Susanne Madden

Pay-for-performance programs are beginning to shift to emphasize outcomes. Here's what your practice needs to know about new initiatives.

You've received recognition as a Patient-Centered Medical Home, now be sure to market that fact effectively to prospective and current patients.

Practices are feverishly working to control the rising costs of healthcare - effective care coordination can help.

Providing healthcare insurance for your employees can sometimes seem impossible. But don't despair. There are new options to help your practice afford coverage.

Blogging, in whatever form you choose, often sets you up as the expert on a particular subject or specialty - making you the "go-to" person for patients looking for information on the subject.

Much has been written about "social media" and while it seems like a great way to promote a retail business, is it a good tool for your practice?

By now you have likely encountered the term "Patient-Centered Medical Home" or PCMH. If you do not yet know what a "medical home" is, think of it this way - these are practices that use care teams to put the patient at the center of the healthcare delivery system.

Do you think your patients would rather be educated by their provider or by Dr. WebMD? Make your practice the place patients can go to learn about their healthcare from the person they trust most - you.

The best way to optimize your sales price, no matter what the market conditions are like, is to optimize your operations.

Receiving maximum practice compensation requires everyone to be on board. If you have a partner who simply won't comply with practice goals that can really hamper your practice. Here's what you can do to motivate your docs.

Hiring an administrator or practice manager may be one of the most significant hires you make. But how do you hire one successfully?

Payers are mobilizing their reimbursement models to ensure that they are paying only for "quality" and "efficiency" in medicine.

Understanding third-party payers can go a long way to making your life easier.

Even if you've had a site for years, it's worth reevaluating what information lives there and update it from time to time.

Creating well-written job descriptions for all of your practice's positions is a must-do for your practice.

For small practices, the ongoing monthly costs of an EHR may simply not be affordable. So what alternatives are out there?

A company's mission statement should represent the core values and ideals of the founders' vision for their practice.

No employer ― medical practice or otherwise ― is too small to need a comprehensive employee manual. Is it time to update yours?

As medical reimbursements continue to dwindle, the value proposition for participating in insurance plans becomes increasingly weak. Why not break with tradition and contract directly with employers? Here's how to get started.

Use technology to free your staff and patients from non-urgent phone calls

Even if your practice has a knack for hiring the best doctors, putting the focus on how well they fit is the best retention strategy.

It happens every day in a busy medical practice - the things that need doing often get done by whomever can do it at the time. But that can be a costly mistake.

It isn't easy for practices to become accredited as a patient centered medical home. To help you assess your readiness and make the transition, here are a few guidelines to get you started.

Are you ready to make social media platforms part of your practice? Make sure you put reasonable constraints in place.

Posting a general disclaimer on your practice's social media platforms protects both you and your patients.

Many physicians believe that they open themselves up to potential liability risks by engaging in social media. In practice, it is always prudent to be concerned with malpractice risk. That said, the key to effectively utilizing social media is twofold.

Why spend hours on the phone with payers when you can check online in minutes?

What can you do if your payer won't reimburse your practice for cleanly submitted claims?

Do you make the grade? Expert Susanne Madden explains what physician profiling is, how it can affect your bottom line, and what you can do about it.

With a growing shortage of primary-care physicians, NPs are fast becoming the resource of choice