Blog
Customer Service for Medical Offices
As a baseline, we all need to remember that generally no one wants our services, so customer service is vital. No one wants to be sick, have to take off work to go to the doctor, or be in a situation where they must figure out what an insurance policy covers and...
Online Profiles Make It Easy for Customers to Find Your Practice
We’ve all pulled up a listing for a business on Google, Facebook, or Yelp to confirm a business was open, driven there, and then discovered that they aren’t really open that day or have moved. Frustrating, right? It is incredibly easy to keep these...
Acronyms are Bad for Marketing
Please don’t use acronyms when talking about your practice. It’s bad for brand recognition. Does AFP mean anything to you? Me either. So, why would Austin Family Practice use it? How about EPD? Eye Physicians of Dallas. FMSD? Functional Medicine of San...
Roadmap for Strategically Marketing Your Infusion Center
Planning is key to a great strategic marketing plan for your infusion center. Develop a plan from the tips below, commit to it, and watch your infusion center grow. You’ll need to define who you are, create your identity, develop a physician outreach strategy,...
Five Key Components to Improve Physician Websites
Keep it simple and classy. We’re not selling t-shirts or candy bars. We’re selling a professional service. Limit the number of call-outs and don’t put “Call Now” or overuse the 800 number. In fact, we prefer a local phone number. Particularly for specialists,...
Should Your Practice Have Multiple Facebook Pages?
Should your practice have multiple Facebook pages? We get the question about whether or not a medical practice with multiple locations should have multiple pages. The answer is…it depends. It’s a complex answer that depends on the specifics of your...
The Intersection of Patient Experience and Staff Retention
As healthcare leaders we are all currently acutely aware of concerns with being able to properly staff our facilities. Not to mention wanting to staff them with talented and passionate individuals that will deliver amazing patient care.Most people in the industry...
Marketing to Patients of a Retiring Physician
You’ve learned that a competitor is retiring? How do you position your practice so that you are an attractive option for those patients that are now looking for a physician? Get your practice in front of the patients in the spirt of “What can our practice...
You’ve Added an Infusion Center, Now What?
You have decided to add an infusion center to your practice and have the clinical parts worked out. Now what? It’s time to market it to potential referring physicians and patients. Brand First, you have to figure out who you are so that you can tell your story....
Infusion Center Marketing
If you want to market your infusion center, online marketing and physician outreach will likely give you the best return on investment. Before marketing, we encourage you to really look over your online identity to be sure it’s fantastic and assess your patient...
How to Grow Volume in a New Urgent Care Center
Our ultimate goal for growing volume in an urgent care center is positioning the center as a trusted resource in the community. If people come to the center and have a positive experience, they will tell people and the center volume will grow. Be sure that your team...
Re-Examing the Patient Experience: What We Learned
The San Diego Organization of Healthcare Leaders held a virtual event on November 3rd called Re-Examining the Patient Experience: Lessons Learned from the Pandemic. The content was so great, that we found ourselves jotting down things to remember. So, we’d love...
Grow Your Infusion Center
Online Identity Patients and referring physicians need to be able to find you quickly and easily. How is your website? Be sure to include lots of content on the ailments you treat, infusions offered, and easy information on how to refer to the center. Update your...
Does Your Practice Have a Brand?
Every practice needs a brand that aligns with the look and feel of the office and the patient experience. The brand should be professional, warm, and friendly. Your practice isn’t just an office, it is an experience. And, hopefully, it’s better than the...
Patient Experience Tools from the Pandemic to Keep
What is the patient experience like in your practice? If you are highly specialized or highly in demand, it may not matter to the bottom line of your practice. But, if you want to sustain or grow and have competitors, it absolutely matters. As I was...
Seamlessly Integrate New Clinics into Your Digital Brand
Key steps to integrate new clinics into your brand
Physician Visits: Track Referrals to Know if They Are Worth It
Use referral data and feedback to determine if physician visits are worth it
Marketing to 50+ Communities
Market to active adult communities by engaging with them on multiple fronts. Become a resource for the community.
