7 Signs It's Time to Fire Someone at Your Practice

There are few decisions in running a medical practice - or any business for that matter-more difficult than deciding to fire an employee. In a medical practice, though, the stakes are higher than most businesses. There is more to think about than your bottom line. "There are three perspectives on this," said Lynne M. Lillie, AAFP board member and family physician who has been in private practice for over 20 years, "the employee, the practice, and the community. An employee needs to be able to do the job well, be a productive member of the team, and be dedicated to the welfare of the patients and community the practice serves." Failure in any one of these areas is unacceptable.Hard as it is, you owe it to your practice, your staff, and perhaps most importantly, your patients and their health, to make the tough decision to get rid of a staffer who is not meeting your requirements. Here are seven signs that tell you when it's really time to let a staffer go. Click here to download a PDF of this slideshow.