Judy Capko

Most practices begin their day with the best intentions of managing their schedules. But many end up squeezing extra patients into an already busy schedule or need more time than allotted for scheduled patients. That results in bottlenecks, inefficiency, frustration, and patients kept waiting - either in the reception room or a small exam room, where time seems to move in slow motion.

Think of scheduling problems as a practice-wide issue, not one that just involves the schedulers or the providers. When the scheduling system doesn't work everyone is affected.

Resolving scheduling problems requires getting to the root cause of the problem. Sounds easy, but it's not. It takes time and dedication and typically no one in the practice has extra time. Just the same, the reality is if you don't take the time to clarify the problem, you can't find a plausible solution that will eliminate the bottlenecks, improve efficiency, and help you manage the day better.

Tackle patient scheduling with improved practice workflow

Articles

Scheduling problems are a practice-wide issue, affecting every staff member. Here's how to better understand what's not working and fix it.

It is believed that strengthening the relationship between healthcare providers and their patients will lead to earlier detection of diseases, better patient compliance, reduction of cost, and improved clinical outcomes, among other benefits.

Here are five key steps you can take to improve the patient experience in your practice:

Improve your patient experience with these five steps

You cannot manage what you do not measure. If other people are measuring your performance based on the patient experience, it is time for your practice to understand the significance and measure its own performance. This requires a commitment on the part of physicians and staff, will lead to improving the patient experience.

Good clinical outcomes require strong patient participation. One way to engage your patients is to improve their experience at your practice.

You know your medical practice inside and out. In fact, it is familiar and comfortable - kind of like wearing an old shoe. The shoe may be comfortable, but it is also old and worn. Now, relate this to your patients. To the discerning eye your practice may be perceived as old, worn, and out of date. Is that how patients see your practice?Fortunately, giving your practice a facelift can be easier than you think, and less expensive too. Simple changes can go a long way to improve the patient experience, and make your practice more appealing. Here are six easy things you can do to freshen up your office and give it more "curb appeal."To download a PDF of this slideshow click here.

Slideshows

Your practice is a reflection of the physicians who work there. If it looks old and uncared for, patients might wonder about the care they will receive.  

Improve Your Medical Practice in 6 Easy Steps

Your practice's leadership team has been successful with recruitment efforts to meet growing patient demand. The new physician has accepted your contract and you have a start date a couple of months out. This is just the beginning of your future journey with the new physician. The next step is developing a transition plan that makes the most of the new physician's talents, meets patient demands, provides better service, unites the physician team, and shares practice goals.

Beyond the basics of obtaining hospital privileges and getting the physician signed up with insurance contracts, there is a lot to be done before he arrives. Assuming you have a well-oiled integration plan that sets goals and ensures you are well prepared for the new physician's arrival, let's lay out the important details of a good communication plan to let your peers, referring physicians, patients, and the community know about the new physician and the contribution he will bring to the practice.

Start by preparing a brief biographical sketch announcing your new arrival. This can be created using a postcard-size announcement to give patients and other medical practices. In addition, reproduce the biography on a poster board placed on an easel in your reception area. Be sure to include a color photo of your new team member. This announcement will encourage conversation and create enthusiastic anticipation. The content should be brief and include both professional and personal facts. For example: where the new physician went to school; why she chose her specialty; and how much she looks forward to being active in the community. Then get personal by adding such things as where she grew up, what her greatest adventure has been so far, what's her favorite sport, and even something fun like, "Does she crave chocolate?" Adding some family facts adds a warm touch. Expand this biographic sketch into a press release for the local media.

Update your website, introducing the new physician, what his office schedule will be and let everyone know what insurance plans he accepts. Content from the physician biography can be repurposed on the website, as well. If you have a medical interest blog on your specialty, it would be nice to have the new physician prepare a blog to contribute once he has arrived.

An often overlooked, important communication channel is social media. Be sure to add the new physician to these outlets. This includes Linked-in, Facebook, and medical review websites such as Vitals and HealthGrades. You'll need to claim your space on these reviews sites and add in the new physician's profile and photo. It's a good time to make sure the listings for all the physicians at your practice are accurate and include photos.

4.  Update insurance company directories

Make sure you notify your contracted insurance companies to provide information about the new physician for both print and online editions of their provider directories. Don't assume it's been done right. Go online yourself to make sure it is accomplished and that it is completely accurate. Social media has become a powerful influence in how patients choose a new doctor and make contact with the practice. The good news is that it's free and can be a boon to practice growth.

Finally, plan a staff meeting to discuss the integration of the new physician at least a month in advance, followed by a welcome meeting when she arrives, allowing at least 30 minutes for everyone to get acquainted and get answers to their questions. This is an important introduction that creates a good impression and helps get everyone off to a good start. Once you have painted an impressive picture of the new physician, everyone will get excited. All of this makes your new doctor very real and creates a welcome "buzz." Patients will begin to look forward to getting to know the new physician - and so will the staff.

