3. Build it into the budget
Bernstein’s contract was a $40,000 fee plus additional food costs of $5,000 to $10,000 a month. But other operators shouldn’t to let financials be a deterrent to a big-ticket partnership, says Maggie Wiegandt, vice president of oncology services. “We did think it was a big price tag, but also an investment,” she says, advising operators to get creative with fundraising or turn to a philanthropic organization.