You’ve no doubt heard the sentiment “everyone’s replaceable.” And yeah, that may technically be true—if the only job requirement is a heartbeat. But any seasoned physician or practice manager will tell you that in today’s market, good ophthalmic techs—or folks with the potential to become good techs—are hard to find.

It seems that as practices get busier and busier, there are more requirements and procedures to running a practice, but how do you handle the additional work without the financial burden of additional staff members?

For employees in most practices, staff meetings rank somewhere between office politics and learning to use a new ophthalmic EMR in terms of productivity and enjoyment.

Your practice expenses are increasing, but your Medicare reimbursements definitely aren’t. And last time we checked, CMS wasn’t negotiating—that means your financial future depends on getting the best rates possible from your private payers.

Electronic health record (EHR) systems are valuable tools. So are medical practice management (PM) systems. As powerful as they are on their own when they’re combined, they’re even better. Using them together could help healthcare offices do so much for their practices and their patients.

Looking to increase sales of the eye care products and services your practice offers? If so, don’t be fooled into thinking that you need to make big, sweeping changes to see an increase in your bottom line. There are a number of small changes and tweaks that every staff member in your practice—from the front desk to physicians—can make to your sales cycle that will help achieve sustainable growth.

You might have heard the phrase ‘everyone’s replaceable.’ That might be true for a lot of positions, but if you’re an eye care provider, it’s not. As a physician you’re not just a part of the practice—you are the practice.

Does your health care practice also sell products, such as medical devices, eyeglasses, contact lenses, or other goods? If you do, it could be a good way to generate additional revenue and serve your patients. But some of your systems might be hurting your ability to provide such services.

Are you or your partners planning to retire in the next few years? If you are, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t make any changes to your practice. But you might want to reconsider any large-scale expansions or drastic revisions.

In Louisiana, the Cajuns like to say “Laissez les bons temps rouler”—“Let the good times roll.” But you can’t let the good times roll unless you take steps to prevent the bad times from stopping you in your tracks.Is your compliance plan strong and up to date for 2018 and beyond? If you plan ahead and do some work up front to update it for your practice’s current realities, you can relax and roll right into the good times ahead.

Managing a medical practice isn’t just treating patients. It’s also working with employees. It’s also getting the most out of these employees. How could medical practices improve productivity while keeping their employees happy and treating patients?

Every day I go out into my garden and harvest a bowl of tomatoes and peppers like this one. The ROI for the $20 and some sweat equity I spent on seedlings earlier this spring is sweet and savory. My grocery bill’s a little lower and my meals tastier.

We all know that electronic health record (EHR) systems are valuable tools for storing and accessing information, but did you know that medical practices could use them for other functions? They can. In fact, because of their versatility and compatibility, health care offices could use EHR software for many purposes.

Is your medical office doing everything it can to become and stay compliant with various health care regulations? That might not be an easy question to answer. You’re dealing with so much information and so many other things, so it may be difficult to determine if you’re following all the rules as well.

Does your practice participate in out-of-network billing (billing without a payer contract)? If so, listen up. Some providers are forced to bill OON, either because health plans won’t enter into a network agreement or the reimbursement the health plan offers isn’t sustainable.

Despite payer pushback, there’s been a huge increase in the number of out-of-network (OON) providers over the last several years. Market consolidation, ever-narrowing networks, and declining in-network reimbursements are driving some providers out of the network. Others are tempted by the prospect of bigger paydays.

For most medical practices, electronic health record (EHR) systems are an established part of life. They’re useful tools that professionals and patients rely on to store and access medical information.