By Michael Zhou

Are you the manager of a small medical practice? Or are you the manager, bookkeeper, marketer, customer service rep, and receptionist all rolled into one? Either way, your job — while extremely fulfilling — probably feels like those old novelty acts that involve spinning a number of plates balanced on high poles. If you’re not on your toes at every moment, it could all come crashing down around you.

While some people thrive in high-pressure environments, it’s not good for one’s physical health to always be operating under such stress. And if you can streamline some of the day-to-day responsibilities of running a practice, then you can turn more attention to the real reason you’re in business in the first place: your patients.

Outsource Your Billing

Not only will outsourcing your medical billing needs take one of those spinning plates out of the equation, it will also help ensure that your claims are submitted in a timely fashion.

Accuracy is another reason to choose a medical billing company to take care of this responsibility. It’s simple: properly submitted claims reduces the number of denied or rejected claims. The professionals who do this work day in, day out can also advise your practice on how to maximize reimbursements.

Think you can’t afford this service? It turns out that outsourcing billing is actually a cost-savings for most practices. You can easily scale up as your practice grows, without having to expend money for recruitment efforts, salary and benefits for a billing professional, and the overhead expense associated with additional employees.

Use a Medical Linen and Laundry Service

Your patients put their lives in your hands — quite literally — every time they turn to you for care. After improperly cleaned and sterilized medical equipment and poor sanitation and hygiene practices, nothing has the potential to spread infection and disease like your medical linens. That’s why it’s imperative to ensure that they are handled professionally and properly.

“HLAC-compliant procedures performed in state-of-the-art facilities, automatic inventory control, regular and reliable delivery, and of course safe pickup of soiled linens — these are some of the hallmarks of a great medical linen and laundry service,” according to the professionals at Nixon Medical, a linen service specialist.

Since linens like scrubs, towels, sheets, underpads, and patient apparel are paramount when it comes to maintaining a sanitary, sterile environment, it just makes sense to hire experts in linen management.

Do What You Can to Improve (or Maintain) Positive Practice Culture

While cleanliness is paramount to a successful medical clinic, it’s also smart to ensure that the work environment isn’t emotionally toxic. A positive company culture is as important to a medical practice as it is to a tech firm, retail store, or restaurant. What factors can make your employees feel underappreciated?

  • Responsibilities that are out of proportion with job description
  • Poor communication between managers and staff
  • Lack of teamwork and support
  • Unpleasant physical conditions at work
  • Mismanaged expectations or unclear job duties
  • Inadequate recognition of exemplary work
  • Compensation that isn’t aligned with responsibilities or workload

You can’t wave a magic wand and establish work-life balance for your staff members. What can you do?

Listen to others’ opinions and carefully consider their suggestions. Keep the lines of communication open. Make sure the practice is adequately staffed, so that no one feels overworked or undervalued. Align your values and mission toward patient care, which will help every employee stay on the same page. Foster a culture of respect, kindness, and professionalism at all costs.

And give your employees the tools they need — time off, wellness programs, clean scrubs, even perks like snacks and meals — to unplug from the stressors of work and achieve that balance.

Less Stress Equals More Success

You may think that a successful medical practice is necessarily a fast-paced, high-stress environment. After all, if you’re not staying super busy all the time, that’s a bad sign in terms of business, right? But the truth is that running yourself ragged all day doesn’t equate to efficiency. That’s true of everyone — from the guy who mops the floors each evening to the woman whose medical degree is on the wall.

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Michael Zhou is a Senior VP of Business Intelligence Development and has assisted the Fortune 1000 company with expertise in the web as a whole, including ground-zero marketing efforts that benefit both consumer and vendor. He is also contributor on Esprittoday.

Juggling stock photo by ESB Professional/Shutterstock