Social Media Tips for Healthcare
Social media is a must for healthcare organizations that want to have a robust brand that is interactive with the community. Social media should be fun and educational. We offer a few tips to ensure both. Post regularly, but don’t post just to post. No one...
Patient Experience & Informed Consent
Let’s talk about consent. Yes, informed consents are in place to cover healthcare providers’ tails. Period. Theoretically, consent should involve an extensive conversation between a provider and a patient. That’s good consent. That’s real consent. Not just legal...
Physician Visits: What Should I Do After I Visit?
Think about the last thank you note you received. How did you feel when you read it? Appreciated? Special? That’s how you want the physician who you visited to feel. You want them to feel the time they spent with you was appreciated and worth it. Following up...
Before Marketing Your Practice
Medical practices should not spend a dime on marketing until their patient experience, reputation management, and brand are optimized.
Physician Visits: What Should I Take With Me?
Our world is so digital, so online, so virtual these days. Thinking about what you should physically take to a physician visit might be a little perplexing. In our experience, we have found that no matter the situation, having something to leave behind with the...
Physician Visits: What Should I Do and Say?
The goal is to make a genuine connection with the physician and their team, not just pitch your services. Seek to learn what they need and how you can help.
Three Easy Steps to Building Your Successful Pediatric Practice
It really is as easy as it sounds, but that does not mean there will not be a lot of hard work involved. The payoff is a new practice, well-known in your community, with a great reputation. Step One is to successfully manage your reputation. Claim what is...
Sustaining and Growing a Pediatric ENT Practice in the New Normal
Kids aren’t getting sick as much right now, so they aren’t progressing down the path that normally leads to visiting the Pedi ENT. And, we can all agree that this is a good thing for those patients! People will likely go back to normal habits someday, and...
Ideas to Grow Your Dental Practice
2021 is going to be a year of atypical marketing for dental practices that want to grow. It will be about reaching consumers through virtual means like your social, website, and online groups. Be a content expert in your community so people look to your practice for all things dental health.
Grow LinkedIn Company Page Followers for Free
Looking to grow your LinkedIn company page audience without spending any money? No problem. Use these tips to grow your followers for free. Include a link to the company LinkedIn page in an easy-to-find spot on your website. The footer of your website and the contact...
Selecting a Practice Name
What kind of name does your practice need? Select a name that clearly indicates what the practice does. It should sound positive, healing, and maybe even offer hope. Simple and short is better for branding, people remembering your name, and overall ease of...
Ideas for Announcing an Additional Office
Referring Docs & Prospective Referring Docs Update letterhead 1 month prior. If possible, add coming soon address 6 months prior.Fax announcement to all potential referring offices in a 5-mile radius of the officeLetter announcement to all potential referring...
Exceeding Patient Expectations in Wound Care
A few years ago, someone close to our team had the unfortunate experience of a surgical site infection (SSI). We’ve read about SSIs, reported data on them, educated on how to avoid them, and were beyond devastated to experience it firsthand. They share their...
Growing Bariatric Volume Virtually
When you can’t do the tried and true provider visits, utilize virtual methods to reach potential referral sources and patients for a bariatric practice. Reaching potential referral sources Emails, phone calls, letters, or virtual visits to Internists, Family...
Anticipate Needs for a Happier Practice
Do you want your practice to run smoothly with a happy work environment? Of course! Let’s talk about anticipating needs. This can happen on many fronts. Staff, anticipate the needs of the providers. If you’ve worked in a medical practice very long, you know what...
Successful Performance Improvement Plans
There are two kinds of Performance Improvement Plans or PIPs as they are commonly called. The first is one that is going through the motions to document performance and the need for improvement. This is for the employee that probably needs to go, but this is the last...
Strategic Planning for Medical Practices
Is it time to develop Mission, Vision, and Values for your practice? Do you need a strategic plan? Do you just need some brainstorming and strategy time with all of our physicians? Below are some ideas to kick start your strategic planning. Gather and review Who does...
