How We Work

Step I - Preliminary Survey

This written survey gives your consultants a head start on the engagement. By completing this survey before they arrive, you can define problems as seen by the physicians and employees. Your collecting this financial and operating information speeds the consulting process. We get you on the way to results fast.

Step II - Site Analysis

• Interviews
  Our experience is that the people who do the work in the practice - physicians and other employees - know what the problems are and often have good ideas about the solutions. We listen. In-depth, confidential interviews with each physician and employee point us toward the areas needing further study. While you may not always see all of the real issues, we always start here. Then we investigate.
• Patient Flow
  We isolate the problems in your patient management. We study telephone management, appointment scheduling, patient information forms, check-in and check-out procedures, communications in the office and with patients, and back office activity. The object is to get patients in and out of the practice smoothly, courteously and efficiently.
• Money
  We examine all aspects of your billing, collections and insurance processing operation. We study third party reimbursement, claims coding and CMS compliance, capitation contract administration and rating, computer applications and financial reporting. We also look at business communications with patients, accounts payable and internal loss prevention systems.
• People
  We determine if the correct number and types of people are staffing your positions. Many practices waste money by using staff inefficiently. We perform a thorough task analysis to find trouble spots and basic staff conflicts. We study your staff policies to see if they are getting the most for the practice and protecting your interests.
• Organization
  We review your decision making and implementation structure. Some key areas of study are use of physician time, use of management and supervisory staff, strategic planning and marketing issues, and partnership and group issues like buy-sell agreements, income distribution and expense-sharing agreements, and the like. We leave you with a mechanism to get action in your practice.
• Communication
  When the interviews and analysis are completed, we sit down with the owners of the practice to deliver our findings in an intensive debriefing session. This meeting usually lasts for three to five hours. Our objective is to lay out a plan for improving effectiveness and efficiency in the practice.

Step III - Written Action Plan

• Implementation Report
  Our written report takes the form of a checklist which you and your staff can use to make agreed-upon improvements. Concise and easy to use, it summarizes our recommendations made in the debriefing session. Your action plan is a working document for follow-up on decisions made, individuals responsible, and deadlines.

Step IV - Follow-up

• Telephone Follow-up
  The recommendations and plans we submit are so thorough and detailed there is often no need for us to return to the practice. If a question should arise, your consultants are available by telephone for follow-up discussions and coaching. There is never any charge for this service.