You now have a clear understanding of calendar year 2014’s wide ranging impact on the practice; simply expect more turbulence frustration and uncertainty in 2015. With rising overhead costs and weaker reimbursement rates continuing to exert pressure on practice operating margins, the need for operational efficiencies designed to effectively support the “Triple Aim”- improving quality care delivery, reducing operating costs, and improving access- are paramount. The paradigm shift in healthcare will continue and the only way to survive today’s turbulent marketplace is with a focused and engaged team.
For many of you, successfully navigating the seemingly unending challenges in healthcare will continue on a rollercoaster, and not on a necessarily fun ride. Rest assured, you are not alone: Every practice confronts organizational dynamics, lack of skilled change agents, team members not focused on goals, financial stressors, and countless other challenges that make it difficult to address needed improvements. In searching for realistic practice management winning strategies, understanding team-building skills, effective communications, and accountability are foundational to ensure desired results. Think clear defined targets. Think collaboration. Think reaching deeper and deeper into the leadership toolbox.
For example: I am working with a mid-size group (11 MDs and 4 NPPs) assisting with rightsizing the group’s patient access and allocations and integrating more effective utilization of the NPP’s. As you can imagine, successful integration for individual physician and staff support infrastructure change models, despite advanced plan preparation and development over 45 days, was initially met with some resistance. The good news for the practice was the advent of key contributing team members, both providers and staff, stepping forward as strong advocates for improvement. They understood they were critical to successful change implementation and, ultimately, the group’s sustainability. I have found over my career that solutions to many of the internal issues confronting the practice can be found by asking key staff what is wrong and how to fix it. Yes, you will need to listen, but more often than not, you will find they understand the problem because it affects them directly. By the way, listing is a hard skill to learn, so don’t expect to excel right away! Also, successfully introducing new pathways may be required, but change is never easy and will take far more time and energy than planned.
We went from introducing the reengineering process (Development), including clear supporting practice business health data and metrics (Information and Buy-In), to defining strategic and tactical changes needed (Communicating Vision), why they were needed (Building Consensus), the value to the practice, and on to energizing team creativity to identify and solve interrelated problems (Driving Results). The practice also understood I was now part of their team, their goals were our goals, and I would stay with them as long as needed.
If you would like to discuss your practice goals and improvement models, please visit our web site https://prswp.prsnetwork.com and tab consulting or contact us direct at 800-972-9298, extension 111 or e-mail me at lkemp@prsdata.com