LinkedIn for Improved Online Identity
LinkedIn is a great way to showcase your work and add to an overall positive online professional identity. In our opinion, it is the only “must-have” of social accounts for working adults. Before you set one up, search to be sure you don’t already...
The Brummitt Group Collaborates with Coppell Chamber of Commerce for Women’s Health Panel
The Brummitt Group has partnered with the Coppell Chamber of Commerce for a Women’s Health Panel. This marks the third year of this awesome partnership. This year, the panel will be held virtually over Zoom on December 3rd at 11:30 am reaching beyond Coppell. The four...
More Effective Physician Office Outreach
Do you find your sales reps buying a lot of lunches, but not getting quality time with the providers? Here are a few tips to make physician office outreach more effective: • Make it clear (in a friendly way) that you are happy to provide lunch, but that this is a...
Build Organic Relationships with Prospects
Build your business through a long-term strategy of organic relationship building. Who are your prospects and what professional organizations do they participate in? That’s where you need to be volunteering, networking, and giving back to your professional...
Tell Your Story Through Your Online Identity to Grow Your Brand
Tell your story by building out content across social media and keeping it updated. You won’t be able to tie direct sales to it. But, it’s a good way to organically grow your audience, particularly if the posts are geared to the right audience. And, if...
Building a Schedule for Visiting Referring Offices
For a great physician outreach strategy, you need a solid list, people to do the actual outreach, and a schedule that allows you to maximize visibility while minimizing time out of clinic. Practices add providers, lose providers, and consolidate constantly, so keeping...
Checklist for New Practices
We get questions about setting up a new practice fairly regularly. There are people that offer turnkey services for this, but we don’t. We can help with several aspects of the operations, strategy, and marketing areas. But, we suggest hiring a consultant that...
Be Sure New and Existing Patients Find You When Moving Your Practice
When your practice is moving, there are a ton of things to think about and marketing is sometimes forgotten. Maybe we are biased, but we believe it should be one of the key strategies for a successful practice move. We want your patients to be able to find you. ...
Grow Physician Referrals to Your Infusion Center
The Pitch Figure out what they need from you. Convenience, competitive pricing, ease for patients, closer oversight of the process, better quality, less risk? Then, tailor your pitch to meeting those needs. You’ll need to be able to tell the story of your center...
Social Media for Physicians
Physicians can use social media to promote the practice and help patients get to know them. We want to communicate that the physicians are smart, but approachable. And, we want to share how friendly and helpful the staff is to patients. Social media...
Improved Marketing for Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Looking to improve your brand, offer a better patient experience, or grow the referral sources to your center or surgeons? We can help! We can brainstorm strategies for you to carry out or for us to implement together. Our skill set is wide, so here are a few ideas...
Starting the Conversation with a Former Referral Source
Noticed you’ve lost a referral source? Reopen the conversation with a text, email, or in-person conversation. Start by asking about them. How they are doing. How their practice is doing. Comment on something you’ve seen about them lately – a...
Team Building Ideas
Anyone else feel like we need ways to keep our workforce connected? Below are ideas for both remote teams and in-person activities (when feasible). Team Building Remotely Virtual Karaoke or Guitar Hero competitionVirtual Scavenger HuntTwo truths, one lie or similar...
Marketing to Sustain Your Practice
Keep your practice moving forward despite the challenges that sheltering-in-place presents. Here are 7 marketing strategies to sustain your practice. It’s a great time to be pushing out education on social. People are spending a ton of time online. ...
Growing an Ophthalmology Practice
Growing a practice takes time, money, or both. For the purposes of this post, we’ll assume that we want to spend time and save money. Ideally, the Ophthalmologist personally carries out all strategies. But, depending on time constraints and personalities...
Successful Physician Outreach Lunches
Lunch or breakfast can be a good way to reach physicians and other healthcare providers – both potential and existing referral sources. It can also be a great way to waste money feeding a ton of people, take time out of clinic, and have little to no meaningful...
Building a Patient Base for Under $100
You either have to spend time or money to build a new practice. If you have time, but not money, these items are all free or mostly free. You can absolutely build a patient base for a new practice for less than $100 if you are willing to invest time. Create a blog. ...
