human resources

Do you have staffing troubles ahead?

A poorly-timed departure of a key employee can really put a crimp on your enjoyment and profitability. Recent survey data reported in the online Business Insider cite a lack of trust in corporations and wanting to be their own boss as the top two reasons these workers leave. These data bolster our oft-repeated recommendation that every practice administrator should put a high priority in nurturing the careers of their key employees. After all, how better to foster trust than to take a sincere interest in your employees well being? What's more, such interest often takes the form of giving more responsibility and autonomy to these employees thereby helping to satisfy their desire "to be their own boss." Read more about here about the 5 Reasons Why Gen X Workers Quit.

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:37-08:00November 16th, 2012|

Another interesting (dispiriting) take on medical billing

A recent New York Times article and follow-up blog post discuss the challenges patients have understanding medical bills, through the eyes of a consultant named Jean Poole who has made a career of deciphering (usually highly erroneous) medical bills and helping patients recoup incorrect charges or reduce their outstanding bills. Billing is so challenging for practices -- even though specialized staff are usually handling the task, they have to contend with constant changing rules, reluctance of some payers to address issues, and the myriad of payment schemes with varying patient responsibility. But imagine how it is for patients -- who don't have any specialized knowledge to help them deal with the strange language and calculations of their bills. Ms. Poole's service would seem to be a godsend for patients who find themselves unexpectedly owing thousands of dollars (as the article points out, patient out-of-pocket obligations and opaque hospital fee schedules can lead to big surprises). It's great that she offers this service, for sure -- but how frustrating that it's so needed. The frequency of errors and lack of transparency in insurance company documents to patients is a big source of difficulty for practices. When patients feel they've been incorrectly charged or can't understand their bills, it undermines the trust they have in their physicians and other care providers. When your practice provides services in conjunction with a hospital, their billing clarity and accuracy (or lack thereof) can rub off on your patient relationships. While you can't control how hospitals manage their side of billing, you can at least make sure you're communicating as clearly and directly as possible with patients about what your practice will bill and how much of that bill their payer has declared to be the patient's responsibility.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:39-08:00June 27th, 2012|

Inspiration from small businesses

I recently completed a series of articles for Kareo's Getting Paid blog about how small business management issues relate to practice management. While medical practices have an important mission that reaches beyond business, they can't achieve that mission without succeeding on business terms. And, in many fundamental ways, medical practices are not so different from other kinds of small businesses. There's a lot to be learned from examining the success factors that apply to seemingly-unrelated businesses. Plus, it's kind of interesting and fun to think about other businesses in the 'real world' and how they deal with their challenges -- almost like looking at your own organization through a different lens. If you're interested in checking out the Small Business Lessons for Physician Practices series, here are the links: Small Business Lessons for Practices: Human Resources Getting Started with Marketing Financial Basics Operations Management for Physician Practices

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:40-08:00January 9th, 2012|

Prevent and uncover embezzlement: webinar

Joe and Judy's recent webinar (sponsored by Kareo) was a big hit! If you didn't have a chance to attend 'live,' you can register and view it here: Embezzlment-proof your practice Most medical practices are victims of embezzlement at some point -- yes, you read that right! -- so if you haven't already learned how employees can become thieves and employers become marks, this is a must-watch webinar.

By Morgan|2011-11-18T11:27:10-08:00November 18th, 2011|

Leadership: It’s about treating people well

Joe Capko did a webinar with Medical Practice Management Web Advisor earlier this week on how effective leadership translates to more productivity from your staff -- and vice versa. One of his themes was establishing trust by listening and treating people fairly, and letting them know they are valued. People give more to their jobs when they know you care! Aptly, today's email tip from Harvard Business Review was called "Engage Your People," and featured some of the same ideas Joe offered. Basically, less top down, more listening, more working together. To read the HBR tip, click here.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:41-08:00October 27th, 2011|

