Michael Breen M.D. was a television medical reporter for over 20 years, most recently with CBS-TV in Chicago. He appeared on Nightline, as the fill-in Medical Editor for the CBS Morning News, and was a weekly columnist for the Chicago SunTimes.

Dr. Breen graduated AOA from Albert Einstein Medical School, did his internship at Duke University Medical Center, ran an Emergency Room at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and attended the Columbia University School of Journalism.

While he originally intended to practice, Dr. Breen was struck that so much illness was lifestyle-related and preventable. He entered television to send consumers some messages: that they could understand their bodies, they could take part in the medical decisions that affected their lives, and that life-and-death decisions were sometimes made on the basis of dollars-and-cents.

While in television Dr. Breen often reported on the managed care revolution and watched, with mixed feelings, as business executives took control of health care and doctors became commodities. He reported on the medical power shift from physician, to businessman, and more recently, to the consumer. He watched as medicine went from a business-to-business model to one that marketed directly to the consumer.

Having spent over 20 years making medicine interesting to consumers, in 2002 Dr. Breen decided to share those same skills with top-tier physicians and hospitals. Their survival now depends on their ability to tell their stories and convey their excellence to the public. His mission is to use responsible marketing to drive patients to the best-quality care.

For transcripts of Dr. Breen's speeches on this topic (and some free marketing tips for your organization), please use the following links.

How to Market Your Medical Practice

The Battle to Control Quality-of-Life Medicine