Adding a new physician to your practice requires a sound communication plan that encompasses your patients, social media, and staff.

Introducing a New Physician to Your Practice

Some years ago, my firm worked with a truly remarkable practice. On our initial tour of the office, we were greeted by joyful, smiling staff who were absolutely delighted to see their doctor. In turn, the physician seemed to have something meaningful to say to every employee - "How did you do on your mid-term?" or "I saw the A/R numbers for this month and they look great!" Later in our assignment, when the physician wasn't present, a number of employees pulled us aside and enthused that the good doctor was the best thing that had ever happened to the 

This physician wasn't blessed with extraordinary charm or wit, but he personified gratitude for and interest in the well-being of all his staff.

Even after seeing hundreds of practices, this single doctor stands out as an example of how best to build a strong practice around a well-trained, motivated, and happy staff. Despite completing a fellowship at a very prestigious institution, he avoided a costly and common trap born of success - believing that because he knew a lot about 

, he knew a lot about everything that goes on in his practice. On the contrary, this doctor had genuine respect and appreciation for the specialized knowledge and unseen efforts of everyone that helped him build his booming practice.

Here are some of the keys points we've observed over the years to keeping employees motivated and engaged:

Many jobs in medical practices require a high degree of repetition and, as a consequence, can become very tedious. Cross-training is a great way to keep staff interested while protecting your practice efficiency during staffing shortages. Similarly, ask staff to suggest and develop new additional roles; e.g. the "EHR Expert" or "HIPAA Guru."

The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management, Medical Group Management Association, and local colleges provide inexpensive and relevant educational opportunities.

Hold and participate in regular staff meetings where staff are encouraged to talk about their accomplishments toward practice goals. In the event you need to correct an employee, frame the discussion around that employee's strengths and do so in private.

While the benefit of finding a strong candidate before hiring an employee may be clear, somewhat less clear is the importance of terminating poor performers quickly. Allowing a poor or disruptive employee to linger in his job implies that you don't fully appreciate your stellar employees.

5. Take some time to get to know your staff and their jobs

A little effort can mean a lot to an employee. Many physicians seldom interact with the front office. Making a point to check in will reinforce a team mentality and facilitate communication between administrative and clinical teams, thereby avoiding the front office/back office tension that’s common in many practices.

6. Avoid nepotism and strive to be fair and consistent

While it's natural to feel a greater personal fondness for some people, it's important that you do not demonstrate favoritism. For this reason alone, hiring a spouse or family member can be deadly to morale and motivation. Employees will rarely, if ever, feel free to voice criticism of your family members.

A practice depends on an excellent staff, which doesn't come together by accident. Here are six keys to building a quality group.

Six Keys to Motivating Medical Practice Staff 

As a physician specialist when you participate in a lunch and learn, remember, it's not so much about the lunch; it's more about developing relationships.

Begin by recognizing your motivations. If you are the presenter, your purpose most likely is to showcase who you are and promote the services you can offer referred patients. So make the most of it. Here are some basic points that can help make these events successful:

This means to be pleasant, flexible, and eager to interact with people across the spectrum of the practice: managers, front-office staff, billing staff, clinical staff, and both advanced practice providers and physicians. Be quick to introduce yourself to each participant. If you focus your attention only on the physicians it is likely you will miss the opportunity to meet other people who influence the referral process, and may be responsible for sending future patients your way. Referrals are a practice-wide issue. Many times a staff member has been assigned the task of connecting the referred patient for diagnostic and specialty services. Your goal should be to develop a strong partnership with the entire practice.

Certainly this is the time to educate your audience about new clinical services you can provide. The physician presenter should provide a short visual presentation and handout materials. You can gain traction by bringing along your nurse or office manager to talk about their role in caring for your patients; e.g., managing referrals and keeping communication flowing. It's the perfect time to ask what your practice can do to serve both the referring practice and patients better. Do they have a point person you should be calling and are there obstacles in the referral pipeline that you can solve for them, or make the referral transition go smoother? End each presentation with an overview of your mission statement.

Relax and be comfortable, engaging, and authentic. This will go a long way in strengthening the referral relationship. Colleagues will view you as sincere and enthusiastic and will be more likely to place their trust in you.

When it comes to the lunch, don't try to wow the practice or attempt to outdo the competition by putting on a fancy spread. Lunch is essential and should be nice, but the attention should be on your message. Keep the lunch simple and think healthy, socialize, and enjoy being together.

Finally, provide a "leave behind" with your name and contact information; business cards, note pads, pens, or choose from a variety of low-priced items that can be useful for the practice staff and providers. If you apply these tips, your practice or diagnostic center will shine and referral relationships with be enriched.

 is the founder of Capko & Morgan, a healthcare consulting firm. She is located in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Capko is the author of "Secrets of the Best-Run Practices," "Take Back Time," and coauthor of "The Patient-Centered Payoff," and a national speaker. She may be reached at 

As a specialist when you participate in a lunch and learn, remember, it's not so much about the lunch; it's more about relationships.