Eyeworld

OPHTHALMOLOGY BUSINESS 64 December 2018 by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Writer not known why the practice is do- ing well, he explained. It's a positive sign if the practice has worked with well-respected consultants within ophthalmology to design their stra- tegic plan, he added. Dr. Piso thinks that having a mission and values statement is important enough that when you spend time at a practice, you should ask staff members you see in the lunchroom or in the hallway if they know the practice's mission state- ment or the practice's values. 2. Attend a board meeting if possible. You'll get a true sense of the practice's leadership dynamics by observing this, Dr. Piso said. If that's not possible, ask about written board meeting minutes from the previous 6 months to find out if the organization takes action on ideas and plans versus letting things fall by the wayside. Ideally, leaders and staff move forward on plans in smaller groups outside of the board meeting and provide written plans on progress instead of trying to get the work done at the meeting itself. 3. Find out who's really in charge. Attending a leadership meeting can give you a sense of this, Dr. Piso said. However, you can also ask an administrator, "Who's really running the practice?" This may be a loaded question, but it's a crucial one to get a sense of the power structure before you join a practice, he said. Ideally, the practice should have a culture of empowerment for everyone, including patients, Dr. Piso said. 4. Ask how or why the practice is successful. Leaders at a healthy practice will have a plan and work that plan; in turn, they can articu- late what makes the practice success- ful and where they may be able to improve, Dr. Piso said. Ms. Boling agreed that assessing practice health should be part of the job search process. "Practice health indicators give you a picture of the practice from a non-emotional/ objective perspective that allows a physician to draw better conclusions as to whether or not a practice has the appropriate foundation in place to pursue its strategic plan and goals for the future," Ms. Boling said. What practice health indicators are important to consider when deciding where to work? 8 ways to assess practice health 1. Look for a written strategic plan, including a mission and values statement. "Those that have it and work with it are more pro- active," Dr. Piso said. This kind of plan represents organizational core strength versus being successful but ming around separately, the overall water quality has a ripple effect on every fish. Practice health can have the same effect on surgeons and staff in a given practice. However, practice health is usually not considered thoroughly enough by surgeon job candidates. There's a tendency to make positive assumptions about how a practice is doing or to just have a general sense that the practice is "successful" without knowing any other details, Dr. Piso said. "Most MD job candidates don't ask about practice health indicators during the interview process," said Hayley Boling, MBA, COE, chief executive officer, Boling Vision Center, Northern Indiana. "I think many MD job candidates don't consider asking about these essential 'vital signs' for one reason: They don't know what to ask." Assessing practice health is a crucial part of an ophthalmologist's job search I f you're an ophthalmologist searching for a new practice, you've probably given a lot of thought to where you want to relocate, as well as a few other job search factors. Yet you may need to devote more time to researching the health of the practice where you'll potentially work. Although some surgeons think of themselves as a one-man/ one-woman show, they are part of a larger system that can positively or negatively affect their work quali- ty, said Craig Piso, PhD, Piso and Associates, Larksville, Pennsylvania. Dr. Piso likens practice health to an aquarium; even if the fish are swim- Taking the temperature of a prospective practice

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)