Neil Gailmard's recent Tip of the Week, number 440 got me thinking about both Customer Service and what is required of management. Those of you who have been around me for any length of time will hear me say that I believe that providing excellent care to your patients is 50% of the job. The other 50% which provides you with a dynamic and growing practice and a high compensation is managing the practice correctly. You CAN deliver great care and end up with an average or below average income.
The Tip of the Week is worth reading in its entirety -- but so is the last paragraph:
What if you don’t have time?
You simply have to make time for management if you want a successful, fast growth practice. I think it requires the practice owner in addition to a good office manager. The eye care professional/owner has a huge effect on the practice culture, so management and marketing cannot be completely delegated.
Most practices actually see accelerated growth when the ECP schedules more time for management. And that is the best way to correct the hundreds of little flaws that exist in every practice. Schedule time for it. Of course, no practice is ever perfect, but we must keep trying to reach perfection. You may naturally be concerned about reduced productivity if you take a day or two for management. In my experience, most practices are extremely inefficient and if you began a new plan to delegate more and speed up the exam process (without sacrificing quality or stressing out the staff) you could compress all the patients you currently see in five days into three or four days.
If you have unmet patient demand of more than a week or two, hire an associate optometrist to see some of the patients so you can work on management!
One of my favorite quotes is by Zig Ziglar and it sums up this philosophy very well: “You can get anything you want in life if you just help enough other people get what they want.”
Monday, August 2, 2010
Medical Group Praises "Meaningful Use" Rule, Warns Of Challenges In EMR Compliance.
American Medical News (8/2, Silva) reports that the American Medical Association praised the final rule on "meaningful use" of electronic medical records, but warned that some challenges still remain.
"The AMA says physicians still face several challenges in becoming compliant in time. There is no EMR system on the market now that offers the capabilities needed for physicians to become meaningful users. Federal officials expect such systems to become available this fall, which would give practices only a few months to install and test the technology before the Jan. 1, 2011, start date of the incentive program." Also, "Physicians who already have invested in EMRs now must upgrade their systems to meet certification criteria."
American Medical News (8/2, Silva) reports that the American Medical Association praised the final rule on "meaningful use" of electronic medical records, but warned that some challenges still remain.
"The AMA says physicians still face several challenges in becoming compliant in time. There is no EMR system on the market now that offers the capabilities needed for physicians to become meaningful users. Federal officials expect such systems to become available this fall, which would give practices only a few months to install and test the technology before the Jan. 1, 2011, start date of the incentive program." Also, "Physicians who already have invested in EMRs now must upgrade their systems to meet certification criteria."
Monday, July 19, 2010
What a radical idea!
Massachusetts Doctor Cuts Waiting Time By Accepting Same-Day Appointments, Walk-Ins.
The Boston Globe /Kaiser Health News (7/14, Arnst) reports that a Worcester, MA, family physician, Dennis Dimitri, runs an "unusual" practice: most of his "patients call in the morning and are assigned a time slot later that day." He accepts few appointments in advance. Dimitri's "open access" system works, because it "reduces the number of patients who don't show up for their appointments or who call in with an emergency and plead to be squeezed into an already full schedule," the story notes.
The Boston Globe /Kaiser Health News (7/14, Arnst) reports that a Worcester, MA, family physician, Dennis Dimitri, runs an "unusual" practice: most of his "patients call in the morning and are assigned a time slot later that day." He accepts few appointments in advance. Dimitri's "open access" system works, because it "reduces the number of patients who don't show up for their appointments or who call in with an emergency and plead to be squeezed into an already full schedule," the story notes.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Administration Unveils Free Preventive Services Under Healthcare Law.
Preventive Services Recommended By Task Force Would Be Covered Fully Under Healthcare Law. Kaiser Health News (7/15, Weaver) reports, "Under the new healthcare overhaul law, insurers will be required to pay fully for services that get an 'A' or 'B' recommendation from the US Preventive Services Task Force, a volunteer group made up of primary care and public health experts." This is "good news for patients, who will no longer face cost-sharing for these services, but it puts the group in the crosshairs of lobbyists and disease advocates eager to see their top priorities -- including routine screening for Alzheimer's disease, domestic violence, diabetes, or HIV -- become covered services."
The above will apply to some vision services as outlined in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Guide to Preventive Services
The above will apply to some vision services as outlined in the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Guide to Preventive Services
FDA Leaves Avandia on the Market. What you should tell your patients.
Statement Warns Against Stopping Avandia Use.
The Los Angeles Times (7/15, Maugh) reported, "Diabetics taking Avandia [rosiglitazone] who are concerned about the drug following Wednesday's decision by a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee to allow it to remain on the market should continue taking the drug until they can make arrangements with their physician to receive alternatives, three groups of physicians who treat diabetes said Thursday." Notably, "the Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Assn. and the American Assn. of Clinical Endocrinologists issued a joint statement saying that the risk of stopping the drug abruptly is greater than any potential risk of cardiovascular disease that might be caused by the drug."
According to HealthDay (7/15, Gardner), "'Patients should continue taking all currently prescribed medications unless instructed otherwise by their health care provider,' Dr. Robert A. Vigersky, immediate past president of the Endocrine Society, said in the statement." The statement also pointed out that "reports regarding the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone...have not been definitive."
Reuters (7/16, Fox) also quotes Dr. Vigersky, who stated, "Stopping diabetes medications can cause significant harm and result in higher levels of blood glucose that may cause severe short term health problems and could increase the risk of diabetes-related complications in the long term."