Improve Physician-to-Physician Outreach Visits
Want to grow your referral base? Visit other doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, physical therapists, chiropractors, and other medical professionals that could refer to you. Improve physician-to-physician outreach visits by being intentional in how you...
Improving Outbound Office Communications with Patients
Don’t call a patient when the phones are turned to the answering service.
Don’t text a patient from a number that doesn’t allow responses.
Don’t email a patient from an address that doesn’t allow replies.
Outbound communications should be sent with the intention of connecting and making it easy for the patient to respond.
Reaching Primary Care Physicians
Primary care docs are inundated daily with drug and equipment reps. So, if you are trying to sell something to them, get creative! If you are selling a service/product that is connected to a physician, use quick physician to physician introduction angle. We’ve been...
Exceptional Patient Experience, Strong Brand, & Accurate Online Identity
We were recently asked what our passions were when it came to physician practices. The list was long. Very long. Then, we had to trim it down to just three things. Here’s what they are: Exceptional patient experience We believe most physicians want to deliver an...
Dr. Toya Dudley of Compassion Smiles is Working Well in Coppell
We had the pleasure of sitting down with Dr. Toya Dudley of Compassion Smiles Dentistry here in Coppell, Texas to learn how she works well in Coppell. Her office is beautiful, her team is so kind (Kim and Bobby), and she shared all kinds of great advice on wellness....
Direct Primary Care Docs: Make it All About the Patient
Do you want to convert more prospective patients into member patients? Is your sales pitch a sad story of burnout and how the insurance companies treated you badly? Patients don’t want to hear this. They want to hear how you are going to improve their quality of life,...
How Patients Choose a Provider and What This Means for Providers
Having and maintaining our health is a top priority. We try to eat right, exercise often, sleep enough and do things we enjoy. Sometimes, no matter what we do, we get sick or hurt, and we need to find a healthcare provider. This can be tricky for someone who is in...
Telephone Customer Service for Doctor’s Offices – Tips and Tricks for Success
Seems obvious, right? Just answer the phone, then book the appointment. After all, THEY called YOU. But today’s reality is it hardly ever works that way. Today’s patient is strapped for time, may have little understanding of how his medical insurance actually...
Why Do Patients Select a Doctor?
Why do patients select a doctor and what can you do to maximize your possibility of being selected? Some obvious ones include being referred by:-primary care provider (PCP), -hospital, emergency room, or urgent care center, and -insurance company. Strategies here are...
Checklist for Events at Doctor’s Offices
You’ve planned the perfect event! Now, let’s make sure no detail is missed on the day of the event. Don’t let a missed item or forgotten to-do ruin the fun…or the purpose…growing the practice. Four weeks before the event...
Best of Lists for Healthcare
We love them. We hate them. We want our clients on them. There isn’t a perfect source for finding a quality doctor. In fact, there isn’t a single source we know of that takes everything into consideration (clinical quality, bedside manner, front office,...
Health Fair How-To
Health Fairs are a great way to attract new potential patients to your practice. Finding events Check local Chambers of Commerce Check with cities Check with schools Check with large employers Google city + health fair, city + expo Before the event Promote on social...
Creating Great Bios for Staff in Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Practices
When writing bios for staff of Orthopedic and Sports Medicine practices, we want to showcase that the staff is competent, knowledgeable, and friendly. Include skills, training, education, certifications, work experience, languages, and something about why they love...
Creating Great Videos for Doctors
Video is extremely valuable. It’s also expensive – production, doctor’s time, and potentially closing the office. So, let’s use this resource efficiently. The following tips are designed to help you maximize your marketing investment. Tidy up...
Is there Incorrect Information about Your Practice on the Internet?
We want patients and referring offices to be able to find your medical office quickly. It takes months and even years for online services to pick up new office locations. We strongly recommend manually updating the following sites and profiles that are...
