Author: Krista Wolfe

One essential element to managing a successful business (and, yes, a practice is a business) is regularly evaluating staff. Usually conducted on an annual basis, the employee evaluation (aka, performance appraisal) lets each member of the team know how they’re doing – where they excel and in what areas they need to improve – and […]

The American Medical Association (AMA), at its November 15, 2011, House of Delegates meeting, voted to “work vigorously to stop implementation of ICD-10.” The AMA contends that ICD-10 (scheduled to go into effect on October 1, 2013, and impact virtually every physician and healthcare organization in the country) will not benefit patients and will create […]

Advertising, once considered unseemly and even unethical among medical professionals, is now commonplace and necessary for practices looking to bring in new patients. Too many practices, however, take an approach to advertising that is too generic and/or too broad and end up wasting a lot of money. Blanketing local newspapers, radio stations, the yellow pages […]

If you haven’t already started, now is the time to plan for a financially healthy 2011. Here are four steps you can take over the next six weeks or so to create a budget, set goals and engage staff – all with an eye toward a better bottom line next year. 1. Analyze your 2010 […]

When budgets are tight, marketing is often the first line item to receive scrutiny. It’s tempting to try to save money by reducing or eliminating expenses associated with promoting your practice, but in doing so, you might just find that you’re hurting the bottom line rather than helping it in the long run. Here are […]

Around this time last year we posted about the best places to get reliable information on the transition from ICD-9 to ICD-10 and it’s time for an update on this hot topic. The latest is that implementation of ICD-10 will now take effect on October 1, 2014 (delayed by a full year, much to the […]

It’s no secret that smaller medical practices have struggled financially in recent years. In response, many have merged with colleagues or sold out to large clinics or hospitals. If you’re growing weary of “going it alone,” ask yourself the following questions before going into merger talks. Am I ready to give up some control? For […]

The end of the year can be a busy time in practices. Patients are getting in under the wire before their insurance deductible clocks reset, cold and flu season is underway, and holiday parties are being planned. But even with all of this going on, it’s worth carving out a few hours to focus on […]

In the past, we have written about unique ways to recognize staff during the holiday season, including giving gifts of time, pampering, gathering, or service to others. We think these are all still good options and this year, for practices that plan to stick to more traditional shows of appreciation such as parties and bonuses, […]

Given the current challenging economic situation, your employees may look forward to (and perhaps even depend on) a holiday bonus this year. If a staff member has an out-of-work spouse, for example, a little extra cash might make the difference between buying gifts or not, between turkey with all the trimmings or not. That said, […]

The U.S. is, by design, a culturally diverse country, and is becoming more so with each passing decade. Successful medical practices recognize this fact and are adjusting how they deliver care to meet the needs of patients from a variety of cultural, ethnic, racial, and religious backgrounds. One way to ensure that all patients feel […]

The pace of change when it comes to technology available for healthcare professionals is enough to make your head spin, but unless all of your providers are planning to retire within the next few years, keeping up with technology is essential for practice success. Electronic medical records. By now, many practices-even the smallest ones-have jumped […]