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OPHTHALMOLOGY BUSINESS
December 2018
as many staff as possible are cross-
trained.
7. An administrator/CEO of appro-
priate expertise, skill and time com-
mitment, whose competencies align
with the practice's scale and current
needs. You want an appropriate
balance between the hard skills of
finance, accounting, and regulatory
details, and the softer skills of prob-
lem-solving, conflict resolution, HR,
communication, etc.
8. A managing partner who is an
inspirational group leader, selected
based on their desire to lead, current
needs of the practice, and their skill.
Having a 2-year term for the role
is appropriate with no term limits.
This provides continuity and growth
in the position. A modest honorari-
um is recommended.
9. The management team pro-
vides core strength to your practice.
Ongoing efforts should be applied
at every career stage to advance
each manager's skills. Every man-
ager—even the best—has a gap in
their skills. As the administrator and
managing partner, it's your job to
help your people fill in their gaps
with a personalized skills develop-
ment plan. Use a written, annual
manager development plan to
track progress and focus each team
member.
10. Provider performance reviews
are often avoided because provid-
ing feedback can be uncomfortable
for both parties. Share individual
performance data at least quarterly.
Compare goals and issues. Be sure to
treat partner-track employee doctors
as much as possible like partners,
with at least a voice (if not a vote)
in practice operations. Respect and
inclusion makes a big difference in
performance and longevity—critical
at a time when it is getting much
harder to recruit new providers. EW
Ms. Wohl is president of
C. Wohl & Associates Inc.,
a practice management
consulting firm. She earned
her Masters of Health Ser-
vices Administration degree
at George Washington
University and has more than 30 years of hospital
and physician practice management experience.
She can be contacted at czwohl@gmail.com or
609-410-2932.
Mr. Pinto is president of
J. Pinto & Associates Inc.,
an ophthalmic practice
management consulting
firm in San Diego. His
latest ASCRS•ASOA
books, Simple: The Inner
Game of Ophthalmic Practice Success and the
fifth edition of John Pinto's Little Green Book of
Ophthalmology, are available at www.asoa.org.
He can be contacted at pintoinc@aol.com or
619-223-2233.
About the authors
