Confessions of a Pediatric Management Consultant... Where fame and fortune await those who help keep pediatric practices alive and independent!

Confessions Podcast #3: Featuring Suzanne Berman And Your Practice Management Calendar

Written by Chip Hart | Nov 30, 2015 9:46:17 PM

This may be long overdue, but worth the wait.  A few months back, Dr. Suzanne Berman (star of SOAPM list and stage) emailed me with a question about her practice.  That question led to a quick back and forth exchange of "all the things a practice should do on a periodic basis."  We brainstormed a long list and then sat down to talk about it for almost an hour.

Below, I provide a written copy of the list for you to cut and paste into whatever tools you need to make sure they appear on your to-do lists and work calendars.  Please email or call me with items we didn't name, I'll gladly add them below!  The podcast adds a lot of color and advice related to each section below, so don't skip Dr. Berman's insight - listen to the podcast.

You can play the podcast below, download it in iTunes (subscribe! it's free!), or go to the podcast site itself.

I reference this amazing service from the Verden Group during our conversation.

The list!

 

User Management and IT

  • Lock out former users from:
    • EHR and PM systems
    • Quickbooks (or other accounting software), time clock software, etc.
    • On-line accounts
      • clearinghouse and payor WWW sites
      • lab and hospital portals
  • Update the Administrator security
    • Office security system
    • Computer system
  • Update your office inventory for insurance purposes.
    • You can use a video camera (like the one on your cell phone!) to
      document each room and closet.
  • Perform a security audit (per MU guidelines)

Cleaning and Supplies

  • Clean out cabinets and drawers
  • Purge old equipment

Policies and Procedures

  • Review your policy and procedure manuals to make sure that your
    actual process reflects what's documented.  Have everyone review it
    annually
  • Review the payor policy manuals.  Most are available on line or
    are searchable with friends like the Verden Group
  • Review all of your patient policies and handouts
    • Check the handouts you distribute at your office, including your
      practice brochure
    • Check all of your on-line materials
    • Use "version control" (i.e., put date or version numbers on each
      handout so you know if what you are holding is up to date)
    • make sure any list of your staff and clinicians is up to date (letter
      head, sign on your door, WWW site)

EHR and PM

  • Make sure that you are taking advantage of every electronic transaction
    opportunity your clearinghouse/PM vendor offers. If you are not doing
    eligibility or electronic claims for every payer, check again
  • Perform all vendor-specific cleanup functions
  • Software updates
  • Perform optional updates
  • Review update training and materials to take advantage of new features

Practice Management

  • Update your pricing for every single procedure listed in your system
  • Review your coding patterns.
    • How is your E&M distribution?
    • Did you bill any odd procedures last year?
  • Check your vaccine product combinations
    • Are the combination vaccines you use the most cost and price efficient?
    • Are there any new coverage rules from your payors?
  • Check for new procedure codes introduced this year
    • 2015: 99188, 90651, 96127
  • Make an periodic report of KPIs.
    • If your PM doesn't make it easy to re-run reports for previous time frames,
      get your periodic sample.
    • Review your measures for comparative and discussion purposes.
  • Check your third party vendor costs
    • Credit card
    • Cable/Phone/Internet
    • WWW Site hosting
    • Pull all of your insurance contracts and confirm any "evergreen" dates
    • Check your third party vendor costs
    • Credit card
    • Cable/Phone/Internet
    • WWW Site hosting
  • Clean up Quickbooks/account categories
  • Patient cleanup
    • Mark inactive families
  • Practice Education
    • Research Seminar Opportunities