If this sounds like a problem that you've been dealing with, when was the last time you looked at your attendance policy? Well, maybe you ought to pull it out, dust it off and take a look at it. Does it need to be revamped? When was the last time you reviewed it with everyone in the office? Well, take the time to do so.

Make sure it's up-to-date. And then sit down and say, we're gonna talk about attendance. Do you know that this policy is in our employee manual? And if you don't have one of those, you can email me. But, and then go over it. Give them the opportunity to ask questions and the what-ifs. What if this happens, so that you can explain. So that they have a fresh recollection of what proper attendance is and what being punctual means to you.

If you have any questions regarding this, just email me at tina@toppractices.com. Take care. Bye.

According to a Gallup article published July 10, 2024, titled “42% of Employee Turnover Is Preventable, but Often Ignored,” management plays a key role in employee retention. The article highlights that 36% of employees leave without ever voicing their dissatisfaction—often because managers don’t take the time to engage in proactive communication.

Even more eye-opening, 45% of employees who left reported that no one had checked in with them about job satisfaction or future goals in the three months prior to their departure.

Taking just a few minutes every week to check in with each employee can be a game-changer. While it’s easy to say, “I’m too busy,” the truth is, not checking in can leave you even busier—trying to cover multiple positions and train replacements after someone quits.

Asking the right questions can open the door to connection and give employees a reason to stay, grow, and contribute their best. Try starting with a few of these:
•    “How are you feeling about your work lately?”
•    “What part of your job energizes you most? What drains you?”
•    “What’s one thing you wish you could change about your day-to-day responsibilities?”
•    “Do you feel like your work is appreciated here?”
•    “Where do you see yourself in six months to a year? How can we help you get there?”
•    “Is there anything we could do to make this a better place to work?”

With the rate of employee turnover today, you can’t afford to overlook the simple but powerful impact of regular, intentional conversations. When employees feel seen, heard, and valued, they’re far more likely to stay committed and engaged. 

Proactive communication isn't just about preventing turnover—it’s about building a workplace where people thrive. Take the time to connect before someone decides to disconnect. It might be the most important few minutes of your week.

This is such an important topic, and we have been studying all aspects of employee retention in the Virtual Practice Management Institute the past couple of months.  The cost of replacing an employee is thousands of dollars in time and training not to mention the stress on those in the practice. The cost of proactive communication is “Free” which will you choose?

Do you have problems in your office with things slipping through the cracks? Things such as maybe orthotic appointments for patients not getting called, and maybe certain lab orders not getting done on time—and you don't find out until it's too late?

Well, there's a simple way to prevent this. One is that everybody has a job task sheet—certain tasks that they are responsible for, either daily or weekly. Like making sure all the orthotics that came in, the patients got phone calls and appointments scheduled.

Then, on Thursday before the week is over, every staff member needs to look at their job task sheet to see what they've completed (hopefully everything) and what they're not going to get completed. They need to report that to you—either the doctor or the office manager.

Then on Friday, the sheet gets turned in and their job task should be completed. Or there's an explanation as to why something wasn't done—like maybe they were shorthanded and didn’t get to all of the recall appointments for the orthotics.

If you have any questions about this—if you're a VPMI member—there's a module all about job task sheets. You can email me at tina@toppractices.com. I'll let you know exactly where it's at.

Or if you have questions, all you have to do is email me and I will help you set up a job task sheet.

I hope to talk to you soon.

Take care.
Bye.

Do you have problems with patients wanting to pay their deductibles or copayments upfront or possibly even their balances?

Well, have you looked at the training that every person in your office has had on patient financial preparedness? So that they can explain to patients, prior to them even coming into the office, what the expectations will be, how they can find out about a copayment, what a deductible portion means.

Also being able to tell the patient how they can verify their insurance benefits if they have questions, and then when they get to the office, if they have an outstanding balance. Do they know why? Can they explain to the patients why. And this is really important, especially if you use a billing company.

Maybe somebody in the office doesn't understand. They just know that they have a balance. So how can they find the explanation of benefits? Have they been trained to read one so that they can explain to the patient so they have full understanding.

And remember, be friendly. And be willing to help our patients understand. The insurance world is very confusing for us, and it's also very confusing for our patients.