Tips for Physician Speakers at Community Events
Attire Wear something you are comfortable in. If you don’t normally wear a tie or high heels, don’t. Wear business attire or pressed scrubs. Consider wearing a lab coat, especially if wearing scrubs. It looks both “doctory” and...
Build a Patient Base for a New Practice for Under $100
Want to build up a physician practice without spending much money? It’s totally possible if you are willing to put the time into. Follow these tips for marketing your new practice for under $100. Create a blog. Blog about general topics that people care about. ...
4 Customer Service Tips for Doctors
1. Show Patients That You Actually Care Of course, you care. You wouldn’t be a doctor if you didn’t care, right? It’s not always clear to patients that doctors actually care. Remember that most patients don’t want to be in your office. They are...
5 Customer Service Tips for Medical Assistants
1. Rooming Patients When you grab a patient from the lobby, it’s the first opportunity to make a friendly impression. Please don’t stand at the door and say “Smith.” At a minimum, say “Ms./Mr. Smith” and look around the lobby to make eye contact with the patient...
5 Front Office Customer Service Tips to Implement in Your Practice This Week
1. Signs Walk into your lobby like a patient. See it from their view. Do you have any signs that sound mean? Do you have any signs that sound rude? Do you have a sign that says, “Don’t tap on the window,” “Payment expected at time of service,” or “If you...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: 2018 Projects
We’ve shared about some of our earliest clients and we hope you loved the history. Now, let’s talk about what we’ve worked on in 2018! We can’t tell you everything…because we don’t share our client’s secrets…and so...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: Metro Anesthesia
In Fall of 2010, The Brummitt Group had just celebrated our second birthday and was plugging along with three employees. We were working on projects for many clients, including the first three that we’ve talked about in previous posts. And then, Doug Welch...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: Surgical Group of North Texas
In February of 2009, we got a call from Dr. Ed Clifford of Irving-Coppell Surgical Associates that they were adding a new physician (Dr. Shahid Shafi, who is now their CEO), opening a new office, in the process of becoming Surgical Group of North Texas, and needed...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: Tuscan Cardiovascular Center
Dr. J. Douglas Overbeck was our second client, and we’ve had a blast working with him for the last 10 years! Around the same time that The Brummitt Group was forming, Dr. Overbeck was joining Medical & Surgical Clinic of Irving. He had the concept of Tuscan...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: Healthcare Associates of Texas
The Brummitt Group wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for our amazing clients. We’ve been blessed to work with some of the best doctors around. Our first client…and current client is Dr. Charlie Powell, Founder and Executive Vice President of Clinical Operations...
10 Years of Building The Brummitt Group Family: Where it All Began
Hi there; it’s Amanda. As hard as it is to believe, The Brummitt Group celebrates it’s 10th anniversary this year! It started with just me and a plastic desk from Costco. Over ten years, The Brummitt Group family has grown and evolved. Join us for a...
How to Manage and Respond to Online Reviews
Patients can review your facility and providers on a myriad of sites including Facebook, Yelp, Google, and many, many more. Be a part of the conversation rather than just the topic of conversation. First, claim and update profiles. Then, solicit reviews and respond...
Patient Testimonials to Showcase Your Medical Practice
Patient testimonials can be a great way to showcase your services and give prospective patients a flavor for your practice. Use them on your social media and website. Questions Here are some questions to get the praise flowing: Why did you pick our practice/facility?...
Book Review: Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Stick with it. The first several chapters are building the groundwork. I would pick it up here and there, but it wasn’t a page turner in the beginning. Fortunately, one of my wise co-workers had recommended it. And, she brings breakfast in a lot…to the...
Staff Bios Made Easy
Staff bios should be fun and easy! Don’t let them get you down. We typically aim for competent and friendly…so explain why your team is both! Include skills, training, education, certifications, work experience, languages, and something that makes them...
Engaging Participants at Health Fairs
Health fairs, community fairs, and expos can be a great way for a medical practice to engage with the local employers and the community. This can build your brand and potentially be a source for finding new patients. Having a booth isn’t good enough. In fact,...
