Understand the difference between morning and monthly staff meetings. The morning meeting alerts everyone about what and who to expect as the day unfolds. To help keep morning meetings brief—no longer …

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Monitor levels of supplies monthly. No practice wants to run out of essential patient care supplies, such as latex gloves or gauze pads. On the other hand, having two years’ supply of hand soap isn’t …

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Leadership Advice for the Surgical Specialist: Be the role model for team behavior. The way you act has everything to do with the way your staff members act at the office. If you want them to be …

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Target an increase in doctor production of 15% in 12 months. Setting an ambitious target like this challenges the whole surgical team, not just the doctor. Make sure all key management and marketing …

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Know what your practice does. Do you know all of the services your practice offers? Staff members should be able to give a brief description of every treatment provided by the practice. No matter what …

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Schedule 60–65% of your surgical production in the morning. Mornings are the best time to work on the more challenging cases. By pushing less demanding appointments into afternoon slots in the …

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Strive for “WOW” customer service. Patients will recommend your practice only when you provide them a great experience. If the customer service is mediocre at best, patients won’t have anything good …

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Don’t say “That’s impossible” to patients. When a patient asks, “May I have an appointment on Tuesday” and your answer is, “That’s impossible,” you’re basically saying you don’t care. Instead, let the …

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Lean forward when seated and talking with patients. Leaning forward shows interest in the other person. It creates positive energy between two people, and this will build the patient’s trust in you …

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Monitor all cash flow carefully. Effective financial management depends on knowing exactly where the surgical practice’s money comes from and where it goes. Track all collections, purchases and …

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When you change systems, remember to change the documentation. Although outdated business systems should be replaced rather than tweaked, some interim fixes will be necessary. When you alter …

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Principles of Practice Leadership: Open the channels of communication. As the practice leader, you are responsible for keeping team members informed and inspired. Learn to use not only formal …

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