Beef Education Hits the Doctor's Office

Family practice doctors in Dallas, Houston and San Antonio are interacting one-on-one with TBC representatives to learn about beef’s role in a healthy lifestyle. The Texas Beef Council (TBC) works to ensure beef is included in dietary recommendations. One effort to work toward that goal is the Medical Office Outreach (MOO) program. 

"This is a unique program; many physicians and medical office staff are surprised and intrigued when they learn that a representative is there to talk with them about beef,” said Hannah Fuerniss, nutrition and health manager for TBC. “We are able to capitalize on the power of personal interaction, building on a solid foundation of high-quality research. Although you may notice a change of the program name, this outreach has been going strong for over 5 years and TBC will continue to explore areas in which we can increase effectiveness in reaching this audience."

Medical Office Outreach (MOO)

The MOO program makes sure the latest research showing how beef fits in a heart-healthy eating pattern is shared directly with medical professionals who frequently make diet-related recommendations to their patients. To accomplish this, TBC deploys experienced pharmaceutical representatives to engage and build relationships with physicians. 

The purpose of this program is to increase positive statements about beef and show evidence that beef can fit into dietary patterns to maintain and even improve heart health. This effort is key because often, doctors advise patients with heart-related risk factors to limit or eliminate red meat from their diet. 

Through this program, doctors are given the opportunity to learn that scientific research supports the inclusion of beef in a healthy diet for disease prevention and management. In turn, consumers likely receive fewer diet restriction recommendations, which may lead to better compliance and the freedom to continue eating beef while following physician guidelines.  

Tools and Resources

The team of TBC representatives also provides complimentary patient educational materials. These visually appealing brochures and one-pagers are developed by registered dietitians and are available for medical offices to download and order when needed. Materials feature diet and lifestyle tips for general health and for specific conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, as well as beef recipes that patients can conveniently make at home. These resources are shared with medical providers in several ways, including breakfast or lunch meetings where research and information is shared and healthful, nourishing meals are always showcased.

"The doctor and his entire staff went crazy for the colorful salad with tender lean beef," said a TBC representative. "It visually brought the message to life, and inclusion of lean beef increases variety, which can improve long-term adherence to a healthy diet plan. The doctor declared it a win if his patients would eat like this daily."

Future Plans 

One aspect TBC staff is especially excited about is seeing the relationships between physicians and the TBC representatives. "The TBC reps are intentional in building relationships and strategically provide doctors with evidence-based information," Fuerniss said. "Their past experience and expertise allow them to gain access to medical offices, deliver effective messages that show the real story about beef nutrition, and ultimately equip medical professionals to communicate accurate beef information to their patients."

To increase the impact of this program, TBC plans to optimize contact list management to ensure they continue to capitalize on outreach opportunities to the medical community. Also, TBC will build on integrated marketing opportunities with other programs aimed at medical professional audiences. 

To learn more about the Medical Office Outreach Program, visit: https://www.texasbeefcheckoff.com/your-checkoff/programs/nutrition-and-health.