If you have any questions or would like any help on financial preparation for patients visits, just email me at tina@toppractices.com or Dr. Peter Wishnie at peter@toppractices.com.

You take care.
Bye.

I encourage you after this webinar to come to the website and look at all we offer. But today, we really want to take a moment and show you the actual Virtual Practice Management Institute itself. This is essentially a master-level, comprehensive course on podiatric practice management, and many people don’t realize how extensive it is until they see it firsthand. We created this program 10 years ago after recognizing the lack of resources available. Since then, the Virtual Practice Management Institute has continued to grow. I’ll walk you through how to access it and what to expect once you're inside.

Welcome, Peter and Tina—great to have you here.

To access the Institute, go to the Top Practices website and click on the “Secure Member Login” button. This will take you to the Virtual Practice Management Institute’s separate site. I've already logged in, so I’ll click on "My Courses" to show you what members see.

If you're a member, you’ll have access to:

• The Seven Secrets course by Dr. Wishnie

• How to Take Charge of Your Medical Practice and Run It Simply, Smartly, and Successfully by Tina

• Frontline Phone Coaching by Tina

• Collecting Upfront by Tina

• $10 Million Phone Scenarios by Dr. Wishnie

Now, let’s go into the Institute itself. As we scroll, you'll see just how much content is available. Tina, could you briefly describe what else is included with membership?

Absolutely. In addition to the resources in the library, we hold weekly live Zoom calls on various topics—three sessions with me and one with Dr. Wishnie each month. These are also recorded and added to the library.

Members can also meet with Dr. Wishnie to review and set up practice metrics. I work with staff directly for coaching sessions, trainings, or presentations, tailored to your needs. For example, I recently ran a session on understanding insurance benefits and how to discuss patient financial responsibility.

You also receive quarterly coaching sessions and ongoing support. If you need resources—job descriptions, for example—we’ll guide you directly to them. Membership includes not only access to the library, but our support in applying the tools to your practice.

Thanks, Tina. Let’s take a look at Module 8: Effective Time Flow in the Office. Tina, please walk us through it.

Of course. This is one of my favorite modules. If you don't know where time goes, you can't manage it. This module has three sections. Each includes an introduction, and in some cases, special guest content.

You'll find:

• Coaching Calls: Downloadable MP3s

• Webinars: Video lessons under 30 minutes—ideal for staff training

• Tools: Downloadable Word documents you can customize

• Articles: Quick reads that reinforce the key concepts

This module also emphasizes problem-solving and encouraging staff to raise concerns and suggest improvements. It shows that effective practice management is a team effort, not just the responsibility of the doctor or office manager.

Thank you. Peter, let's move to Section 31: Leadership 2.

Sure. Leadership is one of my passions. It empowers your team, boosts profitability, and allows you to focus on the work only you can do. This module is for doctors and practice administrators. I’ve drawn much of the content from John Maxwell’s leadership principles, which I’m certified to teach. Instead of reading dozens of books, you get clear, actionable 20-minute lessons and tools.

Topics include:

• High-Road Leadership

• Slowing Down to Improve Performance

• Back to Basics

These resources help you lead more effectively and build a stronger, more engaged team. The tools section includes worksheets like Seven Key Leadership Traits, which take just a few minutes but offer great insight. This library is like your own Barnes & Noble. I used to spend hours there, reading and learning. Now, it's all here for you. Spend just an hour a week learning something new, and over time, the knowledge you gain will be invaluable.

Couldn’t agree more. We created this webinar to show just how robust this program really is. Seeing it in action makes all the difference.

On our website, under “What We Do,” you'll find more details about:

• The Virtual Practice Management Institute

• Online Courses

• Private Coaching with Peter and Tina

• The Virtual Practice Administrator Program

• Workshops and our Annual Top Practices Summit

There are also free downloadable resources available. Our goal is simple: to make your life easier.

The Institute is available through a monthly membership, with no contracts or minimum commitments. You stay as long as it's valuable to you—and we aim to earn that every month. If you leave, we won’t take it personally. No crying in practice management!

Thanks again for joining us. We hope this helps you understand how the Virtual Practice Management Institute can support you and your team. And thank you, Peter and Tina!

