Patient Payments Blog

Ever wonder what other practices are doing better? Doesn’t it seem that some practices are just easier to run than yours? That maybe they’ve found some secrets you haven’t discovered? How can you find out if there’s something out there that would make your practice better?

Is it ever this way for you? Your week keeps throwing things at you until you suddenly arrive at Friday and realize you didn’t get the normal, important things done? Reports that are usually second nature, answering emails that came on Tuesday, reviewing time cards to approve last weeks payroll, and other essential weekly items somehow got pushed aside so you could put out the other fires. Sound familiar?

I read a lot of studies about payments, patient habits, practice management, and other related topics. No matter what the study or content of the article, one glaring fact keeps drawing my attention.

I once read a report that stated it takes at least a day to de-stress in order to enjoy a vacation and another day to sufficiently recover from a vacation to be ready to go back to work. That's two days that really aren't vacation days. How can you get those two days back?  Better yet, how can you have a worry-free getaway from the practice? 

If you really want to make the most of your time off you'll have to apply the same planning and management skills to your vacation as you do in your practice. I'm not talking about planning and managing your vacation time. I'm talking about planning the management of your practice while you are away. The tips below will help you prepare to be gone and ensure you don't find a train wreck when you get back. 

Are you tied down to month-end reports? Do you find yourself dreading them? Does your family know that the end of the month means ordering pizza for dinner for three or four nights as you work late? Does your staff fear the month-end monster you become behind your locked office door as you toil in silent aggravation? Ready to put a stop to the month-end madness? 

So the election just blew up any chance for continuity in the way government looks at and regulates healthcare - what’s new with that? How many changes, mandates, regulations, and dubious upgrades have you endured the past few years? Is there any industry other than perhaps, nuclear power, that is subject to more pressures, more incoming fire, than healthcare?

Now another administration is perched on the brink of grabbing the spinning ship’s wheel of healthcare and jerking it once again in an unknown direction. The temptation is to throw up our hands or throw in the towel. Waving the white flag might be an appealing option faced with more upheaval. Don’t be so hasty! Think of all the things you’ve already conquered. Think of how many times the outside forces had you pinned down and weary from the merciless onslaught of new demands and changes.

It’s been a tough week. Admit it, you were ready for Friday at 2:30 on Tuesday when you were wondering if you could escape to Starbucks before the next office crisis.

Then Wednesday and Thursday hit in sync with the latest virus. Patients were calling in droves for appointments while staff was calling in sick. All the while your deadlines kept pushing forward like anxious teens in line for the latest boy band concert.

Speaking of anxious teens…yours are texting, snap chatting, and throwing constant digital messages about their weekend plans without regard to yours, “Who’s driving, I need money (smiley face icon), can I go out with Bruno, I need the car tonight (a double smiley face with a cute puppy icon), when will you be home, what is there to eat, and you are so hot, I can’t wait to see you at the game…oops, sorry mom, that wasn’t meant for you.”

Congratulations, you’ve made it to the weekend and a much deserved break from the office. Can we encourage you to tuck some time away just for yourself this weekend? You may still be focused on work for the next few hours but consider some tips for making your weekend great. And what’s best is that all our suggestions are free or nearly free depending on how you decide to pursue them. And one of them includes the chance to walk away with a $50 movie card from your favorite local cinema. Here’s to the weekend!!