Hire slow, fire fast

The old Silicon Valley adage "hire slow, fire fast" is actually apt for any type of small business, including medical practices. The smaller the team, the more powerful this idea is, because as team size shrinks, each member's contribution becomes more critical to success. Moreover, a single poor performer or "bad apple" can disrupt a smaller team much more effectively than a larger one. Medical offices are generally small operations where everyone knows a lot about each other, and sometimes it can feel like a family. And firing a member of your family ... now that's hard! You want to be that nice person who supports someone who's having a tough time. That crabbypuss who comes in late every day, "forgets" to do the insurance checks that are her primary responsibility and never seems to notice when charts are lying around waiting to be re-filed has a family to support after all. Oh, gosh, do we really have the heart to fire her? Well, the problem with that "nice" thinking is that while you're being very, very "nice" to the poor performer, you're being decidedly NOT nice to everyone else on the team. They're all picking up after her, correcting her mistakes, putting up with her lousy attitude and starting their full work-day on time -- without Ms. Crabby, who's late again. Left unaddressed, this situation kills the morale of the good performers -- who may start performing poorly themselves or just leave for a job where they feel good work is recognized. Here's a nice essay on the subject from the CEO of Gilt in Inc magazine -- Gilt is an internet shopping site, seemingly with little in common with medical practices, but Kevin Ryan's observations are instructive for any sort of business. Firing the Wrong People Is Just as Important as Hiring the Right Ones

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:41-08:00October 27th, 2011|

Office Squabbles? Three Areas to Look for a Fix

Do you have conflicting personalities in your office? Do such differences result in petty squabbling? While inter-office conflicts are common, there are a few things an administer can do to greatly reduce conflict in the workplace. It's important to address conflicts before they affect the professionalism of your practice, the morale of your staff, and your practice's productivity. Most of what is attributed to personality conflicts in the workplace can be traced to a just a handful of sources for which you most likely are responsible! Job descriptions: It's all too easy for disputes to emerge when responsibilities are not well defined. In today's changing medical field, jobs change -- don't let those job descriptions lead to finger-pointing in the office. Clearly delineated responsibilities allow staff to both receive credit and take responsibility for tasks. Without clear definitions it's too easy for misunderstandings (of differences in performance) to escalate into personal resentments. Cross-training: The counterpart to clearly job descriptions is that your staff should be well cross-trained and able and willing to fill-in where they are needed. Cross-training has the benefit of helping everyone in the office truly appreciate what important roles the others are fulfilling. Additionally, it shows that you are interested in the well-being and career and skill advancement of your staff. There's a fine line between a groove and a rut! To the extent you are able, provide variety in the work environment so that your staff doesn't fall into an abyss of boredom. Fairness: If your staff perceives that some receive preferential treatment, morale will suffer and, with falling morale, it's only to be expected that friction will increase. An under-appreciated fact is that perceptions of fairness and openness to communication go hand-in-hand. If your staff feels they can approach you to complain because you have a sincere interest in their well-being, you are well on your way to resolving squabbles among your staff. Challenge yourself to hear that which is difficult for you to hear. No one is free from biases and your staff can serve as a mirror to your own policies -- it's important

By Joe Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:42-08:00September 30th, 2011|

Could your team be great? Aim for real.

Harvard Business Review posted a great tip today about "real teams." The pointed out that "real" teams -- i.e., groups that really work together as one -- all share three important characteristics: Shared sense of purpose Flexible skills Mutual accountability There's a great lesson here for medical practices. Physicians set the tone of purpose and accountability. Good training policies and skilled practice management ensure cross-training keeps everyone fresh and the practice able to withstand absences and staffing changes. Hiring people who can fit with the ethos of the team keeps everything humming along. Read more at Harvard Business Review.

By Morgan|2022-01-01T22:52:54-08:00August 23rd, 2011|

Master referrals and build a medical practice that rocks!

Mastering referrals is an art and a powerful tool in helping you create the practice of your dreams! Define your perfect patient, the demographics, the type of cases and the kind of patient you like to treat. Identify how you can reach those people and build a solid referral network. Create a marketing plan that nurtures the ideal referral sources and keeps your name front and center. Train staff on the solid principles of mastering referrals: Probing the patient to ensure you accurately documenting how the patient heard about your practice and tracking it in your practice management system Provide an outstanding patient experience: an aesthetically attractive and comfortable office; well dressed professional staff; staff and physicians that make each patient feel special from the time she or he calls the office until the bill is paid in full and everything in between; and thank the patient for choosing your practice. Conduct patient surveys to be sure you are on the mark with delivering an awesome patient experience. Honor and nurture referral sources. Thank them, ask if they are pleased with your service and find out if there is something else you can do to make sure they are satisfied. Network and be visible throughout your community. Be grateful and give back: giving of time and resosurces to support the community and causes you believe in. Stay constant in your efforts and measure your progress every quarter. This will help you build strategies that work and make your practice shine. You can be the master of your practice and build the practice of your dreams! Capko & Company; experts in medical practice management, strategic planning and medical marketing.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:55-08:00May 7th, 2011|

