MedResults Newsletter Issue 6

To download a PDF version of this newsletter, please click here.

Hiring and Retaining Your Winning Employees

By Jay Shorr, BA, CMBM, CAC I,II, III, and Mara Shorr, BS, CAC II, III
The Best Medical Business Solutions

Selecting the proper employee can make or break your medical practice, regardless of your specialty.

Whether that person is an aesthetician, medical assistant, nurse or receptionist, all members of your practice are incredibly important: they represent you, your brand and the manner in which you are perceived by your patients and the public as a whole. A rude receptionist sets the tone for the entire visit… should a patient choose to book that appointment after a less- than-lovely phone interaction. From poor bedside manner to employee theft and clerical errors in your practice management software, curb the issues before they arise with a few of these simple selection tips:

Step #1: Recruitment

• Once you post the position, carefully scrutinize the resumes as they begin to arrive. Eliminate typos, illegible formats and other initial turnoffs.

• Review the length of time the candidate spent with his/her previous employers. Warning signs appear when you see a series of five-month employers, and you don’t want to add your name to that list.

• Confirm past employer references and verify your prospect’s industry- related experience.

• Perform a background check, and consider the results as they relate to the position. A new bookkeeper, for example, should not be hired if s/he has a history of fraud, embezzlement, or bankruptcy.

Step #2: Interviewing

• It goes without saying you’ll want to conduct an interview in person…not just over the phone. Be sure to review scheduling conflicts. If the possible new employee is unavailable during your peak hours, wish them well on their search, and explain you’re not the office for them.

• Consider, when your state allows, a working interview. Use this time to see how your potential new staff member interacts not only with other employees, but with your patients as well. How do they react to the stress load in your office? When the phone rings all day, when there’s down time… or no moment to breathe?

Step #3: Orientation and Ongoing Training

• Let your new staff member know right off the bat, about your code of conduct. This should include, but is not limited to, your policies on staff uniforms, body piercings, tardiness and cell phone usage. This should all be included in the easy-to-locate Employee  Handbook. (Note we always recommend having ALL employees, both new and existing, sign off on these policies.)

• Training should occur not only when a new employee starts with your practice, but throughout his or her time with you. Ongoing, clear, concise and consistent training, both in your workplace, and taking place as teambuilding outside of the office, do wonders for both employee development and morale.

• When looking at ongoing training opportunities, don’t be afraid to look outside vendors, as state and local laws apply.

• Meet with your staff members on a regular basis to go over their performance. Recognize opportunities for improvement as well as outstanding behavior you wish to see duplicated in the future.

Step #4: Incentives to Motivate Staff

• From healthcare benefits to cash bonuses, not all incentives have to come in the form of heavily unloading dollars from your bank account. We suggest flexible schedules, when available, or an extra day of vacation.

• Looking for FREE ideas?  A certificate to your Employee of the Month costs you only the ink from your printer, as does posting a duplicate version of the certificate in your reception area for patients and clients to see.

• Include an ‘Employee of the Month’ section in your office’s monthly eNewsletter, and ask your clients to show their gratitude when they see your staff member in the office on their next visit.

• Looking to make an investment in your staff’s education…and the education of your practice? Consider taking them to an industry conference. We can almost guarantee they’ll come back motivated and servicing your patients better than ever!

Jay A. Shorr is the founder and managing partner of The Best Medical Business Solutions, assisting medical practices with the operational, financial and administrative health of their business. He is also a professional motivational speaker, an advisor to the Certified Aesthetic Consultant program and a certified medical business manager from Florida Atlantic University. Mara Shorr serves as the Vice President of Marketing and Business Development; a national speaker, she is a Level II and III Certified Aesthetic Consultant utilizing knowledge and experience to help clients achieve their potential. They can be contacted at info@thebestmbs.com.

Potential Cost Savings if You Use MedResults Network Participating Vendors

Are you leaving dollars on the table?

The MedResults Network business model is very simple. We contract with vendors for products and services that aesthetic providers use. Vendors who are willing to provide you (our members) either discounts or rebates. Over the past five years we have found that many of our members joined the network primarily because of one vendor. If you are not taking advantage of several vendors within our network, you are likely not taking full advantage of your membership. Below are listed some average savings that our members are enjoying. Bear in mind that these are averages. Not all members will use all of these products and services and in some cases you may have a lower cost but these are based on actual savings.

The ones listed above represent only a small portion of the over 40 MedResults network participating vendors. In 2012, our members saved nearly $3,000,000! If you save $12,424 each year or nearly $65,000 over a five-year membership, we feel the return is excellent for a free service! Please don’t hesitate to contact our staff should you have questions.

MedResults Network: MedSpa Conference 2013 Recap!

On September 27th-29th MedResults Network held its first MedSpa Conference! The MedSpa Conference 2013 was designed to be the first educational event of its kind, showcasing a spectacular lineup of attorneys, industry experts, and physician speakers. MedResults Network offered the event free to members and hosted all breakfasts, lunches, breaks, including their event opening cocktail reception. The event was sponsored solely by Merz Aesthetics and Neocutis, two of MedResults’ primary vendor partners, and took place in sunny Huntington Beach, CA at the Hilton’s beautiful Waterfront Beach Resort.

The weekend of education began on Friday the 27th with a cocktail reception held beachside, featuring an open bar and a fire pit where attendees could socialize and roast custom s’mores. Saturday the 28th kicked off with morning speakers, Paddy Deighan, JD PhD on legal & regulatory and Bryan Durocher with MedSpa Profitibility and Financial Indicators. Afternoon sessions included keynote speaker and Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Gregory Buford, on Content Marketing and fellow Plastic Surgeon, Dr. Joesph Grezeskiewics, on Principles and Practice of Aesthetic Medicine. Dr. Grezeskiewics finished the afternoon with a demonstration of Merz Aesthetics’ injectables, Xeomin and Belotero and injection techniques.

Sunday’s agenda features Nancy Whitehead on Employment Law and received rave reviews from attendees! The day concluded with a poolside lunch following a panel discussion on Loyalty programs, moderated by Inga Hansen, Editor of MedEsthetics Magazine, with special guest, Alisha Merlo.

For more information on the event’s speaker lineup and agenda, please visit the MedSpa Conference 2013 page on our new website at: medresultsnetwork.com. You’ll also find that you can view pictures from the weekend, read testimonials from attendees, and express interest in attending our next event in 2014! Thank you to our sponsors and all those who participated to make this event extremely special! Please contact us with topic and speaker suggestions. We welcome your feedback and look forward to seeing you again next year!

To download a PDF version of this newsletter, please click here.