Setting Your Practice Apart From the Rest

The office you run sometimes has to run without you. Whether you have an emergency requiring you to leave for several days or you clear your schedule months in advance before taking a well-deserved vacation, the practice will continue working. However, when you return, the practice might seem sluggish, as if it is on hiatus. Here are some helpful tips to avoid letting your practice go on “vacation.”

1. If your phone isn’t ringing, figure out the reason. Maybe you haven’t automatically scheduled your patients’ next appointments, or maybe you haven’t kept up with area competition. Ask yourself why this might be the case, and try to figure out what you can do better.
2. Have you ever heard the saying, Walk a mile in his shoes? This is often the best way to learn what it’s like to be one of your patients: walk the walk, literally. Role-play with your staff by walking in the front door as a patient. Experiencing the practice from a different vantage point will help you discover the difference between what you think is going on and what actually is.
3. Ask yourself what you want out of your practice. Take a look around and decide if you like what you see. If not, change it! If you are not happy with any part of your practice, you cannot expect staff or patients to be. Your own changes will go a long way to enhancing your overall practice environment.

If you’re afraid that your practice has indeed “gone on vacation,” it is imperative that you implement these steps immediately. Find the reasons patients are not coming in, then change those into positives, things that will make them want to return. By doing so, you will ensure a successful turnaround from the doldrums of an office vacation.

-Marigale Walsh