Common Sense Tips for Maintaining Primary Care Referrals
In addition to the normal things that would help maintain referrals, like good patient care and customer service, a few additional hints are offered. Get a printed physician directory for the main hospitals that you are on staff at, preferably with pictures. If there...
Professional Photography for Physicians? Waste or Must?
Definitely a must! We’ve all seen the ad or the website with cheesy pictures. It’s a real tragedy to spend several thousand dollars on an ad, but not a few hundred to get the right image. Spend the money for a professional head shot, group shot, and...
Physician Bios Made Easy
Is writing physician bios making you crazy? Let us help with these tips. First, decide what you are going for. We are usually shooting for smart, academic, accomplished….all while being approachable. We use training, accolades, skills to convey the first part...
Tips for Physicians When Speaking to the Public
Speaking at non-academic events should be a fun and easy way for you to interact with the local community, employers, and potential patients. If you hate public speaking, consider more one-on-one interactions like an Ask the Doc table at a health fair. If you are...
What Are Patients Saying About You And Does It Matter?
A patient walks into a doctor’s office . . . While that may sound like the beginning of a comedy routine, it’s actually when patient first impressions are created. Patients expect a great experience overall so the front desk, the nursing staff, the...
Is Your Staff’s “Off” Day Costing You Money?
Being nice to people is SO easy. It takes the same amount of time as being mean or indifferent. Smiles are free. Welcoming word choice is free. Calming tone of voice is free. So, why isn’t everyone nice to their customers? The excuse we usually hear is...
Leaders: Learn When to be Still
As a type A action-oriented person, I get stuff done. I’m decisive. It’s business, not personal. And, I usually make good decisions… even when made rapidly. This has been a large part of my success as a leader and an owner of a company. When I...
4 Steps to Finding the Right Surgeon for You
Courtesy Surgical Group of North Texas Printed in Living Well Magazine 1. Find the Right Specialty General surgeons have extensive training in a wide variety of surgical areas and can choose to specialize in different areas, such as surgical oncology and bariatric...
Healthcare Associates of McKinney Has Moved! Same family-centered care in a new location.
Healthcare Associates of McKinney announced today that they have moved one block south to The Medical Center at Craig Ranch building at 8080 State Highway 121, Suite 210, McKinney, Texas 75070. It is in the heart of the Craig Ranch Medical District with easy access...
Media and Healthcare
We attended an informative educational event coordinated by ACHE of North Texas, August 25, 2016 held at Maggiano’s in North Park Mall in Dallas. The topic was, The Role of Media in Shaping the Public’s Perception of Healthcare. The panelists, Janet St. James,...
Walk into Spring
Spring is here! Get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather while achieving your health goals. Walking does not require you to sign up for a gym membership you may never use. Its is free, modifiable, and can be done anywhere! It allows you to spend...
Can your zip code really be used to determine the future of your health?
Where you are located on the map can definitely play a role in the outcome of your health. Population health management has become a very important issue to help reduce healthcare spending and improve patient outcomes. It may be difficult to comprehend, but 20% of...
Two Approaches for Physician Employment Options
Physicians can be excellent at providing healthcare to their patients, but often times, they know little about creating an effective business model for their practices. Healthcare consultant Andrew McDonald presents two uncommon approaches to improve doctor-hospital...
Doctors and Nurses Need Sleep, too!
Healthcare Executive published a recent article in their Sept/Oct 2015 edition bringing attention to an issue that is often overlooked. A report conducted by HealthLeaders Media in 2013 brought to light the fact that over 25% of nurses surveyed make errors during...
Surprising and Delighting Your Patients with Excellent Customer Service
Always smile, say please and thank you, and you will have a patient forever, Right! That could very well be the case, given you, your staff and the patient, view all matters and/or situations exactly the same. What happens when there is a misunderstanding? “The...
The Scoop on ProPublica’s Surgeon Scorecard
What is it? ProPublica, an investigative journalism group, created the Surgeon Scorecard to give people the opportunity to learn more about the complication rates and death rates of patients associated with particular surgeons prior to their surgery. Ideally, this...
