Own the Phone with Spencer Peller
Spencer Peller is the Co-Founder and CEO of YesTrak and Founder and CEO of MyDoctorCalls. He is also the author of the new book Own the Phone! Today’s training is all about your telephone! If you’re a business owner, you know how important your telephones really are. This training will help you understand every aspect of answering the phone. It’s also a great training for your staff, so make sure you send this link to them and tell them to watch it. Click the interview below to get started… For more information about YesTrak: Visit: www.YesTrak.com Call: (800) 620-5877 Send email to info@yestrak.com
The Secret to Better Practice Management Decisions
Learn how to use metrics for better decision making! Metrics are what you need. When it comes to managing your practice, it’s often difficult to make informed, timely decisions without data. That’s because practice owners are frequently unsure of which performance indicators they should measure, or even how to get started. Or, they ignore the data and operate on instinct. Analytics, however, take the guesswork out of practice management, while simplifying the data so it can be easily understood. These tools provide increased efficiency and effectiveness, for improved decision-making ability.
How to Build a Huge Chiropractic Practice with Dr. Stephen Franson!
Dr. Stephen Franson has not only built a huge, wellness based Chiropractic practice, but he’s also helped dozens of Chiropractors to do the same thing. He has studied the process of building successful practices and teaches it to Chiropractors from around the globe. Dr. Franson is the founder of The Remarkable Practice where he shares his research and strategies. In this interview he will tell you all about the lifecycle of his practice (a 1,000 visit per week office), and how he closed the “side doors” on his office and converts most of his corrective care patients to longterm family wellness plans. Check out this quick video interview below, and then leave us a comment! For more info on The Remarkable Practice Click Here
Revenue | Committing to a Software Solution
Much Ado About Data Committing to a Software Solution Can Dr. Ben move past being overwhelmed by data and commit to Genesis? As he made his way into work on Monday, Ben was preparing himself to take the next step in his Genesis journey. He knew that the software was going to help in innumerable ways, from records management, to tracking insurance payments, to helping to get patients reinvested in their own care plans. But with reports come data – a TON of data – and what on earth were he and Luisa going to do with all of those numbers? “Good morning Luisa,” Ben said as he entered the office. “Hello Dr. Ben – how was your weekend?” asked Luisa. “It was great,” Ben answered. “Carmen and I tried out the new downtown Indian buffet. It’s really good – and I even have leftovers to enjoy for lunch today!” “Hopefully Jonathan found something he liked to eat, too,” said Luisa. She stopped for a minute, then continued, “So… have you given any thought to moving forward on Genesis?” Ben sighed. It was going to be difficult to put this off for any longer. “I know, I know, we shouldn’t wait any longer,” he said. “Before we get started, I’m going to call our coach, Charlie, and ask her a few questions.” “Let me know if there’s anything I can do,” said Luisa. Ben placed his lunch in the refrigerator and then went into his office, closing the door. He stared at the phone for a minute and then laughed at himself. Boy, change can really be hard, he thought. He picked up the phone and, within a minute, he was connected with his Genesis coach, Charlie. “How are things going, Dr. Ben?” Charlie asked. “Well, we’re doing fine but … I have to admit, we understand that this software is going to help us manage the office more professionally and efficiently but we’re having trouble taking that last big step and rolling it out,” Ben admitted. “Oh, you’re not alone,” Charlie said. “Ask me anything – we’re here to help!” “I guess we’re overwhelmed by all the data,” said Ben. “Neither Luisa nor I are number crunchers, and the reports can get so complex. How can we be sure that this is going to help us, rather than adding to our already busy workdays?” “One of the wonderful things about the billing stats report is that it will help you to create consistent, repeatable processes for collecting patient information and assessing billing performance,” Charlie said. “It might be daunting looking at the possibilities from the outside in, but once you’ve got things set up, it will actually help you to get a handle on your office cash flow and more easily identify where – and why – things are being held up in the reimbursements pipeline.” He continued, “Have you ever looked at your revenue stream over a period of a few months and seen a decline, and panicked? With the billing stats report, instead of trying to go patient by patient, week by week, month by month, and guess what the problems are, you can actually run reports with up to 45 different parameters and pinpoint where exactly in the process things are breaking.” “I don’t see how that is possible,” protested Ben. “Let me put it this way: you can run a 60-day report and get a breakdown of the status of each claim,” said Charlie. “If the claim is not at the insurance company, then you’ll be able to figure out if you’ve got an intake problem, if