The other day I went to a prominent clinic in our area with my husband for an appointment for him. We went into the treatment room and I was less than impressed. The floor was dirty. There was an old glove sitting in the corner. There was a paper towel behind the chair. And the walls were all scratched up.

Now, I'm sure they have wheelchairs that come in, and that's probably how it happened, but they were all scratched up. No one had taken the time to touch up the paint.  Gussy up the room and make sure it looked neat and clean for us. Now take the time to really look at your practice as a patient would. Sit in your treatment chairs.

Sit in your waiting chairs. See what it really looks like. Remember when you go to a restaurant, you want a clean tablecloth, you want clean silverware. You want everything to be neat and clean where you're eating. Well, patients want a neat and clean  medical practice that they go to when they are being treated.

If you have any questions, all you have to do is email me at tina@toppractices.com or Dr. Peter Wishnie at peter@toppractices.com. Take care. Bye. 

Today, I'm going to talk about task accountability. Yes, accountability. We are each hired to do a job in the practice, every single staff member. And we are accountable for doing those tasks that we are hired for. But we need to make sure that everyone understands what it is they're supposed to be doing and why.

So, number one, make out a daily task check sheet. Okay, if you are part of the Virtual Practice Management Institute, you know all about this, we have modules on them, and we have samples for you. If you need help, email me. So, you want to provide staff with daily task checklists. Okay, they must be completed at the end of each day. And you can include an area for their initials or a signature.

So, let's just say, complete day sheet, balance day sheet, make daily deposit. And they just tick off what they are supposed to do each day. And at the end of the day, they know they've completed all of the tasks that they're supposed to do and they just sign off on it. Okay. My office, we have those task sheets laminated so they could use them over and over and they just left them on their desk at the end of the day so that the doctor could look at them to make sure everything was done.

Now, that's part of it, the end of the day review. Implement a quick end of the day review where the staff submits their task sheet or they leave it on their desk of everything that they've completed for the day. Now, if there's something that they didn't get to, they need to make sure that they inform the doctor or your office manager, whomever, why they didn't get to it and when they will get it done. Okay. Because that will save time the next day when they are running a little behind.

Now, task ownership is the third one. Assign specific responsibilities to each staff member if they have them. Like at the end of the day, maybe someone's job is to clean the waiting room. Maybe someone's job is to make sure the bathroom is clean. Make sure that they understand the importance of the role and how this works with the overall success of the practice, okay?

Clarity reduces overlap and misstepped steps. If you have any questions about task accountability, just email me at Tina@TopPractices.com.

Talk to you later. Bye.

In the context of patient service, “conflict resolution” is nothing more than realizing you have a responsibility to understand and deal with your patient’s problem.

There is an art to patient service recovery.  The word “recovery” means to return to normal – to get things back in balance.

Problems exist when the patient says they do, anytime a patient is upset, dismayed, angered or disappointed.  What constitutes a disappointment for one patient can be absolutely “no problem” for another.  No matter.  You can’t wish a problem away because it is something no reasonable person would be upset about, or because it isn’t your fault, or it is not your doctors’ fault, or even because the patient made the mistake.  If the patient thinks it is a problem, it’s a PROBLEM.

Being a Fantastic Fixer involves taking thoughtful positive actions that will lead a disappointed patient back to a state of satisfaction with you and your doctor.  Healing injured patient feelings requires sensitivity to their needs, wants, and expectations.  

Once the problem is identified, there are six steps you can use to fix the problem.  NOT ALL PROBLEMS REQUIRE EACH OF THESE STEPS.

