Fixing the Funnel

How Better Patient Experiences Drove 50% More Surgeries and Doubled Engagement

A complete rebuild of how patients discover, trust, and move through care — from first click to lasting change.

At a Glance

Salem Health Bariatric Surgery Clinic was losing potential patients because the intake process was slow and confusing.
I led a full marketing overhaul, looking at every touchpoint in the marketing funnel and onboarding process.
I transformed the clinic's digital presence, simplifying the web journey and turning the in-person info session into an on-demand video.
We created a clearer story, better resources, and a smoother signup path for patients.
The result was more qualified leads, fewer drop-offs, and a scalable system the team still uses today.
Roles: strategy, messaging, content development, coordination with clinical and video teams.

Background

When I began working with Salem Health Bariatric Surgery Clinic, the program had excellent clinical outcomes but struggled to grow. Patients were starting the process but rarely making it to surgery.

Many patients weren't aware of the reasons that might disqualify them from surgery (e.g., not quitting smoking, weighing too much). The first two appointments with the clinic were meeting with a nutritionist first and then with a surgeon—both appointments were offered at no cost to the patient. All too often, patients would find out while meeting with a surgeon that they were not eligible for bariatric surgery. This frequent scenario cost the clinic in time, money, and resources.

My goal was to reverse that trend and create a funnel where unqualified people didn't even enter. I aimed to elevate the clinic’s credibility, simplify the patient experience, and turn interest into action.

Challenges

The patient journey was confusing and inefficient from the start.

When someone expressed interest in bariatric surgery, staff mailed them a thick packet of mixed materials—forms of different sizes, brochures from various organizations, and no consistent branding. Each packet had to be assembled by hand.

Many patients never returned the forms, or sent them back incomplete. Staff then mailed another partial packet, wasting time, money, and effort.

Meanwhile, the website was outdated and text-heavy, lacked mobile functionality, and didn’t reflect the quality of care offered. With no online intake process and minimal advertising, potential patients often never reached the clinic at all.

Objectives

Simplify and modernize the patient journey.
Reduce mailing costs and staff workload.
Strengthen brand credibility and digital visibility.
Increase qualified leads and surgical conversions.
Improve post-surgery engagement and long-term retention.

Strategy

The strategy centered on clarity, credibility, and consistency.

Clarity

Simplify the process and make every step transparent.

Redesigned website navigation
Launched bilingual content
Simplified forms

Credibility

Modernize the digital experience to match Portland-level competitors.

Improved visual design
Added patient testimonials
Strengthened SEO

Consistency

Ensure every touchpoint—from website to waiting room—felt unified and trustworthy.

Unified messaging
Created digital assets for staff
Built analytics dashboard

Taking Action

To reach my objectives while following my strategy, the next steps forward were big, yet important. I didn't want to create a quick solution that would require another big investment soon. I wanted to create impactful, lasting change. The following actions would create that:

Rebuild the digital experience
Create an easy-to-follow onboarding journey
Develop patient education materials (online & offline)
Expand awareness with advertising
Improve post-surgery engagement
Elevate the brand at every touchpoint

Rebuild the Digital Experience

Before the redesign, the bariatric surgery website felt outdated and disconnected from how patients actually made decisions. Important details were buried under long paragraphs, and the site lacked a clear way to move from interest to action. Analytics showed high bounce rates on key informational pages and little engagement with conversion points such as seminar sign-ups and consultations. The digital journey didn’t match the emotional and practical steps patients were taking offline, making it harder for them to take the next step with confidence.

I rebuilt the journey around patient needs and questions. The site now guides people through simple steps—check eligibility, watch the info session, and see what to do next. I created a resources page for both pre- and post-surgery patients, set up easy access to support groups, and rewrote FAQs in plain language so patients can move from “curious” to “ready” with confidence. I also aligned messaging with patient motivations gathered from surveys and staff feedback, ensuring the site felt human and trustworthy.

Each change was deliberate, reduced friction, and made the next step obvious.

Old Homepage

Cluttered layout: Competing boxes and colors make it hard to follow a clear journey.
No hierarchy of actions: Users don’t know where to start — multiple “More…” links cause confusion.
Outdated visuals: Stock-style imagery (e.g., checklist, stomach diagram) feels impersonal and clinical.
Lack of story or emotion: No real patient stories or visual warmth; doesn’t inspire trust or motivation.
Poor mobile experience: Multi-column grid and heavy text don’t scale well.
Weak conversion path: No clear funnel toward consultation, seminar signup, or contact form.

Old Homepage

New Homepage

Streamlined navigation: Clear single journey from awareness → eligibility → action.
Human-centered design: Real patients, video stories, and lifestyle imagery replace stock visuals.
Emotional connection: Motivational messaging (“real stories,” “start your journey”) drives engagement.
Modern layout: White space, consistent color palette, and scannable sections improve readability.
Mobile-first design: Responsive structure with strong CTA visibility across devices.
Conversion optimization: Simplified paths for “Take the quiz,” “Attend a seminar,” or “Contact us.”
SEO & accessibility: Updated page titles, headers, and alt text improved search visibility and ADA compliance.