Turning loyal patients into practice advocates
By Jeff Rydburg, MGMA member July 1, 2015 Published in MGMA Connection Plus, July 2015 Issue Online reviews and rating sites are the new word-of-mouth. How do you increase exposure and get your practice name in front of prospective patients? Some have used billboard...
Fingerprints: A solution to protect your PHI
By David S. Robinson, RMA, MGMA member Published in MGMA Connection Plus, July 2015 Issue When upgrading and implementing new workstations at Northwest Neurospecialists, Tucson, Ariz. (which has 14 exam rooms, one patient education room and 14 office staff...
Autonomy to Accountability: The New Medical Staff Model
As healthcare reform is advancing to new dimensions, it is necessary for the traditional medical staff model to move towards accountability, rather than rely on conventional autonomy. Jon Burroughs discusses this need in his recent book “Redesign the Medical Staff...
Establishing a Work-Life Balance: Employers Promote Employee Well-Being
As employers strive to motivate their employees to separate themselves from work issues while at home, employees’ well-being can substantially be increased.
Just a Phone Call Away: An Introduction to Telemedicine
Say goodbye to the days of spending hours waiting in the doctor’s office to see your primary care provider and hello to telehealth!
Improving One-on-One Meetings with Better Questions
What makes your job harder than it has to be? What can we do to make your job easier? Are there processes in place that need to be improved? I asked these typical questions during one-on-ones with team members for years. And, they are good quesitons. Then, I read...
Nathan Emerson, MD, FACS Joins Surgical Group of North Texas
Dr. Emerson has a special interest in endoscopic reflux surgery; he is specially trained to perform transoral incisionless fundoplication (TIF), an innovative procedure that restores the body’s natural protection against esophageal reflux. Many patients suffer from heartburn and regurgitation despite adequate medical therapies. The TIF operation is an effective and safe procedure with minimal complication rates for those patients with difficulty controlling the symptoms of reflux.
Sina Matin, MD Appointed to Board of Texas Association of Bariatric Surgery
Dr. Sina Matin has been appointed as the northeast regional board member for the Texas Association of Bariatric Surgery.
Be Sweet to Your Heart
Treat yourself this month by taking the time to learn about your cardiovascular risk and start a new habit that is sweet for your heart.
Physicians can’t say they are the “the best” unless they can prove it
We’ve all seen the ads and commercials that spotlight a physician as ” New York’s Top Bariatric Surgeon” or ” among the most highly qualified Neurosurgeon of the south” but recently the Texas Medical Board has set numerous new...
Advertising Board Certification? Be up on the new rules from TMB
Do you or does your physician use the term “board certified”? If so, there is a new rule from the Texas Medical Board regarding use of the term for advertising purposes. The rule states that the physician is authorized to utilize “board...
Back Pain: When to See the Doctor
Sometimes it starts with a twinge. Or maybe a pull. Often, it’s just the wrong turn of the hip that causes debilitating back pain. In most cases, back pain is not caused by serious conditions, but by common, day-to-day actions, yet it’s one of the most common medical...
Women: Be Sweet to Your Heart
by Dr. J. Douglas Overbeck There is only a 1 out of 30 risk of dying of breast cancer, yet it’s well-known that women over the age of 40 need an annual mammogram. A less-known fact is that 1 out of 3 women will die from some form of cardiovascular disease. Getting...
Book Review: Social Media in Healthcare – Connect, Communicate, Collaborate
Social Medial in Healthcare – Connect, Communicate, Collaborate by Christina Beach Thielst is a great introduction to social media for healthcare executives. That said, if you have a strong background in social media, pass this one up. It’s definitely...
Now That’s What I Call Innovation!
Here’s the most innovative idea I’ve heard in healthcare in a long time! From Journal Watch: A Little Off the Top: Barbershop Hypertension Intervention Barbershops may offer an opportunity to intervene against uncontrolled hypertension in black men, an...
Incorrect Information About Your Practice on the Internet?