Stop Wasting Energy & Money

Medical practice revenue is tighter than ever. It's time for you to take critical steps to keep costs under control and improve profits. The first step to fixing the bottom line is to look for the waste. Wasted energy results in a loss of potential revenue and lots of frustration. There is waste throughout the typical practice, but most of it is silent and doesn't get the attention it should. Here's some common threads we see in your world: A lack of clearly defined job responsibilities that result in duplication of effort. Accepting poor performance and inferior outcomes Mistakes that one person makes and another one corrects because it seems faster or easier. The good news is all these things are fixable. Make the commitment. Look at the action that needs attention. Is it the scheduling, patient visit or billing and collections, or something else? Then flow chart the processes involved and identify the cause for errors and inefficiency, discuss the possible solutions and pick the one that makes the most sense. Then [and this is important] assign someone the responsibility to see it through, set a reasonable time-line to get each change completed and schedule meetings to review progress along the way. You may need to hire a consultant to get the ball rolling and develop a process improvement plan, but it will be worth the effort. Start thinking lean and reduce the waste! Once you see improvement it's time to celebrate. Your bottom-line will improve, staff will enjoy their work more and patients will be happier. Sounds like a win-win-win. So just do it! Capko & Company, experts in practice management and markeeting - We are here to help make your practice shine. s

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:56-08:00April 5th, 2011|

Be Respectful

Respectful engagement is about real behaviors that make a difference in patient safety, productivity and financial performance - your bottom-line, according to Dr. Mitchell Kusy and Dr. Elizabeth Holloway of Zolo Healthcare Solutions and authors of the fabulous book: Toxic Workplace! Managing Toxic Personalites and their Systems of Power. Here are a few tips from these experts. Develop zero tolerance strategies to reduce productivity losses Support staff engagement to uncover bad behaviors Designate an accountability partner for every leader Certainly a blog does not give this topic the attention it deserves. I highly recommend you buy the Kusy-Holloway book as an investment in your permanent library and make it required for every physician and manager. It is your responsibility to keep things civil and protect the workplace environment. Failure to do so will cost you plenty! Capko & Company is a leading healthcare consulting firm.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:56-08:00February 3rd, 2011|

Dream Teams

Here's seven key points that exist within a Dream Team. Players are motivated toward the same goal. There are effective communication channels between each team member. Criticisim is respectful, honest and constructive. No idea is considered stupid. The culture is deep-seated in team unity. Team is willing to compromise to achieve goal in real time. Ability of team members to face obstacles objectively. With a strong leader you can inspire your staff and work toward creating the Dream Team. It's worth the effort! Capko & Company is one of America's leading healthcare practice management and marketing consulting firms.

By Judy Capko|2010-12-14T17:42:34-08:00December 14th, 2010|

Dr. Newbie may be sinking

I've seen too many practices go through one, two and even three associates over a short period of time. They get sour and think young doctors just aren't what they use to be. Maybe, but maybe you aren't the same either. Physicians and administrators are so busy these days and have so much going on that they sometimes fail to give Dr. Newbie the tools to succeed. It's your job to provide Dr. Newbie with a good orientation, clear expectations, an understanding of the schedule, documentation requirements, billing processes and what support staff he or she can depend on. In other words you need to plan ahead, communicate well and be there when Dr. Newbie needs help. Then everyone wins and the team gets stronger! That's doing your job right. So look in the mirror when you have an associate physician that jumps ship after year one or two and think about what you might have done to make things turn out differently.Judy Capko is one of America's leading practice management and marketing consultants, and author of the runaway top-selling book Secrets of the Best Run Practice. Check it out by clicking on the book icon at www.capko.com