CNN (7/15, Rice) provided an "explanation of the pros and cons of other treatments to lower blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes," including metformin, metformin with sulfonylureas, metformin with insulin, Actos [pioglitazone], DPP-4 inhibitors, and diet and exercise.
The Los Angeles Times (7/15, Maugh) reported, "Diabetics taking Avandia [rosiglitazone] who are concerned about the drug following Wednesday's decision by a Food and Drug Administration advisory committee to allow it to remain on the market should continue taking the drug until they can make arrangements with their physician to receive alternatives, three groups of physicians who treat diabetes said Thursday." Notably, "the Endocrine Society, the American Diabetes Assn. and the American Assn. of Clinical Endocrinologists issued a joint statement saying that the risk of stopping the drug abruptly is greater than any potential risk of cardiovascular disease that might be caused by the drug."
According to HealthDay (7/15, Gardner), "'Patients should continue taking all currently prescribed medications unless instructed otherwise by their health care provider,' Dr. Robert A. Vigersky, immediate past president of the Endocrine Society, said in the statement." The statement also pointed out that "reports regarding the cardiovascular safety of rosiglitazone...have not been definitive."
Reuters (7/16, Fox) also quotes Dr. Vigersky, who stated, "Stopping diabetes medications can cause significant harm and result in higher levels of blood glucose that may cause severe short term health problems and could increase the risk of diabetes-related complications in the long term."
CNN (7/15, Rice) provided an "explanation of the pros and cons of other treatments to lower blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes," including metformin, metformin with sulfonylureas, metformin with insulin, Actos [pioglitazone], DPP-4 inhibitors, and diet and exercise.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
New Healthcare.gov Site
New HHS Website Helps Consumers Determine Health Coverage Options.
The Christian Science Monitor (7/2, Grier) reports, "Healthcare.gov is up and running -- and that should be good news for the many US citizens who are trying to understand the brave new world of US healthcare following this year's passage of sweeping reform legislation." Notably, the site "is mandated by the new law, as is its July 1 start date. It is intended to be both a one-stop-shopping site for individuals looking to see what their insurance options are, and a central repository for news and information about the health bill's rollout." According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, "Healthcare.gov will take some of the mystery out of shopping for health insurance."
CBS News (7/2, Hunter) says on its website, "The most interesting part of the site may be the search tool," which "allows people to click on their state, then choose responses to questions about their family and medical status. A program processes the data and then spits out the best insurance options available."
Ezra Klein said in his Washington Post (7/1) blog that this is "a slick, easy-to-use site, which may be the best thing out there for seeing both the public and private health-coverage options for people in your situation in your area." The Wall Street Journal (7/1, Adamy) "Washington Wire" blog and Kaiser Health News (7/1, Galewitz) also covered the story.
The Christian Science Monitor (7/2, Grier) reports, "Healthcare.gov is up and running -- and that should be good news for the many US citizens who are trying to understand the brave new world of US healthcare following this year's passage of sweeping reform legislation." Notably, the site "is mandated by the new law, as is its July 1 start date. It is intended to be both a one-stop-shopping site for individuals looking to see what their insurance options are, and a central repository for news and information about the health bill's rollout." According to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, "Healthcare.gov will take some of the mystery out of shopping for health insurance."
CBS News (7/2, Hunter) says on its website, "The most interesting part of the site may be the search tool," which "allows people to click on their state, then choose responses to questions about their family and medical status. A program processes the data and then spits out the best insurance options available."
Ezra Klein said in his Washington Post (7/1) blog that this is "a slick, easy-to-use site, which may be the best thing out there for seeing both the public and private health-coverage options for people in your situation in your area." The Wall Street Journal (7/1, Adamy) "Washington Wire" blog and Kaiser Health News (7/1, Galewitz) also covered the story.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
The POWER of Optical
From an e-mail from Gil Catino in Wilmington:
Peter,
We crossed a daily sales threshold at the Porters Neck office yesterday that could not have been done without a stellar optical day. For the past 8 years since I graduated I have concentrated on the professional side of practice and have given very little thought into the optical side. After seeing first hand sales what a practice can do with a great optical, it has made me realize how important our job is to provide our patients with good quality eye wear along with their professional exam. I have made a commitment to myself, my patients, and the Bottom Line to improve and provide the best optical service I can in each office I practice. I am glad the organization is committed to providing training to each a every staff member to continue to improve our optical as a group. I am off to Washington on Tuesday ready to come back with some ideas to make our big optical days more of an occurrence. I really do see how a little of time spent in the lane giving recommendations gives huge paybacks to a practice's daily sales. I have really been missing the boat for all these years, believe me that will change.
Gil
Peter,
We crossed a daily sales threshold at the Porters Neck office yesterday that could not have been done without a stellar optical day. For the past 8 years since I graduated I have concentrated on the professional side of practice and have given very little thought into the optical side. After seeing first hand sales what a practice can do with a great optical, it has made me realize how important our job is to provide our patients with good quality eye wear along with their professional exam. I have made a commitment to myself, my patients, and the Bottom Line to improve and provide the best optical service I can in each office I practice. I am glad the organization is committed to providing training to each a every staff member to continue to improve our optical as a group. I am off to Washington on Tuesday ready to come back with some ideas to make our big optical days more of an occurrence. I really do see how a little of time spent in the lane giving recommendations gives huge paybacks to a practice's daily sales. I have really been missing the boat for all these years, believe me that will change.
Gil
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