Have you moved offices or changed practices within the last few years? Added on new physicians? Google your practice and see how many sites have the wrong information on you. Patients and referring offices need to be able to find you quickly. It takes months and...
Streamline Those Forms
How many dozens of forms does your practice have? Were they developed over the years by different people? Are they photocopied? Do they have the practice logo on them? Do patients have to write their name, DOB, or the date more than once? Prescription pads, fax...
How Does Your Staff Answer the Phone?
Have you ever called the main line at your office to see how it is answered? Are you placed on hold? Is your staff friendly? Can you understand what they say? The voice on the other end of the phone is often a patient’s first interaction with your office. They...
A Few Bright Ideas for Customer Service
As I was rummaging through my “to do” box, I found some notes from an ACHE North Texas Education event that I attended back in March. The title of the event was Reinventing Customer Service in Healthcare. Here are a few ideas: -When a nurse or medical...
How Did Our Logo Get Printed in Pink?! It’s Maroon!
This, among other reasons is why every company needs graphic standards. And, the rational for requesting a printed sample. I’m not an artist or a printer, but I’ve sure learned from my mistakes. Here’s a few things I wished I had known 10 years...
What Do Your Patients Listen to When They Are on Hold?
Boring music? Nothing? Consider adding value to the time your patients spend on hold. Select music that is fun and appeals to your patient base. Think about the kind of music your patients might listen to and be careful not to alienate others. My personal...
Book Review: Trust – The Prescription for Healthcare
This book builds the case for why we need to be trustworthy organizations, how we get to that point, and then how we get the word out that we are trustworthy. Up until that point, I found the book quite interesting. If you don’t have a marketing background or...
Prerequisites for a Successful Physician Sales Program
It is absolutely vital that the hospital CEO be actively involved. The CEO will need to support the sales effort and hold the Managers, Directors, VPs, and O’s responsible for taking action on issues that are presented. In addition to the CEO, the program needs...
Building a Physician Friendly Environment – The Unpaid Consultant
But, sometimes it’s just so hard to be nice…. We all know a doctor like this one. They complain a lot. They are extremely vocal. They are very time consuming. Everything is a big deal. It’s very frustrating to work with them. Do you tend to just try to phase them...
Building a Physician Friendly Environment
We all know that our patients are our customers. Sometimes I think that hospitals, surgery centers, imaging centers, etc. forget that physicians are also their customers. It is just as important to keep these “customers” happy. Aside from the Emergency Department,...
Local Executive Earns Top Healthcare Management Credential
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Cassandra Johnson (214) 288-5471 Cassandra@Brummittgroup.com Local Executive Earns Top Healthcare Management Credential Coppell,TX (August 9, 2009)—Amanda O’Neal, FACHE, president of Coppell-based The Brummitt Group, recently became a...
What is Healthcare Public Policy??
Public Policy.Healthcare Public Policy.Sounds important and official.Sounds like something we should care about.We hear about it a lot in healthcare, but what does it really mean? I’ve asked Bryant Morado of Molina Healthcare to give us the Reader’s Digest version of...
Do Physicians Need Websites?
As usual, there are no easy answers here. In a perfect world, yes, all physicians would have a website. In today’s web-saavy society, consumers are going to the internet to find information about their physician. And what easier way to manage the...
Dr. John Doe, M.D. vs. John Doe, MD
Is it necessary to include both Dr. as a prefix and credentials (M.D., D.O.) as a suffix? In my opinion, no. It’s repetitive. It should be listed as Dr. John Doe or John Doe, M.D, and I prefer the later. Specifically, on a CV, the later looks...
Advertising Tips for Physician Practices
Let’s face it – advertising is expensive. If you’re going to spend the money to do ads, take that extra step and make sure you’ll get a return on that investment. What are you doing to make people notice your ads? Are people reading them or...
Tips for Improving Readability of a CV
Recruiters, hospitals, and medical groups receive tons of CVs for every position. When faced with a huge stack of CVs, most will skim and only look at the ones that stand out. What sets yours apart? For the purposes of seeking employment in non-academic settings, a CV...