And it works best when used strategically to complement earned and owned content. But it should never be your starting point without first establishing strong messaging or strategy. If you do, it can fall flat or feel salesy. Invest in clarity first, then amplify strategically. Want help figuring out where paid media fits in your marketing mix? Book a Power Hour with me to figure out what’s a worthwhile investment for your brand. About Me Lauren McGill (NÉE Root) WRITER | CONSULTANT | fCMO I’m a Canadian freelance medical writer with 15 years of healthcare experience, helping SaaS providers, clinical research firms, regulatory agencies, and physicians tell impactful medical stories. With a background in medical transcription and hands-on work in the ICU, palliative care, rehab, and ER, I bring real-world medical insight to my writing. Today, I help B2B healthtech companies makers of EMRs, digital front doors, research software, and digital care tools craft stories that drive sales. Linkedin Envelope Get your free playbook here Get the Playbook Sign up for my Newsletter Get honest, thoughtful insights on marketing, writing, and strategy—straight from my desk to your inbox. SubscribeBuilt with Kit Stop waiting for “later.” Become the authority now. Book a free discovery call, or send a message directly. Let’s talk about how to define your category and build your authority. Book a free discovery call now RootWord – Website Inquiry Full NameEmailHow can we help?Send Message