your claims are going out in a timely fashion, or if there are issues with the information you’re sending out with the claim. You can also look at which CPT codes are getting paid or underpaid. With the power of accurate statistics, you can have the right conversations with front desk staff, your office manager and billers.” “What’s also great is that with the radar chart, you can set parameters for your practice,” Charlie continued. “If you get to a point where everything is within the parameters you’ve set, then you will render the billing stats report unnecessary. That’s a terrific thing about Genesis – we help you achieve best practices in your office management so that you can be in control of your practice and focus more on your patients.” “That’s exactly what we want,” said Ben. “I don’t know anyone who went into medicine so that they could spend most of their day staring at a computer screen!” “But do you want to hear the most wonderful thing of all about Genesis?” Charlie asked. “Of course,” said Ben. “Whenever you have a question, a concern or simply want to talk through some numbers that don’t seem to make sense, you can call me,” Charlie said. “We are committed to being here when you need us.” “Well, that is the most wonderful thing I’ve heard all day!” laughed Ben. “I can’t thank you enough for your time today.” After a few more minutes of small talk, Ben emerged from his office and walked toward Luisa, who knew just by looking at him that change was afoot. “That must have been some phone call,” said Luisa. “It was,” smiled Ben. “I think we’re ready to begin our Genesis adventure – together!” Is Dr. Ben ready for launch? Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
Revenue | Understanding Practice Cashflow
Revenue Matters Can Dr. Ben stay on top of his practice’s revenue stream – and help his patients to manage their health care costs – without accurate and customizable reports? Dr. Ben walked out of a treatment room whistling, feeling great about the session. His patient, Ryan, had come a very long way since the car accident and was actually going to return to work the following week. But he stopped cold when he saw Luisa sitting at her desk with her head in her hands. “What’s wrong, Luisa?” asked Dr. Ben with concern. “I know that I’m pretty good with numbers but some days I can’t make heads or tails of where our finances stand!” Luisa said bitterly. “Tell me what happened and let’s see if we can talk this out,” encouraged Dr. Ben. Luisa explained how frustrated she was with the insurance reimbursement process. Since they were still generating reports by hand, she never felt as though she had control of financial matters. Some insurance claims were dragging out for months and, without being sure of when reimbursements might come, she was having difficulty budgeting – or at least budgeting confidently – for other office expenses. “I was positive that the claims for Christine Jackson and that handsome young teacher, John Santos, would have come through by now, so I went ahead and began the process of purchasing a new copy machine,” explained Luisa. “You know how frustrated Pam gets when you ask her to copy home care instructions for new patients. But the claim hasn’t come through and we’ve got other major expenses coming down the pike. I just don’t feel like I’ve got a handle on our finances at all.” Dr. Ben was quite troubled to hear this. The practice was in good financial shape but she had never imagined that tracking insurance reimbursements might cause such trouble for Teresa, who worked so hard to keep the practice’s financial status pinpointed precisely. “Well, don’t you know by now how long each insurance company’s accounts receivable window is?” questioned Dr. Ben. “It’s just not that simple!” said Luisa, exasperated. “We accept more so many different types of insurance, and each of those companies has plans with various levels of coverage. Plus, you know that some companies are just a lot less helpful than others, so even the smallest error in the treatment code or a line left blank can hold the process back for weeks!” Dr. Ben thought about that for a minute. It really was unfair to expect Luisa to track all of these things manually. “The worst thing is that some of our patients are really struggling to pay their bills but, by the time they really understand what their care plan might cost, it’s almost too late for us to even try and help work things out for them,” Luisa finished. The two looked at each other uncomfortably, Dr. Ben’s satisfaction in his recent treatment session forgotten. He wished he could simply focus on what he loved to do – to help people feel better – instead of worrying about administrative issues. And he hated to see Luisa so upset. Might there be a solution to the insurance reimbursement issue at Dr. Ben’s practice? Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
Software Addresses Practice Workflow Issues
