Branding on a Budget 07/16/2008
Companies, large and small, are paying top dollar to create and promote their brand(s). They hire research firms to survey the consumer, consultants to interpret the data and marketing agencies to take the findings and develop brands, visuals, names and tag lines. The costs associated with this formal branding process can be significant. However, it is not an all-or-nothing situation. You possess numerous tools to help develop your own brand. The following three steps have been modified for the ophthalmology practice based on what professional services marketing agencies provide for their clients.
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Fraud or Abuse? You Make the Call on Coding Mistakes 06/18/2008
As reported to the Academy, Medicare is currently auditing the following coding mistakes. Some are the result of focused medical review audits, others from whistle blowing cases. Auditors will determine if these errors are a result of coding mistakes or an intentional act.
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Improving Practice Efficiency for the Baby Boomer Generation 05/21/2008
The “baby boom” generation, nearly 80 million strong, was born between 1946 and 1964. That means that by 2011 the first of those boomers will be 65 years old and eligible for Medicare. Additionally, by 2030, this soon-to-be over-65 population will double what it was in 2000. This equates to approximately 70 million people over the age of 65. What this “graying” of society means for ophthalmology is that we can expect to see a large influx of patients in the very near future … and we are grossly unprepared to handle them efficiently and effectively.
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How Much Do You Know? Questions You May Encounter in Your Ophthalmology Practice 05/21/2008
How up-to-date are you with your knowledge of practical issues as well as the legal and regulatory issues that affect your practice? Take our quiz and see how up to date you are in your knowledge of some of these general questions affecting most ophthalmology practices. The answers follow the quiz.
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No File Left Behind 05/21/2008
What three things do Martha Stewart, Frank Quattrone and Arthur Andersen have in common? All three built successful corporations whose reputation was later marred in obstruction-of-justice cases relating to the mishandling of electronic records. And in all three cases, it was discovered too late that not having a systematic practice process for electronic records management was most certainly, “Not a good thing!”
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Accounting Statements for Ophthalmology Practices 04/23/2008
In this article, I will review some accounting principles and accounting statements that are useful to describe the financial state of your ophthalmology practice. I will also review aspects of more traditional accounting, and the reports that define the performance and financial condition of the “business” of your practice.
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Dealing with Difficult People 04/23/2008
One of the most impressive talks that literally changed my way of thinking and interacting with others was from Lloyd D. Newell, a motivational speaker, on the subject of dealing with grumps, grouches and difficult people. In this article, I would like to share what I have learned about conflict management from a variety of sources in 24 years of ophthalmology.
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Negotiating Your First Contract: What to Say and How to Say It 03/21/2008
You have received an offer. It looks good, but lacks a few features that you were expecting. You’re not sure what to do next. On the one hand, it’s a great group in an attractive location. But some of the terms are less attractive than those in other employers’ offers and there is no mention of partnership. What do you do?
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Top 10 Marketing Tips for Your Practice 03/21/2008
Administrators and managing physicians often view marketing solely as advertising to attract new patients. Marketing is stereotyped as newspaper ads, billboards and direct mail campaigns, with LASIK surgery advertising currently being the most obvious. Marketing is in fact, however, any activity that moves your practice in a desired direction.
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Caring for Our Elderly Patients 02/22/2008
With the typical ophthalmology practice having 65 percent or more Medicare-age patients, it is important not to draw conclusions about patients based on their age alone or their medical condition. However, elderly patients seen in the ophthalmology office have special age-related health problems and emotional needs, which ophthalmic medical assistants should consider.
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Designing Effective Ophthalmic Medical Space 02/22/2008
Efficiency and improved performance are your main motivations behind any capital investment decision. Whether you are considering new equipment or a new or redesigned office, you need to consider how this improvement will help support the practice’s most valuable resource, the physician(s).
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2008 CPT Update 01/25/2008
A quick overview of the six significant changes in CPT impacting ophthalmology for 2008.
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Coding Q&A 01/25/2008
Following the morning session of the YO Program at the Annual Meeting in New Orleans, several people had some very specific coding questions. Here are the more common questions and their answers, as provided by Sue Vicchrilli, the coding executive for the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives.
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Common Partnership Mistakes 10/12/2007
As a practice management consultant, I have been involved in many aspects of a partnership buy-in, starting them from scratch, modifying existing buy-ins/partnerships and representing those selling as well as those buying-in. My involvement in all of these phases of a partnership have led me to the conclusion that there are a few basic mistakes often made in a number of areas.
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Ophthalmology Practice Benchmarks 10/12/2007
As the business of ophthalmology becomes more and more difficult due to rising expenses and declining reimbursements, it will become more critical to understand and manage practice finances and patient flow. Benchmarks can help us do that—if used appropriately.
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The Art of Patient Communication 10/12/2007
Patients may not be able to judge the quality of their treatment, but they can and do judge how well they are treated. The role of ophthalmic medical personnel (OMP) is to assist the physician in effectively communicating all aspects of the encounter so that the patient leaves the office confident in the care that is received. While perfecting technical skills, don’t forget that communication matters. Too often it is ignored. It is often poor communication in the face of a bad outcome that initiates legal action by a patient.
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Billing 101: American Academy of Ophthalmology 06/13/2007
Ophthalmologists and administrators rely on the knowledge and skills of their billing staff to help keep the office compliant and to assist in appropriately maximizing reimbursement.
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The Buy-In: Transitioning from Employee to Partner 06/13/2007
Whether you have just completed your residency or fellowship training or have already been in private practice for a few years, it is never too early to begin thinking about becoming a partner-owner in a practice. Partnership in a practice is a logical evolution, which likely was discussed (and possibly memorialized, at least to some degree) by the negotiating parties during the initial recruitment/hiring process. Now is the time to understand the key elements involved in a buy-in.
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What is AAOE? 06/13/2007
The American Academy of Ophthalmology is committed to providing you with the information you need to be successful in practice, both the clinical and business aspects. A free membership in the American Academy of Ophthalmic Executives (AAOE)-the practice management arm of the Academy-is provided to you throughout your residency, fellowship and first year in practice. In subsequent years, the $175 membership in AAOE will more than pay for itself.
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Winning Patients and Keeping Them for Life 06/13/2007
"I'm thinking about doing some television advertising to attract new patients," the ophthalmologist told me as we sat down to eat lunch at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. "I feel that I need to get the word out about my offices. I'm just not getting enough new patients and we are suffering financially." "Tell me about your offices," I said, and I sat back to listen.
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Building Your Practice 04/18/2007
When meeting a patient for the first time, introduce yourself as "Doctor" and address them as "Mr." or "Mrs." Ask permission to call them by their first name. For instance, "Good Morning, Mr. Amsler" or "Do you prefer to be called Marc or Mr. Amsler?" Make a note of it in the chart.
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Jumping Into Your First Year of Practice? 07/13/2006
The first year of practice can be an overwhelming experience for even the most well adjusted physician. It can often mean moving to a new community, operating in a new O.R., working with new staff in a setting remarkably different than the typical university training program and making independent clinical judgments alone, perhaps for the first time. All these new experiences can make for a stressful year. However, a logical approach to entering practice may make the experience more pleasant. Here are some ways to help soften the fall. |
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