Eyeworld

86 | EYEWORLD | FALL 2024 P RACTICE MANAGEMENT by Corinne Wohl, MHSA, COE, and John Pinto About the authors John Pinto President J. Pinto & Associates San Diego, California Corinne Wohl, MHSA, COE President C. Wohl & Associates San Diego, California the practice needs to offer education and training to help newer managers learn how to manage their former peers. This is not an easy transition and should not be taken lightly. 5. Fair and tough leadership: Managers need to balance being tough and fair. They should hold all staff to the same standards, avoid favoritism, and ensure personal rela- tionships do not interfere with professional duties. Again, this is especially challenging when a technician has moved from being a peer to a supervisor. 6. Being a role model: This includes un- derstanding the practice's future goals and sharing it with staff, being punctual, being flexible and not rigid, and personally exhibiting that customer service and patient satisfaction are the highest of priorities. 7. Learning from peers: Periodically visiting other practices to observe success in other settings can provide valuable insights. This helps clinic managers adopt best practic- es and innovative solutions to common problems. Invest the time and resources for management skills improvement to help them be successful. 8. Team collaboration: Close collaboration with all mid-level managers creates core strength for the practice. Working together and tying their success together reduces finger-pointing and leads to more cohesive problem-solving when issues arise. 9. Delegation and training: Having a formal- ly designated and trained second-in-com- mand ensures continuity in leadership during a manager's absence. Delegation skills are vital for maintaining operations during overwhelming times (new PM/EHR system adoption, compound new staff or physician hires, construction and office renovations, etc.) and handling unexpected challenges (broken equipment, scheduling issues, staffing shortages, etc.). 10. Avoiding burnout: Given the demanding nature of their job, clinic managers must apply good self-care practices to avoid burnout. This includes managing stress, Challenges of running the clinic floor Y our back office is the most dynamic department in your practice setting, with more moving parts and a lower tolerance for error than any other dimension of your company. While doctors and administrators are ultimately in control of what happens with patient care, clinic managers play a crucial, front-line role in ensuring the smooth operations up and down each corridor. Running a clinic floor presents numerous challenges that require a blend of leadership, experience, and practical how-to knowledge. Here are 12 key challenges and five success factors essential for effective manage- ment of your clinic. Key challenges 1. Reporting structure: Clinic managers should report to the administrator rather than a doctor. This ensures clear communi- cation channels and accountability, allow- ing managers to make unbiased decisions focused on operational efficiency. 2. Hands-on experience: Effective clinic man- agers have hands-on experience working on the floor. Spending at least 2–3 days per week as a working manager keeps their skills sharp and helps them stay in tune with the daily operations and challenges their staff face. 3. Standard operating procedures (SOPs): Keep SOPs updated and relevant. Clinic managers must be required to create or refresh SOPs regularly to ensure all staff fol- low consistent protocols, enhancing patient care and operational efficiency. These SOPs are also used to enhance the training of newly hired staff. 4. Human resources and leadership skills: Clinic managers should possess formal HR and leadership skills. These include conducting performance reviews, holding regular department meetings, cross-train- ing staff, and ensuring written position descriptions are clear and up to date. Since many clinical managers have moved up the ranks after being an excellent technician,

• Cover