Ready to Order? Is Dr. Ben ready to take the plunge on practice management software? “I don’t get it.” Carmen gazed at her husband across the table. “You find this software — what’s it called?” “Genesis.” Ben looked up from the menu. “Genesis, which will simplify your workflow, let Pam do her job better, and free up your time to concentrate on the patients, which is what you really care about — and you don’t buy it. “I haven’t bought it yet,” Ben corrected her. “I think the decision’s pretty much made.” “It has a dashboard, right? I know that was something that you wanted in your practice management software.” “It does. It’s awesome, too — easy access current practice stats, month to date daily progress, all the patient information, and then it’s easy to get from the data to the actions the team needs to take.” “From what you’ve told me about it, it seems as though Vericle really empowers the staff. They get to see their importance as partners in patient care.” “That’s what the Vericle people tell us.” Carmen nodded. “I’ve seen the difference it makes when your team really feels like a team. You might think you’re giving away some of the power, but giving people responsibility and accountability and making sure everyone understands his or her place in the mission of your business — it’s amazing how much difference that makes.” “I believe you,” Ben said, “and it’s certainly not a question of worrying about giving away power.” “What is it then?” Carmen leaned forward. “What’s keeping you from taking that step?” “There are costs involved,” Ben said, “and change, and I’ve gotten a lot of pushback from some of the partners.” “Tools cost money,” Carmen agreed, “but they’re an investment in your business. They pay off in the long run, if you choose the right tools. In this case, it seems like you’d see an increase in productivity.” “Maybe,” said Ben, his eyes back on the menu. “But what if it doesn’t work?” “What if it does — and you don’t try it?” Carmen waited for Ben to look up at her. “If you’re going to do it eventually and you expect it to have a positive ROI, waiting just means you’re losing money and opportunity until you take action.” Ben thought about how much he’d already learned from the people at Genesis Chiropractic, and the changes he had already made in his practice — and the benefits he’d already seen. Why was he still waiting? “You’re right,” he said. “I’ll call them this afternoon.” “If it doesn’t work out, you can blame me,” said Carmen, “but I think Pam will be calling to thank me for helping you make the decision.” The waitress appeared. “Hi, folks. I didn’t want to interrupt that intense conversation, but it looks like you’ve solved the problems of the world, so maybe you’d like to order now?” “Maybe not all the problems of the world,” Ben laughed, “but enough that we can concentrate on lunch.” Is Dr. Ben ready to take the plunge on practice management software? Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
Software Addresses Practice Workflow Issues
Ready to Order? Is Dr. Ben ready to take the plunge on practice management software? “I don’t get it.” Carmen gazed at her husband across the table. “You find this software — what’s it called?” “Genesis.” Ben looked up from the menu. “Genesis, which will simplify your workflow, let Pam do her job better, and free up your time to concentrate on the patients, which is what you really care about — and you don’t buy it. “I haven’t bought it yet,” Ben corrected her. “I think the decision’s pretty much made.” “It has a dashboard, right? I know that was something that you wanted in your practice management software.” “It does. It’s awesome, too — easy access current practice stats, month to date daily progress, all the patient information, and then it’s easy to get from the data to the actions the team needs to take.” “From what you’ve told me about it, it seems as though Vericle really empowers the staff. They get to see their importance as partners in patient care.” “That’s what the Vericle people tell us.” Carmen nodded. “I’ve seen the difference it makes when your team really feels like a team. You might think you’re giving away some of the power, but giving people responsibility and accountability and making sure everyone understands his or her place in the mission of your business — it’s amazing how much difference that makes.” “I believe you,” Ben said, “and it’s certainly not a question of worrying about giving away power.” “What is it then?” Carmen leaned forward. “What’s keeping you from taking that step?” “There are costs involved,” Ben said, “and change, and I’ve gotten a lot of pushback from some of the partners.” “Tools cost money,” Carmen agreed, “but they’re an investment in your business. They pay off in the long run, if you choose the right tools. In this case, it seems like you’d see an increase in productivity.” “Maybe,” said Ben, his eyes back on the menu. “But what if it doesn’t work?” “What if it does — and you don’t try it?” Carmen waited for Ben to look up at her. “If you’re going to do it eventually and you expect it to have a positive ROI, waiting just means you’re losing money and opportunity until you take action.” Ben thought about how much he’d already learned from the people at Genesis Chiropractic, and the changes he had already made in his practice — and the benefits he’d already seen. Why was he still waiting? “You’re right,” he said. “I’ll call them this afternoon.” “If it doesn’t work out, you can blame me,” said Carmen, “but I think Pam will be calling to thank me for helping you make the decision.” The waitress appeared. “Hi, folks. I didn’t want to interrupt that intense conversation, but it looks like you’ve solved the problems of the world, so maybe you’d like to order now?” “Maybe not all the problems of the world,” Ben laughed, “but enough that we can concentrate on lunch.” Is Dr. Ben ready to take the plunge on practice management software?
