Eyeworld

48 | EYEWORLD | SEPTEMBER 2020 I NSIDE THE PRACTICE Contact Pinto: pintoinc@aol.com Wohl: czwohl@gmail.com 8. Benchmarking statistics: Beyond routine financial reports, there are a lot of stats to stay on top of—more than 50 at last count. Here are a few examples: tech hours per patient visit, patient visits per exam room hour, net profit per MD hour worked, and no-show rate. Each of these have norms, which effective practice leaders memorize, allowing them to be more accountable for company performance. 9. Agenda and minutes: If you are a lead- er in charge of practice meetings—board meetings, department meetings, and the like—having an agenda and generating brief minutes afterward will help you be more accountable to your leadership responsibili- ties. 10. Project tracking tools: The average prac- tice department head typically juggles about five projects at once (this might include the purchase of a new piece of equipment and getting up to speed on it or adopting a new practice management system). The typical administrator may have 15 or more ongoing, demanding projects under way. COVID-19 has multiplied these figures con- siderably, of course. Most people respon- sible for ongoing projects have their own method of keeping track of them, perhaps on a Word file or an office whiteboard. As a practice leader you can help everyone to be collectively more accountable for these live projects by having a central report showing all open practice projects at a glance. There are numerous project tracking approach- es. Before computers we had "scan card" systems, with 3 x 5 cards, one per project. Microsoft Project is one of many robust programs for very large practices. For select clients, we build a simple "action grid" with a line item for each project showing the action to be taken (and outcome desired), its "owner," the deadline, and dated prog- ress notes (updated every couple of weeks and shared among the entire management team). descriptions current is typically a collabo- ration between the administrator/depart- ment head and each person who is actually performing the job in question. 3. Employment contracts: While these are usually limited to medical providers and occasionally to senior management staff, employment contracts are the foundation of a worker's responsibility to the compa- ny and your responsibility to that worker. Reread at least annually and ask, "Is this still complete and appropriate?" 4. Performance reviews: While you may have a rising or falling opinion of each worker's performance, to be a responsible and accountable employer or manager, you need to take the time every 6–12 months to inform each worker (including doctors) formally of how you think they are doing. 5. Checklists: Even the most experienced airline pilots get ready for flight using written checklists. Running an airplane, like running a practice, is maddeningly complex but can get a little boring and routine, so it's critical to use checklists to ensure nothing is overlooked. 6. Procedure manuals: Even the least de- manding tasks in a medical practice have a right and a wrong way to be performed. Too few practices develop a written proce- dure or operating manual that they then use to train and retrain, audit performance gaps, and drive process improvement. Even the smallest solo practice should have a 100+ page binder or electronic file describing how things are properly done. 7. Financial reporting: Business perfor- mance is chiefly measured by units of dollars. Profit and loss statements, balance sheets, annual budgets, and the like help boards and administrators discuss goals and be more accountable for reaching agreed performance targets. continued from page 46

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