Eyeworld

82 | EYEWORLD | DECEMBER 2023 P RACTICE MANAGEMENT Contact Pinto: pintoinc@aol.com, 619-223-2233 Wohl: czwohl@gmail.com, 609-410-2932 5. Feedback and recognition. Create a staff culture of feedback and recognition. Acknowl- edge and celebrate team achievements while providing constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement. 6. Observe the team closely. An important and growing aspect of managing the team is to recognize burnout. Physician burnout is now more common than ever. Few recognize it in themselves, and they may need assistance with patient template changes or surgical scheduling adjustments. An increasing staff turnover rate is another way to recognize there may be work distribution challenges, internal conflicts, or department dysfunction. High turnover can disrupt team dynamics and create a domino effect that is hard to stop. Having strong recruitment and retention strategies is vital to avoiding high turnover. 7. Stay ahead of stagnation or decline. If leadership is too focused on minor problems and doesn't take in the big picture, stagnation or decline in terms of growth and market share can occur. The practice can become less competitive, lose referral relationships, and struggle to attract new patients if manage- ment is too distracted with internal issues and not constantly scanning for big picture issues. This is an area where combined physician and management leadership needs to stay coor- dinated in their efforts. This challenge can creep up on a practice, and it is not easy or fast to turn it around. 8. Keep improving. Effective leaders are always on the lookout for opportunities for practice improvement. This includes drawing on patient feedback and staff suggestions and streamlining operations. Practices gain valuable insight for growth and enhance- ment when paying attention and listening to feedback. Effective leadership and team building are essential elements of success for physician practices, especially in today's challenging healthcare landscape. The roles of leadership and teamwork in ophthalmic practices will only become more critical. Today is the time to develop new strategies and set goals that physician leadership and managers can work toward together. 4. Team collaboration. Respected physician leaders help promote collaboration among the whole team. Showing favoritism or disinter- est in some departments makes managing a practice more difficult than it needs to be. Applying and supporting fair and consistent policies throughout the whole practice can eliminate conflict within teams and helps the practice stay on course with the major goals of excellent patient care, customer service satisfaction, and financial success. The role of administrators and managers A cohesive management team has the ability to provide superior patient care, improve practice efficiency, enhance staff satisfaction, and deliver outstanding financial results. Here's how to foster the teamwork needed to meet these goals. 1. Set clear expectations. Define and commu- nicate each team member's roles and respon- sibilities. This clarity reduces confusion and ensures the ability to hold staff accountable for their actions. One way to accomplish this is with updated position descriptions. When everyone knows exactly what their priority roles are, the organization runs smoothly. 2. Communication and collaboration. A com- mon theme we hear from clients is, "We need to improve communication here." Almost ev- ery practice has this listed as a staff concern, even the ones where management thinks they are great communicators. Every practice must encourage open communication and collab- oration among all departments and teams. Regular team meetings and digital communi- cation tools facilitate information sharing and problem-solving. 3. Shared goals. Establish shared goals and ob- jectives for the team. When everyone under- stands the bigger practice picture, it's easier to align efforts and work toward common outcomes. 4. Training and development. Invest in ongo- ing training and professional development for staff. This not only enhances their skills but also demonstrates commitment to their professional growth. When employees feel personally supported and competent with their skills, they are happier in their positions, naturally treat patients better, and patient satisfaction rises. continued from page 80

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