Here are four ways orthopedic practices can increase the involvement of their staff members in the practice's success.
1. Ask staff for cost-saving ideas. Employees should be actively encouraged to share their ideas for cost savings and are used to gauge proposed opportunities. Actively soliciting employees for process improvement ideas has reduced costs in a number of areas at the practice, including costs associated with the use of disposable coffee cups and photocopies. Soliciting ideas from the staff will help them feel more included in the business of the practice and help administrators reap useful information that can impact the practice's bottom line.
2. Provide employees with the opportunity to continue learning and growing professionally. "We encourage employees to undergo advanced training and education for higher level careers in healthcare. Many of our medical assistants have gone on to become physician assistants or medical doctors because the education they received at Virginia Spine Institute revealed career opportunities," says Thomas Schuler, MD, a spine surgeon, founded the Virginia Spine Institute. Many new employees train to become medical assistants, or achieve a higher level of understanding of their jobs. Educational advancement is encouraged even if it means the employee leaves the organization to take another job. The network of people connected to the practice expands, which is good for business. "Encouraging people to take advanced education improves our teamwork and makes us local and national leaders," says Dr. Schuler.
3. Hold strategy meetings to address staff concerns and needs. In the strategy meetings, the participants discuss a diverse range of topics, including the perceptions or misperceptions of patients at the practice and issues among employees. Dr. Schuler successfully holds these types of meetings at VSI four times per year. At one meeting, the Practice Administrator decided to revamp the organization's healthcare benefits because employees were unhappy with that aspect of their compensation. Changes in the way information is disseminated to patients, the process for checking patients in and out of the clinic and how employees are educated at the clinic occurred as a result of these meetings.
4. Sponsor community events and encourage employees to get involved. Reach out into the community and sponsor events, such as kids wellness days or back pain awareness campaigns. Encourage your employees to become involved in the efforts either by volunteering at the events or attending them. If the event includes team activities, such as a 5k run or fundraising opportunities, your employees can form a team representing the practice. This is a good way to build comraderie among the employees as well as positively promote the practice.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Practices:
5 Things to Know for Launching an Orthopedic Practice Website
5 Tips for Running a Top Orthopedic Practice
4 Cost-Saving Technologies for Orthopedic Practices
1. Ask staff for cost-saving ideas. Employees should be actively encouraged to share their ideas for cost savings and are used to gauge proposed opportunities. Actively soliciting employees for process improvement ideas has reduced costs in a number of areas at the practice, including costs associated with the use of disposable coffee cups and photocopies. Soliciting ideas from the staff will help them feel more included in the business of the practice and help administrators reap useful information that can impact the practice's bottom line.
2. Provide employees with the opportunity to continue learning and growing professionally. "We encourage employees to undergo advanced training and education for higher level careers in healthcare. Many of our medical assistants have gone on to become physician assistants or medical doctors because the education they received at Virginia Spine Institute revealed career opportunities," says Thomas Schuler, MD, a spine surgeon, founded the Virginia Spine Institute. Many new employees train to become medical assistants, or achieve a higher level of understanding of their jobs. Educational advancement is encouraged even if it means the employee leaves the organization to take another job. The network of people connected to the practice expands, which is good for business. "Encouraging people to take advanced education improves our teamwork and makes us local and national leaders," says Dr. Schuler.
3. Hold strategy meetings to address staff concerns and needs. In the strategy meetings, the participants discuss a diverse range of topics, including the perceptions or misperceptions of patients at the practice and issues among employees. Dr. Schuler successfully holds these types of meetings at VSI four times per year. At one meeting, the Practice Administrator decided to revamp the organization's healthcare benefits because employees were unhappy with that aspect of their compensation. Changes in the way information is disseminated to patients, the process for checking patients in and out of the clinic and how employees are educated at the clinic occurred as a result of these meetings.
4. Sponsor community events and encourage employees to get involved. Reach out into the community and sponsor events, such as kids wellness days or back pain awareness campaigns. Encourage your employees to become involved in the efforts either by volunteering at the events or attending them. If the event includes team activities, such as a 5k run or fundraising opportunities, your employees can form a team representing the practice. This is a good way to build comraderie among the employees as well as positively promote the practice.
Related Articles on Orthopedic Practices:
5 Things to Know for Launching an Orthopedic Practice Website
5 Tips for Running a Top Orthopedic Practice
4 Cost-Saving Technologies for Orthopedic Practices