Article: Heavy message; Detroit-area system's ads successful, but docs, others wary of tone.(William Beaumont Hospitals' radio spots )(Brief Article)

Patient referrals are up at a Detroit-area health system, but a radio advertisement that prompted the spike continues to rile physicians with its tense tone, hovering heartbeat and venerable voice-over. The centerpiece of the controversial pitch is a simple question: ``Do you have a Beaumont doctor?''

In what has been described as an unusual ad campaign for the healthcare industry, William Beaumont Hospitals' radio spots for two years have been asking Detroit residents to think hard about the system affiliation of the doctor they choose.

On the surface it may sound innocent enough. But the highly successful ads-and one in particular-have incited the ...

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