Create an Easy-to-Follow Onboarding Journey

The onboarding process was arguably the crux of the problem. The clinic team only said they wanted more patients, but I could see clearly the biggest obstacle was onboarding.

After implementing this process, incomplete submissions dropped to nearly zero, while staff regained hours each week that had been spent compiling and mailing packets.

STEP 1
Make sure you qualify

I started the process with eligibility so people quickly know if bariatric surgery is an option—or how it could become one. Before asking anyone to fill out forms or book appointments, I thought it was necessary to have them check the requirements. This sets expectations, prevents frustration, and saves time so qualified patients can move forward faster.

STEP 2
Watch an information session

I replaced the monthly in-person info session with a single on-demand video. We tightened and cleaned up the existing video to meet brand standards and ensure it was easy to follow. Sending everyone to the video removed even more friction and drove far more completions. Paired with the Getting Started steps and FAQs, patients arrived better informed before any form or appointment.

STEP 3
Submit your forms

The previous website had the necessary forms on different pages. I consolidated the forms into one place. This helped patients know what forms to complete ahead of time. It also cut down on the amount of time clinic staff spent trying to get patients to complete all the forms.

STEP 4
Find out what your insurance covers

This was a step a majority of patients used to skip. Adding it to the Getting Started page allowed patients to fully understand their costs before scheduling an appointment.

STEP 5
Find out what your insurance covers

The final Getting Started step was talking with someone from the clinic. Before I implemented this 5-step process, patients frequently called the clinic. This final step sets the expectation that a phone call will happen, but only after steps 1–4 were completed.

Develop Patient Education Materials

Working with surgeons, nutritionists, and clinical staff, we built two key downloadable resources. Both are available in English and Spanish and designed with consistent branding.

Patient Information Packet

24 pages

The Patient Information Packet was designed to guide prospective and current patients of the clinic through every stage of their journey. It uses accessible language and visuals, helping patients understand treatment options, risks, and post-surgery commitments. The packet also includes a timeline so patients know exactly what to expect and how to prepare. My role focused on restructuring the content flow, creating bilingual layouts, and collaborating with the internal team to align style and patient-centered messaging.

Nutrition Manual

(75 pages)

The nutrition manual supports patients through each stage of their weight-loss journey, offering clear dietary milestones, nutrient checklists, and practical tips for everyday eating. It contains actionable and easy-to-follow steps. Color-coded sections cover pre-surgery preparation, post-operative eating phases, and lifelong nutrition habits. My role involved streamlining content flow, simplifying visuals, and structuring the guide so patients feel confident, informed, and supported every meal of the way.

Expanded Awareness with Advertising

To drive awareness and fill the funnel, I launched top-of-funnel Google and Meta ad campaigns focused on education and success stories.

Optimized search keywords and ad landing pages.
Integrated SEO and Google My Business to capture local traffic.

After several months, ad performance was strong enough that leadership asked to pause campaigns—the clinic had reached full new patient capacity.

Testing Awareness Channels: Spotify & Pinterest

I launched Spotify and Pinterest ads highlighting family energy and everyday life to make bariatric surgery feel approachable.

Engagement was strong, but conversions were low due to linking ads to the main website instead of a lifestyle-focused page. Insight from this test guided future ad spend toward Meta and Google campaigns with optimized landing pages.

Improve Post-Surgery Engagement

Support-group participation had been inconsistent, with reminders buried in staff Outlook emails. I moved all communications to Mailchimp and created a reliable, branded monthly email.

Included meeting topics, facilitators, and photos to make sessions approachable.
Standardized meeting cadence (1st, 2nd, and 4th Tuesdays/Thursdays) for predictability.
Added the sign-up form, schedule, and printable flyer to the website.

Attendance doubled within months, strengthening patient relationships and long-term satisfaction.

Elevated the Brand Everywhere

Introduced a cohesive design system across all materials.
Directed creation of branded slideshow graphics for the waiting-room monitor, reinforcing the digital look and feel in- person.
Published three detailed patient success stories (video, photos, written narratives) that built trust and demonstrated real outcomes.

Results

50% increase in surgeries within nine months.
Support-group participation doubled.
Incomplete form submissions near zero.
Mailing and administrative costs reduced dramatically.
Advertising and SEO filled the patient pipeline to capacity. The clinic even requested to turn off the ads.
Improved brand perception and community trust—the clinic now viewed as a modern, patient-first leader in the region.

Lessons & Impact

This project became far more than a marketing initiative. By reimagining how the clinic communicated, educated, and supported patients, we removed barriers at every stage of the journey.

The result was a true transformation—one that blended marketing, design, and operations into a seamless experience that made care more accessible and trustworthy.

For me, it reinforced a core belief: in healthcare, clarity is care. When you make information simple, compassionate, and consistent, everything else—trust, growth, and results—naturally follows.