Developing a Strategic Plan for Your Practice
A strategic plan is crucial for any business, but in the medical industry, it’s vastly underutilized. In reality, about three in four medical practices are reactionary in nature. Instead of relying on circumstances to dictate the direction your operations, administration and clinic are headed, come up with a strategic plan that has measurable and attainable goals.
The Basics of a Strategic Plan
A proactive approach to business is the best way to ensure you meet your practice goals every year. But what are those goals? Concentrate on the following factors in order to put together a strategic plan.
- Determine how much money you want to earn and assemble a roadmap that will allow you to reach that number.
- Take an in-depth look at professional and patient satisfaction and decide how much of an emphasis you want your practice to place on obtaining these. Develop a culture that will help you achieve this and tailor your organizational processes to ensure success.
- Educate your employees to ensure they follow the plans that are best for your practice rather than emphasizing their own personal interests.
- Design strategies that are geared toward each of your partner’s priorities in order to get the most performance out of everybody.
If these tasks seem daunting, don’t worry – they are easily achievable. The secret is simple: figure out where you want to be and put together a plan that will get you there. A proactive approach is the key to achieving the results you want. Maximize patient schedules, beef up your referrals and take advantage of those tests and procedures that bring you the best return on investment (making sure they are within the patient’s best interests and standards of care). Doing these three things can help boost your profit while ensuring quality care.
Your strategic plan is dependent upon a staff committed to reaching those goals. The most important trait medical office staff can have is a genuine care for each patient who walks through your door. In today’s competitive job market, it’s more important than ever to retain a quality staff. A few things you can do to ensure their happiness include:
- Demonstrate appreciation by thanking them for their hard work every day.
- Set a positive tone and resist complaining.
- Start each day with a five-minute huddle to discuss potential issues in order to prepare for work-arounds. A similar debriefing at the end of the day to go over problems that came up can also prove helpful.
- Pay them fairly and make sure you offer competitive benefits that meet their needs.
Following these suggestions will help your practice meet the goals laid out in your strategic plan and ensure you are the captain of your ship rather than constantly treading water!