1) The United States is experiencing a decline of the middle class. What does this trend imply for the future of organizations such as: (a) the U.S. Public Health Service, which operates many inner-city health clinics for the economically disadvantaged, and (b) the Scripps Clinic, a large multi specialty group practice in Southern California? For years, the Scripps Clinic was seen as an exclusive medical provider known not only for treatment but also for its research.

2) A women’s health clinic has recognized the need to segment its market. Identify three bases by which this clinic might segment the female market, and identify the manner in which the “product” component of the marketing mix would change in the light of the segmentation base used.

3) A neurology group practice recently analyzed its level of patient referrals and referral sources.This analysis showed that 60% of all referrals came from 35% of all physicians who referred to the group. The remaining referrals came from the other 65% of the referral physicians. In examining the referral pattern, it is also revealed that 20% of all the primary care physicians in the group’s primary service area had never sent a patient to the group for diagnosis or treatment. As the practice manager of the group, you have been asked by the physicians to develop a marketing strategy to deal with this information.