Operations

She started medical school at middle age. But life experience gave her little advantage when it came time to manage a practice.

We asked America's leading practice management experts to dish on the biggest, most common mistakes they see. And boy, did they ever. Find out whether you're making any errors - and what to do about it if you are.

A well-run office requires policies on everything from billing to no-shows. Make sure your patients know what your rules are. And ensure they stick to them.

This new column will give you the tools you need to diagnose and solve your office's problems. First up: Are you a high performer?

Anyone can step on a scale, but knowing how to interpret the number staring back at you is a little tougher. Understanding how your practice is faring requires knowing a little about how the other guys are doing. That's where benchmarking comes in.

Ten surefire ways to improve patient flow and get more "touch time" with your patients.

Practice of the Year 2005 Runners-Up: River Rose Obstetrics & Gynecology

Practice of the Year 2005 Runners-Up: Southeast Texas Medical Associates

Practice of the Year 2005 Runners-Up:  The Thyroid Surgery Center of Texas, P.A.

Turnover, collections, and patient flow problems beg for policies with physician backing.

2005 Practice of the Year: This OB practice really delivers the goods! Learn how its total patient focus put it over the top.

When Hurricane Katrina forced the nearby hospital to shut down, patients started flooding this little family practice in Hattiesburg, Miss.  Here's how the heroic staff coped.

Practice of the Year 2005 Runners-Up: Roswell Pediatric Center, P.C.

Mail-order pharmacies add to the paperwork glut and tie up your phone lines. But they're not going anywhere. Here's how to make it work in your office.

You don't have to have the personality of a talk-show host to communicate effectively with your patients. A few simple skills, practiced consistently, make for better outcomes.

Crushing debt and maxed-out physicians threaten this rural practice.

Is there anything worse than working your tail off, only to be told you aren't doing enough? We examine four widely-used methods to quantify what you do.

Francine Gaillour, MD, on making the most of meetings.

It's time to get your office out of crisis-of-the-day mode so you have time for the kind of long-term planning and creative thinking you need to thrive. Here's how you and your staff can make it happen.

More physicians are finding nonphysician providers - often called physician extenders or midlevels - truly do extend their ability to provide better care and patient access. Just be sure you're clear on how to bill for their services and manage risk.

There is only so much a physician and pharmaceuticals can do in the face of addiction, advertising, and the culture at large.

Registration is an overlooked process at many practices. A welcoming, efficient registration process means happier patients, higher retention, and reduced claims denials.

Measuring patient satisfaction can lead to better care and better pay. Here's how to do it.

Managing the ambiguity of medicine

How to set up a physically safe office