Each new year offers the opportunity to reflect on what you hope to achieve and to set goals that are aligned with your practice values. If you’ve not yet mapped out your 2013 goals, here are some possibilities to consider (or that might trigger you to think of other specific goals for your practice), each categorized under a core values umbrella.
Core Value: Quality Clinical Care
- Set up a system to monitor the delivery of preventive care services for patients.
- Conduct internal monthly chart reviews to check for up-to-date medication lists or other key clinical factors.
- Review recent CME for all providers and determine which activities should be scheduled for 2013/2014.
- Budget for staff to receive advanced clinical training targeted to help them deliver quality patient care.
Core Value: Patient Satisfaction
- Conduct a patient satisfaction survey this year.
- Reduce waiting times to an average of “x” minutes between arrival and being in an exam room and “x” minutes between being escorted to an exam room and being face-to-face with a provider.
- Update appointment scheduling system to allow space for same-day appointments for patients with urgent medical needs.
- Begin sending birthday greeting cards to patients this year.
Core Value: Employee Satisfaction and Retention
- Hold regular staff meetings (weekly, bi-monthly, or monthly depending on the size and complexity of your practice).
- Schedule an offsite strategic planning retreat.
- Commit to conducting annual employee evaluations.
- Update/upgrade employee workstations throughout the office.
Core Value: Financial Success
- Analyze and update fee schedule.
- Hire a consultant to train staff and providers on how to optimize reimbursement through proper coding.
- Reduce A/R days to “x” by a certain date.
- Reduce overhead by “x” percent by a certain date.
If you’ve read this far and you’re wondering, “What are our core values?” take a look at this post about how to create a meaningful mission, vision and values statement for your practice.
