Put a system into your office management


	Enter your search termsSubmit search formWeb ChiroEco.com

Issue 4 - March 2003

Team tips by Susan Hoy
Put a system into your office management

Opening a new practice can be an daunting task. And running a new – or established – practice can be extremely overwhelming. With so many details demanding our attention, taking care of patients sometimes seems the smallest part of what we do. But we must never lose sight of the fact that we exist to serve our patients.

The challenge new practitioners (and a lot of established doctors) have is to organize their time to see patients, do marketing and complete paperwork. The practice can’t run if one of these components is omitted.

Money matters

LAS VEGAS – It’s hard to talk about money, but it’s important, Susan Hoy told an audience of CAs and doctors at the Parker Seminars.
Hoy recommends several steps to make sure you get paid for what you do:

1. Develop a written financial policy. Then put your CA in charge of it.

2. Review the policy with each new patient. And have them sign it. Again, this is something for your CA to do.

3. Establish a fee schedule. And don’t deviate from it.

4. Do not finance your patients. Expect full payment at time of service.

5. Don’t play “let’s make a deal.” “Real financial hardships are few and far between,” said Hoy. When you run in those, base your fee on a legitimate need and establish an end date. “Ask for payment with each visit, even if it is a reduced payment,” she said.

6. Charge for what you do. “Free has no value,” she said.

7. Back up your CA. If a patient gets angry because the CA is enforcing the financial policy, support the CA, says Hoy. Non-paying patients don’t help your practice.

“Patients come up with all sorts of excuses for not paying,” Hoy stated. She related a few – and gave her own tried-and-true solution for dealing with the excuse:

• “I forgot my wallet.” Solution: Give the patient a stamped, addressed envelope.

• “I only want to write one check a month.” Solution: Put their credit card on file.

• “I get paid tomorrow.” Solution: Post-date a check.

Susan Hoy spoke at the Parker Seminars.

Here are some suggestions for the creation of an organized practice.

• Scheduling. Organize your schedule so that you have blocks of time to do paperwork, marketing and staff education.
Plan your schedule with a block of time for adjusting regular patients and during that time, concentrate only on that. Never spread your patients out throughout the day: You will go home exhausted and not able to get other work done.

Allow adequate consultation time to give reports and care for new patients. You serve your patients by being totally focused on them.

And aside from patient-care time, schedule blocks of time to do paperwork and marketing. Make these activities part of your daily work.

• Organization and systemization. Systems help you work more effectively as well as more efficiently. They help eliminate stress. When your practice is systemized and organized everyone benefits, especially the patients.

Developing a system requires four major steps:

1. Identify the process. Some examples of processes include new patient intake and examination, report of findings, re-examinations, reactivations and insurance processing.

2. Break down the steps in the process. For example, when a new patient calls on the phone:
• The telephone is answered,
• Information about the doctor and the office is shared,
• Some information on the patient is captured,
• Initial patient-information forms are completed and
• A visit is scheduled.

3. Identify or develop the resources you need. These include equipment, forms, money – even time!

4. Assign responsibilities. Who will perform each task? This is a good time to think about how to measure accountability – to make sure the task gets done.

Systemizing components of patient care and scheduling can take the stress out of practicing. Don’t change a system until everyone decides there is a real need to change it.

When you systematize, your patients will feel your energy. They will see and feel an organized, professional office with lots of patients. There is no better perception. Remember, some people dream of success, others wake up and work for it!

Susan Hoy, former office manager of Snyman Chiropractic Group in Philadelphia, speaks to chiropractic team members throughout the country and is an award-winning team trainer and consultant. She is the author of several books, a team-training manual and team-training cassette tapes. She can be reached at 215-674-0130; suzzhoy@aol.com; or at her website at www.beefitup.net.

How are we doing?