Becker’s Healthcare Podcast – Episode Summary

Guest: Daniel Goldberg, SVP of Sales and Growth at United Musculoskeletal Partners
Host: Carly Beam
Date: January 12, 2026
Episode Length: ~13 minutes

Episode Overview

In this episode, Daniel Goldberg, Senior Vice President of Sales and Growth at United Musculoskeletal Partners (UMP), shares deep insights into the modern challenges and strategies facing musculoskeletal and orthopedic care providers. The conversation centers on reducing friction in patient access, the transformative role of AI in healthcare marketing and operations, the nuances of market expansion, and time-tested best practices for driving sustainable growth. The discussion is practical and forward-looking, grounded in Goldberg’s 15-year experience in the orthopedic and spine practice marketing space.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Reducing Friction in the Patient Journey

(01:05 – 04:30)

• Single biggest priority: UMP’s focus is on making the full patient journey as seamless as possible, emphasizing rapid access to care.
  • Key quote:

    “Patients want to be seen as quickly as possible so they can return to their active lifestyles… waiting 2, 3, 4 weeks to see a specialist doesn’t really provide them that opportunity.” (B, 01:38)

• Convenience is the differentiator; this means offering not just multiple locations but also online scheduling, responsive call handling, quick follow-ups, and attention to every step from first contact through post-op care.

2. Embracing Artificial Intelligence for Better Patient Connection

(04:31 – 07:22)

• AI as a bridge: UMP leverages AI for advanced, intent-based marketing and improved patient access.
  • Search shifts: With about 50% of consumers using AI for search, and AI-generated content appearing in 60% of results, practices must adjust their digital presence.
  • Quote:

    “What is now known as AIEO...helps prioritize those clinical expectations, local credibility, and patient-friendly content so that you appear in those searches.” (B, 02:39)

• AI for audience discovery:
  • UMP uses AI to identify and engage patients who will need care in the near future, proactively building trust across numerous platforms—social, digital, print, and streaming.
  • This intent-based, multi-channel approach ensures UMP is top-of-mind when patients are ready to act.

Notable Segment:

• Agentic AI Tools for Scheduling: (04:46 – 05:27)
  • “There are several agentic AI tools that can handle things like scheduling or rescheduling…The key is how much you want the AI tool to do…what you trust it to do, and what you can teach it to do that helps you operationally.” (B, 04:46)

3. Growth Strategy Across Diverse Markets

(05:28 – 07:22)

• UMP employs a blend of centralized digital strategy and local execution. Goldberg explains that although some tactics work across all markets, each one requires tailored approaches, especially in rapidly expanding areas like Dallas-Fort Worth where infrastructure lags behind population growth.
  • Quote:

    “Strategically evaluating our geographic access points helps us drive volume...Faster time to appointment consistently drives volume and creates advantages over larger health systems.” (B, 06:23)

4. Universal Best Practices for Musculoskeletal Physicians

(07:23 – 10:24)

• Understand Market Dynamics:
  • With 70% of U.S. physicians now employed by hospitals or payers, referral sources are shifting. Practices must adapt their outreach and emphasize their strengths.
  • Quote:

    “Primary care physician referrals have historically been the lifeblood for many orthopedic practices. But...many primary care groups align with health systems or payers...Those referral sources...may dissipate over time.” (B, 07:43)

• Know Your Marketing ROI:
  • Set clear new patient targets at the start of the year.
  • Measure deeper metrics like annual patient value and cost per acquisition—don’t just rely on clicks/impressions.

5. Target-Setting & Capacity Planning for Growth

(10:25 – 11:16)

• Goldberg emphasizes that growth goals must align with a practice’s capacity—some can handle 10% growth, others only 3%, depending on staffing and provider changes.

  • Quote:

    “Understanding capacity and then setting your targets and benchmarks based on capacity is what they should be focusing on, you know, in the beginning of the year.” (B, 10:51)

6. Enduring Value of Word-of-Mouth Advocacy

(11:17 – 13:06)

• No marketing tactic outweighs referrals from satisfied patients. Creating “patient evangelists” starts with a relentlessly positive patient experience.
  • Quote:

    “There’s nothing more important than word of mouth. And that’s something you can’t pay for...That referral has more value than anything we can do digitally or anything else, because that comes from a trusted source.” (B, 11:34)

  • The goal is to drive such seamless care that patients enthusiastically recommend the practice within their communities.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI and SEO:
  • “Google growth from an orthopedic practice standpoint needs to allow for AI to read and interpret your website and your content and understand that it’s trustworthy and structured…” (B, 01:55)
• On the importance of local adaptation:
  • “Each market shares commonalities, but also unique trends…focusing on that messaging locally and emphasizing access and convenience has been proven to drive growth.” (B, 06:58)
• On patient experience as a growth driver:
  • “Creating patient advocates starts with a patient experience...That is what will create patient evangelists for you.” (B, 12:01)

Important Timestamps

• 01:05 – Top priorities for 2026: Access & friction reduction
• 02:10 – How AI is transforming patient search and discovery
• 04:46 – Agentic AI for contact center operations
• 05:44 – Market-specific growth strategies
• 07:39 – What all MSK physicians should do to improve reach
• 09:00 – Calculating and tracking marketing ROI
• 10:36 – Setting growth targets based on capacity
• 11:17 – Lessons from 15 years in the field: word-of-mouth and patient experience

Episode Tone & Style

Daniel Goldberg speaks with clarity, practical wisdom, and a strategic mindset, offering advice that is actionable for both individual physicians and larger healthcare organizations. The tone is energetic yet grounded in the operational realities of modern healthcare.

Summary

This episode delivers concise, actionable insight into strategic growth for musculoskeletal practices, from the integration of AI in marketing and patient access to the irreplaceable value of word-of-mouth recommendations. Goldberg’s approach is both high-tech and deeply human, emphasizing that no matter the tools, a positive, seamless patient experience remains the key to thriving in a competitive landscape.