Overcoming Workflow Bottlenecks
Traffic Jams Can running the right reports improve workflow bottlenecks in Dr. Ben’s practice? “Mrs. Wilson!” Pam said, looking up as Carmen came through the door. “Did I hear you talking about me?” Carmen asked her husband playfully. “I was hoping you could come to lunch with me.” “Dr. Ben was talking about our workflow bottlenecks,” Pam put in. “Workflow matters,” Carmen said. “And I think you also should be talking about scalability. Naturally you pay full attention to one patient at a time, but for the sake of the practice you have to be able to look at the big picture and identify the bottlenecks in your workflow.” Pam was silent. “We’re speechless,” Ben said. “I’m glad to see you, of course, but I have no idea what you’re talking about right now.” Pam darted a glance at the patients around them and welcomed a new patient. “Should we be discussing these things in front of them?” she asked quietly when she was free again. “It’s business,” Carmen shrugged. “Your practice is growing because you give your patients excellent care. So you want to continue doing that. How could they object?” She stepped behind the desk and looked over Pam’s shoulder. “For example, can you run a report that shows all the tasks that are coming up tomorrow and who is assigned to do them, and what tasks are still left from today?” “Honey, I don’t think you should be–” Ben began, but Pam stopped him. “I’ll just pull up the list of reports I can run,” she offered. “There’s no sensitive information there.” “There sure are a lot of reports!” Carmen said, her eyes widening. “New Patients, No Shows, No Future Appointments–” “There are lots of patient reports,” Pam agreed, scrolling down the page, “and then we also have things like Inventory, Billing, Patient Balances, Third Party Vendors…” Ben joined them in staring at the screen. “Is that going to help us identify bottlenecks in our workflow?” “I only run a few of them,” Pam admitted. “Mostly, I don’t really know how to set them up the way I want or how to use them once I run them. I think they’re open to interpretation, too, because sometimes they make me think we should do something but the partners don’t agree — sorry, Dr. Ben!” “That’s okay,” he said. “I know what you mean. Often we partners don’t agree with each other, either. It’s like we’re all looking at different information.” “Reports like these are for analysts,” Carmen said firmly, “not for doctors and nurses. You can’t expect to look at a couple hundred lines of a Tasks and Events report and see what you need to do next.” “Plus,” Pam added, “it’s hard for me even to figure out which report to look at. If we’re talking about how smoothly the work goes, I know that a lot of the tasks we do involve multiple aspects of the practice, not just one of the things listed on those pre-made reports.” Ben took his wife’s arm. “We’ll get out of your way now, Pam,” he said, “but thank you for your help.” “How much time do you spend on those reports?” Carmen asked her husband as they walked. “Hardly any,” Ben shrugged. “As Pam said, I don’t really understand how to use them. Plus, I don’t exactly have lots of free time — and I’d rather have lunch with you.” Can running the right reports improve workflow bottlenecks in Dr. Ben’s practice? Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
Improving Practice Workflow and Accountability
How can Dr. Ben improve workflow and accountability in his chiropractic practice? Ben smiled reassuringly at his patient, snapped the file closed, and headed to the office. “I think I might need a translator for this patient,” he said. “Of course, Dr. Ben,” Pam assured him, picking up her phone. Ben headed back down the hall with long strides, but when he had finished with the patient, he returned to talk with his office manager. “So, Pam,” he began — and then stopped while she answered a phone call and handed a clipboard of forms to a new patient. “Sorry about that,” Pam smiled. “What can I do for you?” Ben lowered his voice. “Would you say things are going smoothly in the office? I noticed that you were able to provide a translator immediately and it looks as though you have everything under control.” “I pride myself on looking like I have everything under control,” Pam assured him. “And mostly I do, even if sometimes I’m like a duck.” “A duck?” “Gliding along the water on top and paddling like crazy underneath,” Pam laughed. “Seriously, I think things are going pretty well. We have issues. What chiropractic practice doesn’t? But overall it’s good.” “What issues do you see?” Ben pursued the question. “Sometimes we have to search pretty hard to find the information we want,” Pam said promptly. “I’m still waiting for that new software we’ve been talking about.” Ben nodded. “I just haven’t gotten around to it.” “And it would help a lot if staff could really know what their daily workload was going to be. Everyone just comes in and waits for me to tell them what to do. If I don’t have time to tell them anything, they don’t do anything.” Pam’s eyes widened. “I think they’d