Practice Builders
When I am called into a practice to analyze office flow, one of the areas I investigate is why the schedule gets backed up. I start to pinpoint the suspected bottlenecks by asking the same question to both doctors and staff: “In your opinion, where do you see the problem?”
If you were to guess that the doctors blame the staff and vice-versa, you would be right. The staff might... Read More.
Economic and regulatory forces are leading to the consolidation of medical practices across the country. Hospital systems are acquiring primary care practices, multispecialty clinics are clamoring for their share of the pie and single specialty medical mega-groups are coming together to grab market share across geographic areas. It is now rare for young doctors completing their training to open... Read More.
When choosing a type of practice model, podiatrists today have a number of options open to them and each option has its advantages and disadvantages. You need to choose the practice model that makes practical sense for you at this stage of your career and realize that there is no “one size fits all approach” in the selection process.
The following are examples of different types... Read More.
Some might argue right out of the gate that running a practice the way the airline industry runs their airlines might be a downright disaster, especially in the area of time management. I might have once agreed as I have had my share of delays. However, when you consider that a major airline like Continental (now United) had as of August logged in 6,000 flights per day and shows an overall 85... Read More.
In January 2011, I ventured into solo practice after being in a group practice since completing my residency training in 2004. In group practice, charting was for the most part traditional. I utilized voice dictation very efficiently with pre-set “macros” creating a Word document for each patient visit. The system saved, printed and signed the documents for each visit. The staff placed labs,... Read More.
The owner/manager of a podiatry practice is tasked with three important functions. These functions are as follows: performing and promoting a medical service for which there is a sufficient demand; hiring the right people and putting them in the right positions to help provide this service in a competitive marketplace; and providing the leadership and guidance for those people who will help the... Read More.
Running a practice has many challenges. In a perfect world, our patients would be our only focus. However, as we know, there are many other issues vying for our attention. As if the day-to-day realities of managing staff and keeping a practice running were not challenging enough, there are factors that can actually set it back. These factors include rising overhead costs, shrinking insurance... Read More.
I have always felt that physicians needed a simple business model to manage their practices. After reading almost every business book on the planet, I was fortunate to read a book called Traction: Get a Grip On Your Business by Gino Wickman three years ago and was fascinated by the business process.1 I saw an immediate application in the Village Podiatry model. As a result, our group has grown 35... Read More.
The challenges of integrating a new practice management system and electronic health records (EHR) system into your practice can be tremendous, especially with a busy practice. However, these upgrades can increase efficiency and potentially reduce the need for additional staff members, thereby improving your bottom line.
In addition, an integrated practice management system can... Read More.
Many people spend much more time thinking about what to do next weekend than what to do with the rest of their lives. This type of short-term thinking tends to lead to a lack of achievement and, on a societal level, the type of economic, environmental and political problems our country faces today.
Forty years ago, Earl Nightingale was a well-known speaker, especially for his... Read More.
The first question podiatrists ask after they decide to add cosmetic services to their practice is “How do I set up a room?” Some believe it will be quite an undertaking. Others think it will be a breeze and can be done in one day. Either may be true, according to their vision of the concept, but they should know that these rooms are different than traditional podiatry treatment... Read More.
It is vital to have a network of multidisciplinary specialists to whom one can refer patients. While appropriate referrals are key to ensuring optimal outcomes, the DPM should take the lead in facilitating the best treatment choices for patient care.
As part of the Vision 2015 program, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) has committed itself to... Read More.
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