Guest guest Posted January 23, 2007 Report Share Posted January 23, 2007 I just wanted to add some things that I have done in my practice which have helped. I see between 32 and 40 patients per week and have 2 treatments rooms. I work 3.5 days per week and have no intention of working any more than that. My personal perspective is, you can treat 35 people in 5 days or 3.5 days; it's up to you, especially if you control your own scheduling as I do. I am a one-woman band; I do my own books, scheduling, answering of the phone and billing. I no longer advertise (I'm in my 10th year of practice, and after that much time, momentum takes over). I personally found that the yellow pages did not bring me patients that I liked very much. They don't know you from Adam and tend to be suspicious. As a new practitioner, it made more sense to advertise there. It also depends on how many people are advertising in the yellow pages. When I started in my town, I was the 7th acupuncturists here. Now, there are over 40. Some of the ads can cost hundreds of dollars per month! A very helpful tool I created for myself was for patient tracking. At the end of each month, I tally the following: # of patients seen, # of new patients, where they were referred from into the following subcategories; phone book, other practitioner, walk-in, other patient, MD, from within my own clinic, myself (like from a lecture I gave or a chance conversation at the grocery store or gym), or insurance company. To me, the best patients come from other patients; that's the highest vote of confidence you can get, although it's nice when other acupuncturists refer, too. I keep this monthly tally, and a total for each category on a Excel spreadsheet. I compare year-to-year, and watch monthly trends. It helps me to know when the best time to take a vacation might be. It let's me know where my patients are coming from and where I might want to focus my attention. I also keep a running tally of the amount of money produced (how much work I did), and how much was received and deposited. It really is best to make it a friendly environment in your community with other practitioners. A " scarcity " mentality creates just that; scarcity. I believe patients end up where they are supposed to be. If one of my patients wanders off into practitioner " x's " clinic, then I hope for them it's a better match. The same thing in return; I have treated many patients that have come on their own after having been treated by another acupuncturist, and it's rarely that they were a " bad " practitioner, just perhaps the wrong one for this patient. Our community started a local acupuncture group in 1999 and it has been beneficial for everyone, mostly patients! I don't hesitate to refer to someone else who might be better with a particular condition than I am. My family doctor (where I grew up) used to start his recommendations with, " If you were my daughter, or sister, or mother, I would want you to.. " I try to remember that every person coming through the door is looking for help, and as practitioners, we are responsible for giving it or finding it for them, even if it brings no monetary gain to us because they might be better off with someone else. And that attitude can create a great reciprocal karma in one's own practice. I have had relatively low overhead in my clinic, but that will be changing soon as we are looking for a new venue and will be out there in the " leasing " , dog-eat-dog world. It's been nice while it's lasted and I've enjoyed this spot for 8 years. Who knows, perhaps the next place will be even better! And for any new practitioner who would like some advice, please get a cell phone that you can forward your business line to. An answering machine sitting in an office is not a good thing. My patients love that they talk to me directly; not a service, not a receptionist. I might not always answer the phone, but I always get back to them within the hour, whether it's Sunday or a weekday. _____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 24, 2007 Report Share Posted January 24, 2007 Barbara: Could you expand on how you schedule patients in the 2 rooms 3.5 days 32 to 40. How do you space them. When do you leave the room to see the next patient. That would be helpful to me. Anne -------------- Original message ---------------------- " Barbara Beale " <bbeale > I just wanted to add some things that I have done in my practice which have > helped. > > > > I see between 32 and 40 patients per week and have 2 treatments rooms. I > work 3.5 days per week and have no intention of working any more than that. > My personal perspective is, you can treat 35 people in 5 days or 3.5 days; > it's up to you, especially if you control your own scheduling as I do. > > > > I am a one-woman band; I do my own books, scheduling, answering of the phone > and billing. I no longer advertise (I'm in my 10th year of practice, and > after that much time, momentum takes over). I personally found that the > yellow pages did not bring me patients that I liked very much. They don't > know you from Adam and tend to be suspicious. As a new practitioner, it > made more sense to advertise there. It also depends on how many people are > advertising in the yellow pages. When I started in my town, I was the 7th > acupuncturists here. Now, there are over 40. Some of the ads can cost > hundreds of dollars per month! > > > > A very helpful tool I created for myself was for patient tracking. At the > end of each month, I tally the following: # of patients seen, # of new > patients, where they were referred from into the following subcategories; > phone book, other practitioner, walk-in, other patient, MD, from within my > own clinic, myself (like from a lecture I gave or a chance conversation at > the grocery store or gym), or insurance company. To me, the best patients > come from other patients; that's the highest vote of confidence you can get, > although it's nice when other acupuncturists refer, too. I keep this > monthly tally, and a total for each category on a Excel spreadsheet. I > compare year-to-year, and watch monthly trends. It helps me to know when > the best time to take a vacation might be. It let's me know where my > patients are coming from and where I might want to focus my attention. I > also keep a running tally of the amount of money produced (how much work I > did), and how much was received and deposited. > > > > It really is best to make it a friendly environment in your community with > other practitioners. A " scarcity " mentality creates just that; scarcity. > I believe patients end up where they are supposed to be. If one of my > patients wanders off into practitioner " x's " clinic, then I hope for them > it's a better match. The same thing in return; I have treated many > patients that have come on their own after having been treated by another > acupuncturist, and it's rarely that they were a " bad " practitioner, just > perhaps the wrong one for this patient. Our community started a local > acupuncture group in 1999 and it has been beneficial for everyone, mostly > patients! I don't hesitate to refer to someone else who might be better > with a particular condition than I am. My family doctor (where I grew up) > used to start his recommendations with, " If you were my daughter, or sister, > or mother, I would want you to.. " I try to remember that every person > coming through the door is looking for help, and as practitioners, we are > responsible for giving it or finding it for them, even if it brings no > monetary gain to us because they might be better off with someone else. > And that attitude can create a great reciprocal karma in one's own practice. > > > > I have had relatively low overhead in my clinic, but that will be changing > soon as we are looking for a new venue and will be out there in the > " leasing " , dog-eat-dog world. It's been nice while it's lasted and I've > enjoyed this spot for 8 years. Who knows, perhaps the next place will be > even better! > > > > And for any new practitioner who would like some advice, please get a cell > phone that you can forward your business line to. An answering machine > sitting in an office is not a good thing. My patients love that they talk > to me directly; not a service, not a receptionist. I might not always > answer the phone, but I always get back to them within the hour, whether > it's Sunday or a weekday. > > _____ > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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