rather be able to take ownership of their work and get the satisfaction of accomplishing things and being part of the team instead of just hanging around in case they’re needed, but the work just isn’t set up that way.” “The work just doesn’t happen that way,” Ben said. Pam’s face alerted him that he had raised his voice and he lowered it again. “Like the translator — we don’t know ahead of time when we’re going to need him.” Pam looked doubtful. “I’m not so sure that’s true. I mean, it’s not like Mrs. Vargas suddenly didn’t understand. Maybe we should have a note in her file. Maybe we should ask people when we make the appointment. Maybe we could even cluster the appointments of people who might need a particular translator.” Ben frowned. “I feel like we’re getting off track here. Isn’t this just one little thing?” “Yes,” Pam agreed, “but every day is made up of those little things. We do some stop gap thing to solve a problem and after a while it becomes what we do. It’s hard to hold people accountable when they never know what they’ll be accountable for.” “I see your point,” Ben said. “It’s like what my wife calls ‘workflow.’ You’re telling me the work isn’t exactly flowing.” Pam smiled. “I’m not sure that’s what workflow means, exactly, but yes, I guess that’s another way of saying we’re just paddling like crazy under the water.” Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
Practice Growth Through Chiropractic Software
First Impressions Does Dr. Ben really know how to run his practice growth? Ben sat on the bench in the museum’s Impressionists room, staring at a giant canvas. His wife and son were strolling around the room, talking about details in the other paintings, and he knew that Carmen was having to focus so much on Jonathan that she probably wasn’t getting the full experience of being in an art museum. But somehow he was having trouble getting out of his own thoughts enough to enjoy time with his family. Even surrounded by amazing works of art, he was thinking about work. “Thinking about work?” Carmen asked, coming to a stop beside him. Jonathan climbed up on his lap. Ben had to laugh — it was uncanny how Carmen could read his thoughts sometimes. Although it seemed as though he was always thinking about work lately. “I guess,” he admitted. “I thought things were going well,” Carmen said, sitting beside him. “They were. They are,” said Ben. “I just feel like every time I get my problems solved, they regroup and come back at me.” Carmen gazed at the flowers on the wall. “Can I be perfectly honest?” “Of course!” Ben was surprised. “Aren’t you always perfectly honest with me?” “I try to strike the balance between honest and supportive.” Carmen darted a look at Ben. Jonathan, worn out from walking, was half asleep. “I think you don’t know as much about running your practice as you need to. Maybe not as much as think you do, even.” Ben frowned. “That’s honest, okay. Maybe not supportive.” “I’m not saying anything about how you treat your patients. I’m just saying it’s not really scalable.” Ben looked inquiringly at his wife. “Managing a small practice where you see a few patients a day is not the same as managing a growing practice. You want growth, of course, and you’re a great chiropractor, so you get more patients — and you have a crisis while you figure out how to serve them all. Then you add a partner or another staff member, and you have a crisis while you figure out how to pay for them and how to manage them. Then you get more patients so there’s enough money to go around, but then you have another crisis figuring out how to keep track of everything. Your practice grows, but you sort of go from crisis to crisis.” Ben looked back at the peaceful flowers in the painting. From crisis to crisis was a pretty fair description of how he felt. “We want growth,” he said. “We need it, even. We have to think about Jonathan’s future — lessons, sports, even college tuition. And we have to think about our retirement, and let’s face it, we want and deserve a certain kind of lifestyle. I don’t think that going back to the way things were my first year in practice is the solution. You’re right, though — I felt a lot more competent back in those days.” “What about the technology solutions we’ve talked about. Have you invested in them, yet?” “We’ve done a few things,” Ben said slowly. Now that he thought of it, though, a lot of the new tools they’d talked about were still being talked about. “I know I couldn’t have handled the growth of the pizzeria if I was trying to make all my pizzas with a bowl and a wooden spoon,” Carmen said. “You need good tools.” She stood and stretched. Ben picked up his sleepy son and put an arm around his wife. “I think I’ve had enough of the Impressionists,” he said. “But what you said definitely has made an impression on me.” “Good,” Carmen smiled. Does Dr. Ben really know how to run his growing practice? Disclaimer: For HIPAA compliance, all characters appearing in this post are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons or actual events is purely coincidental.
