By David T. Womack, President/CEO of Practice Management Institute

Providing education for the physician’s office staff is an excellent way of providing a value-added service while allowing hospitals and healthcare organizations to begin or enhance a relationship.

When I talk to anyone outside of healthcare and tell them how difficult it is to run a doctor’s practice, the response is always the same.  “Wow, I didn’t realize that.”  Few people have an appreciation for how third-party reimbursement works, and many have no idea all the rules and regulations affecting healthcare for patient safety and confidentiality.

Physician liaisons truly have an appreciation for the complexities of running a medical practice.  You see it firsthand.

Providing education for physician’s office staff is a real win-win. 

Let’s set the stage.  First, it’s an event.  Our most successful clients have always treated an educational offering as an event.  From coffee and rolls to lunch if needed, the office staff always consider coming to the “event” as special.  From the liaison perspective, the office staff in attendance, is likely one of many gatekeepers in the practice.  Getting to know this person outside the practice has great benefit. 

Making announcements or a brief introduction about a new service line is fine, but the goal is to keep things on track and focused on the learning for the day.  Of course, the content is the key driver.  Billers, coders and managers alike, all need the latest information whether it’s related to new codes, guidelines, QPP, MACRA, or a host of reimbursement and compliance guidelines that they must understand and follow. 

Last, and maybe most important, make this event about the people who came.  The participants will be grateful for the time away to learn and grow in their roles.  They will thank you for offering the opportunity.  That’s the goal, and the win-win.

Training events, done on a consistent basis, can help build a network of strong, more successful offices, and followers – and fans!

Practice Management Institute has been providing education for physician offices for over 30 years.  We’ve always partnered with hospitals and healthcare organizations to develop better relationships. 

If you need help establishing this type of Relationship Building Tool in your community, please contact me.

David T. Womack – 210-691-8900, Ext. 202 – dtwomack@pmimd.com