(Editor's Note: Gerriann Fagan spoke at our 2017 VisionAmerica Summer Conference and received rave reviews from the attendees. We are so excited to have her periodically contributing to our content! If you enjoy the piece below, please reach out to her and let her know. You can learn more about Gerriann and the work she does at Warren Averett by clicking here!) I recently attended the Alabama MGMA Meeting in Birmingham. While at our booth, a woman whom I'd known years earlier introduced me to her colleague as, "someone who has always been an advocate for our practice." I felt complimented. Wow, was I an advocate for her medical practice? They provided good medical care for me and my family, but I wondered what I did and what they did that made her feel that I was their advocate. What They Did
They were interested in me as a person. The Practice Manager got to know about my work and asked me questions about it from time to time. She invited me in to do some work for them and told me when they had openings - if only to get a casual referral. What I Did I felt like a human being - not a patient.Learned about their practice and what set them apart so I could tell others. I referred 6 - 7 patients over the years. What They Did They gave me treatment options. As is the case in your practice, patients have a choice and want input into their care - they may choose from a variety of care options - going all the way with services or doing things over time. They kept up with best practices and shared them. What I Did I listened to the doctor and staff advice and chose options that worked best for me. I had total confidence they were looking out for my best interests. What They Did For recurring services, the staff got to know me, too. One of the nurses had been there 24 years. She took the time to know the adults and the kids in the practice. She seemed to mentor newer staff. What I Did Got to know the staff - who was in school, who was having a baby, grandbaby and who had challenges with their commute. What They Did They got that I had a job, too. Not everyone can see you within a limited service window. We do Mammograms on Tuesdays. The doctor sees patients on Thursdays and the like. Especially with recurring services, it is good to have options - we stay late on Wednesdays and can meet early by appointment, we can do x and y in the same visit, etc. What I Did I felt like they would accommodate me. They had a schedule with options and with notice could do things outside the normal schedule. What They Did They were consistent. I knew what to expect, I felt comfortable recommending them to others, and they were genuinely nice people. What I Did Stayed connected to their e-mails and service updates. Their website was up to date, including changes in schedule and industry bulletins. What They Did They genuinely wanted my feedback. When I had a scheduling issue due to the way that they were routing calls, I was able to share thoughts about how to make it better. Sometimes, the front desk can make all the difference - training the front line about service questions and creative service options really makes a difference for the patients. What I Did I gave it and offered to help. I am a student of service. I notice the new patient kiosks and handheld devices for check-in. I notice the Disneyland-like first-time visitor stickers given to first-time patients and the lollipops and coupons for new medicine. I notice attention given to different patients - e.g. elderly, children and adults - they have different needs - maybe even differently appointed waiting areas. I've met some awesome folks through VisionAmerica. My guess is that it wouldn't take much effort for you to develop fierce advocates for your practices. Great care and great experience should be just the beginning. Think about ways you can cultivate referrals. Think about rewarding employees for referrals, recognizing patients who bring you new clients. Most of all, always remember that your patients are people with lives, hopes and dreams. They have good days and bad days, especially when they are really sick. Let your patients know you'd like their help in developing your practice. Take a few minutes to get to know them and let them get to know you, too. We're all in this together.
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August 2019
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