1.    Apologize.  It does not matter who is a fault.  Patients want someone to acknowledge that a problem occurred and show concern for their disappointment.  Saying “I am sorry that you have been inconvenienced this way” does not cost a dime, but it buys a barrel of forgiveness.
2.    Listen and empathize.  Treat your patients in a way that shows you care about them as well as their problem.  People have feelings and emotions.  They want the personal side of the transaction acknowledged.
3.    Fix the problem quickly and fairly.  A “fair fix” is one that is delivered with a sense of professional concern.  At the bottom line, patients want what they expected to receive in the first place, and the sooner the better.
4.    Offer atonement.  It is not uncommon for dissatisfied patients to feel injured or put out by a service breakdown.  Often, they will look to you to provide some value-added gesture that says, in a manner appropriate to the problem, “I want to make it up to you.” Starbucks or some other gift cards work great for this.
5.    Keep your promises.  Service recovery is needed because a patient believes a service promise has been broken.  Orthotics are not right, a call back for benefits check has not occurred as promised, or some other promise that was not done.  During the recovery process, you will often need to make new promises.  When you do, be realistic about what you can and cannot deliver.
6.    Follow-up.  Make sure things really were resolved to your patient’s satisfaction.  Do not assume you have fixed the person or the problem.  Check to be sure.

Remember we are all just humans trying to get along and provide great service for our patients.  This takes time, effort and thoughtfulness. Provide group training for the entire staff on this subject because it can either make or break your desire to serve your patients at the highest level.  If you would like an in-office virtual training on this topic, just email me at Tina@toppractices.com.

Now, in many of our offices, we are running short-staffed. So, why don't we use videos, and maybe many of you do, for our training? And what you do is as you're training someone, you record it. On your phone, you can download it and put it in a Dropbox so that everyone can watch it, but that this will allow you to create a reusable resource.

So let's say you're learning or you're teaching how to set up a sterile tray. Someone records the person setting up the sterile tray correctly. The person who's being recorded talks about what they are doing and how they are doing it. Boom, it's done. This way, when you have to train new people, they can watch this video because it allows for you to review, the person to review, and it helps them to retain because they are watching and listening.

You also can have your written protocols that go along with this as well.  When you have video training, it reduces interruptions. The people who are being trained can watch the videos over and over during their training times without someone having to be there for the complete time. Now, you do need to make sure that you have a time for them to ask questions and to receive the answers to the questions they have while they are watching the videos. 

This also standardizes training. Everyone learns to do tasks the same way. Now, if you have questions regarding how to make your videos and about the standardization, all you have to do is email me at Tina@TopPractices.com. Take care. I'll talk to you soon. Bye. 

When staff feel overwhelmed or uncertain, lack of communication can make the situation worse. Transparency from leadership builds trust and helps everyone stay on the same page. Acknowledge the staffing challenges openly, thank your team for their dedication, and let them know your plans to address the situation.

Morning huddles are the perfect place to check in each day to see how everyone is holding up and address the needs of the day, like workload adjustments asking each staff member to share ideas for improved workflow and how they may accomplish the workload together focusing on what is most important to get done for that day, week, etc.

Identify tasks that can be temporarily scaled back, or ones that could be handled by a virtual employee.  Use tools like checklists (one of my favorite tools) to clarify priorities so everyone knows what must get done each day and prevent things from falling through the cracks.

When your short-staffed team puts in the extra effort to keep the practice running smoothly a little appreciation goes a long way in keeping morale up. Recognize individual and team contributions, and don’t wait for big wins to say thank you.

Celebrate small victories—like just getting through the day and being willing to come back tomorrow and do it all again. Verbal praise, handwritten notes, or even a simple team lunch can make your staff feel valued.

While the challenges of being short-handed may feel like the new normal, your ability to adapt and keep morale high will make a huge difference to your staff. When they see that you care about their well-being and are willing to lead through tough times, they are more likely to stay engaged, loyal, and committed to your practice’s success.

If you don't know what your responsibilities are, then ask so that you do know. Next, make sure that you pitch in. Look for opportunities to help others, even if it's not in your normal workspace. Help one another. If you see that a treatment room is dirty, say, "I can go in and clean that for you. I have a couple of extra minutes."

Be a helper. Pitch in. When everyone learns to work together, it makes the workday so much better and we feel better. And then, be a problem solver. If you see a problem or a potential problem, speak up and then bring a solution on how to fix it. If you see that two people have canceled appointments for tomorrow, go to whoever it is who's responsible for having the "see me sooner" list and say, "Hey, we have two openings tomorrow. Let's see how we can fill them. Do you have patients that I can call?" Be a problem solver.

Now, if you want more tips, all you have to do is email me at Tina@TopPractices.com. Take care. Bye.