Blog
|
Benefits of Adding a Physical Therapist to Your Practice |
Did you know 1,517,000 people were injured in motor vehicle accidents in 2009? Neither did I, but it’s true according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The prevalent types of injuries include: whiplash, head injuries, broken bones and spinal cord injuries.
The 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics report reflects that 1,234,490 nonfatal occupational injury and illness cases (that required days away from work to recuperate) were reported for private industry, state government, and local government. Sprains, tears, strains, carpal tunnel and musculoskeletal disorders were the leading cause of injury; the required days away from work ranged from 1-30 days. In private industry, the majority of all occupational injuries and illnesses occurred in health care and social assistance.
|
The Benefit of Adding A Nutritionist To Your Practice |
Are you wondering if there are any benefits to adding a nutritionist to your practice? The answer is a resounding yes! There are many benefits to adding a nutritionist to your practice! According to the World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/, obesity has reached epidemic proportions around the globe. More than one billion people are overweight, more than 300 of them are considered obese.
Studies have shown that being overweight or obese often leads to a plethora of health-related issues such as:
A doctor’s office has written in with a situation that I imagine all of us will encounter at some point in our careers as practice managers. A set of divorced parents who do not get along well put their child’s healthcare in the middle of their on-going battles. For this particular practice, the main problem is the extra work they’re dealing with. Parent A wants a copy of everything that Parent B wants and vice versa.
Of course, this is just one of many problems you may encounter when dealing with divorced parents who no longer get along. The doctor is requesting a certain treatment, but the parents disagree on whether or not it should be undertaken. That can cause unnecessary delays in the child’s treatment and a whole lot of headaches for your staff.
Healthcare organizations are not exempt from the financial problems and woes facing other corporations today; they too must “adapt or die”. Whether large or small, healthcare organizations must constantly seek and implement business and marketing strategies to retain customers (patients) and to attract new ones.
When it comes to healthcare, patients (customers) are demanding quality care that is affordable, offers easy access to primary and specialty care, in close proximity to their home or place of employment and good customer service.
Patients that are unhappy with their healthcare plans or providers are walking with their feet - right next door to the competition.
By its very nature, medical practice work can be frenzied, stressful, and overwhelming. You and your staff are likely under constant interruption, making it impossible to give each task the attention it deserves, and simply completing the huge number of necessary tasks each day can be a struggle. Effective time management is essential to the smooth operation of a medical practice. These practices can help you reduce your stress, improve your productivity, and reclaim your personal life.
Standardize the schedule – Though many providers only want to work on “their” schedule, attempt to standardize the schedule and minimize changes as much as possible. This will lower the number of errors and reduce they disruption that proprietary schedules can cause. Providers may not like this at first, but a smooth schedule makes both doctors and patients happy.
Healthcare organizations around the world are faced with the challenges of containing rising healthcare costs, improving access to care, and providing quality care to patients with very complex diseases and longer life spans (due to vast improvements in medical research and technology). The impetus to provide quality care has resulted in a demand for healthcare providers to increase RVUs, decrease emergency room visits for non-emergent care and increase patient satisfaction within the primary care setting. As a result, healthcare organizations and the federal government have turned to pay-for-performance incentives to reward providers for increasing efficiencies, improving access to care. And improving healthcare outcomes for patients with diabetes, hypertension and other life-threatening but manageable diseases.
Communication is an important part of keeping a medical practice running smoothly, and staff meetings are a great way to keep those lines of communication going, whether you hold them daily, weekly, or monthly. Make sure the conversation is two-way. Employees want to know what’s going on with the practice, and they also want their voice to be heard. The goal is to work together to build your practice.
Working long hours is bad for us. There’s a ream of evidence to support that fact. In the short term, it increases stress, depression, and anxiety. And in the long term, it makes us more likely to have to take time off sick, have an accident at work, or burn out entirely. Thankfully, there are numerous things we – and employers – can do to counteract the negative effects.
“Outsourcing” is viewed in a very negative light by many Americans today. And if your medical practice is considering outsourcing one or more job positions or medical practice services, it’s true that outsourcing could keep you from hiring a local individual who desperately needs a job or could even result in layoffs of some of your current staff. But in the current economy, ignoring the cost benefits of outsourcing may not be an option. Here are some things to consider if you’re thinking about outsourcing for your medical practice.