By Judy Capko|2011-03-13T12:22:56-08:00June 12th, 2010|

A Winning Team

Employees emulate management, so if you want a winning team you gotta set the example. Positive interaction with staff drives better performance and makes everyone as winner. It's all about the tude, the attitude! Here's my top list of BE attitudes: Believe. Recognize individual strengths,set high expectations and praise their achievements. Be visible. Make the rounds by walking through the practice at least once a day. Greet each person and ask how the job is going. Be approachable, be part of the team! Be supportive. Recognize when a staffer is struggling or has a problem that interferes with his or her ability to perform the job. Provide support and seek meaningful solutions. Be Timely. Don't disregard employees or compromise the relationship by putting things off. If you've scheduled things that involve staff and are inclined to postpone them, don't. Here's a few examples: - Annual performance reviews - Staff meetings - Employee training and feedback sessions - Celebrations - Purchasing promised equipment or supplies Keep morale high, value staff and be a winning team. Hey readers, if you have additional tips share your comments. Judy Capko is one of America's leading practice practice management and marketing consultants.

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:58-08:00June 5th, 2010|

Hire a team that follows your practice dream

Here's some power tips for creating a staff that keeps your practice at the top of its game.Know who you are. If you haven't already done so, develop your mission statement. A mission statement should not be vague nor grandiose. It should describe what your practice is all about. What defines your practice? Is it serving the under served, service beyond expectations, partnering with patients on health style issues or if your a pediatrician could it be to make each patient's visit fun? Whatever it is you must define and establish methods to make it a reality. This includes getting the entire staff on board on how to live the mission.Second, create mission-driven job descriptions. Make sure each position has specific responsibilities that support the mission statement, including points of accountability.Third, make the mission statement part of your hiring process. Whenever you are recruiting for a position in your office your mission statement should be at the helm. Applicants need to understand that living the mission is a job requirement and that they will be held accountable to act in a manner that endorses and supports the mission.Finally, execute mission training. Have a formal orientation program for new employees that talks about the mission and each staff's role in achieving the mission. Have an annual "Mission Possible" employee training program each year that includes a review and discussion of the mission and a continuing education seminar on a topic that compliments what is needed to live the mission.If you do these things and your decisions and actions support the mission, you'll create a power team that serves the practice well. Contact Judy Capko, one of America's best known practice management consultants: www.capko.com

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:59-08:00February 14th, 2009|

Dealing with conflict

Addressing and resolving conflicts is something most people avoid, including doctors! But in reality, conflicts will always emerge. But, conflicts left unattended will cause much anxiety and furor. Resolving conflict requires a specific set of actions and determination.Know where you are. Get a grip and examine the situation with the intent to reach a “realistic” solution. Recognize that this can’t be accomplished if either side is unwilling to budge. Help the opposition to understand your position and seek to understand theirs and how they arrived at such an outlook. A reasonable solution is likely to require compromise on both sides, so be willing to bend.Be impartial. This is not an easy task. You may have an inflated opinion of the value of what you bring to the table or possibly a misconception about the opposing party. Data is the best way to achieve objectivity. This can be accomplished by comparing data to national averages for your specialty. Such standards are available through professional associations such as the Medical Group Management Association,MGMA, and the National Society of Certified Healthcare Business consultants, NSCHBC. Be a good sleuth. Listen carefully to everyone’s viewpoint, most importantly those you are trying to sway. Understand where they are coming from and what is important to them. The more you know about the opposition, the better prepared you are to address the issues important to them.Clarify the desired outcome. What is essential to you and what are pracdtice leaders “really” want to achieve. It’s a matter of recognizing the ideal outcome and the “acceptable” outcome that prepares you for effective negotiations.Respect different viewpoints. It’s unlikely that everyone will see things from the same perspective, but without respecting others varying opinions we are unable to dig dipper to understand them and how to achieve an acceptable solution from their viewpoint.Just the facts. Bring facts to the table. It will diffuse subjective opinions and provide an opportunity to sway others and develop a consensus. Objective reasons will outweigh subjectivity, but you must stay on course and keep coming back to the facts. This is when you will begin to

By Judy Capko|2022-01-01T22:52:59-08:00February 6th, 2009|