SPOTLIGHT -
Owen Dahl, LFACHE, CHBC is a consultant, author, speaker and professor with more than 50 years of experience in healthcare administration. He is an independent consultant based in The Woodlands, Texas.
Managing Patient Flow: Keep the Lines of Communication Open
Reducing patient cycle time and improving patient satisfaction can both be accomplished if you improve your practice's communication channels.
Five Tips to Better Manage Your Revenue Cycle
It is vital that practices have systematic ways to address patient collections; the following strategies can help your practice collect all that it is due.
Lean Management for Your Practice
Whatever area of your practice needs improvement, consider lean thinking as a way to get the most out of your time - your patients, staff, and practice will be glad you did.
Do You Know How Much It Costs to See Patients?
Corporations know exactly what their costs are and how much they need to charge to make a profit. Do you?
Annual Planning Techniques for Your Practice
Seasoned practice owners and administrators know the importance of setting practice goals, both short and long term.
Look for Every Crumb
When declining reimbursements seem out of control, many physicians focus on the more manageable side of the business equation: costs.
Quality Time
How much time should you spend with your patients? This is an important question, but difficult to answer.
Office Renovations Done Right
It is easy to fall prey to the pressure to update your own office building. But before you do, there are a few things you should consider.
Integrating the new physician
The most important aspects of integrating new physicians into your practice are clear communication and understanding each others' viewpoints.
6 Responses to Angry Patients
Almost every physician, at one time or another, has been the recipient of an angry outburst.
Are You Difficult to Work With?
Most physicians would probably not classify themselves as difficult to work with.
Practicing compassion
I came across an unusual phrase the other day: “compassion fatigue.
Be Prepared - For a Disaster
The time to plan for a natural disaster is when the sun is shining - in other words, right now.
Don’t Keep Up With the Joneses
When one of your neighbors gets a new swimming pool or car, what usually happens? Inevitably, someone else in the neighborhood will go one better and buy a bigger “toy.
Still Repaying Student Loans?
So you're a new physician fresh out of residency, ensconced in your first practice.
Knowing the Math
Successful practices know their numbers.
A Year’s Worth of Planning
How do you effectively manage your practice for a full year? Seasonal issues can affect your patient flow and bottom line.
Physicians Practice PEARLS: HSAy What?
High-deductible health plans like health savings accounts are becoming more common, and that means you’ll have to work harder to collect from patients.
Go Southwest for Advice
Other industries can teach us a lot about managing our own businesses.
Physicians Practice Pearls: How ’Bout Them Gas Prices?
Your employees are facing a raft of new bread-and-butter economic problems. Here’s how you can help, without breaking your bank.
Networking Between Offices
One of the biggest problems I continue to see in medical practices is the difficulty they have communicating between multiple locations.
Get your Protocols in a Row
If physicians use protocols to treat patients there will be consistent outcomes, mechanisms in place to measure success and quality of life, and a foundation for pay-for-performance initiatives.
Smart Banking
What protects a practice’s liquid assets?
Be Prepared!
I hesitate to bring up the topic of disaster planning.
How ‘Bout Them Gas Prices?
Just one metric of an economic downturn, increased fuel prices not only translate into higher commuting expenses, but they also fatten up food costs due to greater shipping expenses and the need to divert food stuffs to use for fuel.
Physicians Practice Pearls: Don’t Let Overtime Take Over
Overtime pay is expensive. Here’s how to keep it under control.
HSAy What?!
Like it or not, health savings accounts are becoming more prevalent in today's medical environment.
E-mail -- Is It a Good Thing?
Recently, I have encountered several circumstances where e-mails between doctors, as well as staff members, have resulted in misunderstandings and subsequent problems.
Should You Outsource Your Billing?
Yes.
Allowed to Change
It's that time of year again; Time to brace yourself for deductible and copay changes, effective January 1, 2008.