To survive in a consumer-driven healthcare environment, you're going to have to talk pricing with your customers every day. So it's critical to you develop smart strategies for doing so, says Carolyn Kent, a marketer and guest writer for industry blog HospitalImpact. For one thing, providers should invest in their Web site, finding out from patients what they want to know and providing that quality and pricing information in an easy-to-use package. They should also train staffers to talk intelligently about pricing. In one particularly interesting turn, Kent proposes that hospitals offer "Understanding Your Hospital Bill" classes alongside of old standards like diabetes education and post-partum childcare. Blog