Hire great employees. Train and treat them well. Give a lot of positive reinforcement.
Those were three pieces of advice offered by Dr. Suzanne L. Kilmer at a cosmetic dermatology seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation (SDEF).
Allowing your employees autonomy and letting them rise to the occasion while providing a comfortable environment in a state-of-the-art facility will go a long way toward ensuring a harmonious workplace. Of course, offering competitive pay and benefits will also help. But above all: "Always keep your patients' happiness a priority," said Dr. Kilmer, of the Laser & Skin Surgery Center of Northern California, in Sacramento.
In her 41-employee practicewhich includes five physicians and one nurse practitionerthere are several managers, including a practice manager who coordinates with the all the physicians and answers directly to Dr. Kilmer. In addition, the staff includes a front office manager, a back office manager, and a business manager.
"It's very important to have good people at the top to set the tone, and to make sure that all management has your philosophy in mind," Dr. Kilmer said in an interview. Be sure to hire positive team players. "It's better to have a smart, happy, trainable employee than a trained, unhappy, slow-to-learn, or set-in-their-ways person," she said.
Use of a 3-month probation period for all new hires allows time to make sure that the right people have been chosen and that they fit in with other employees.
All employees should be given thorough initial training that matches their job description. Follow that with ongoing updates and in-service training for all levels of employees. Continuing medical education training should be encouraged and supported by management. Hold monthly staff meetings to help employees keep up to date on what is happening in the practice. And when you attend a meeting, be sure to relay any pertinent information to all employees to offer a true sense of transparency.
A positive attitude is key. In addition to hiring people with positive attitudes, always remember to have a positive attitude yourself during interactions with staff.
Negative personal issues should not be brought into the office. Nonetheless, any employee problemspersonal or work-relatedshould be handled with respect, being sensitive to personal needs. To keep the staff positive, be careful not to over-work or over-schedule them.
Your facility should reflect your high-expectation philosophy. All necessary tools to best facilitate practice needs should be available, including high-quality devices, tables, instruments, and equipment. Keep all waiting room and treatment areas clean and comfortable.
If possible, provide a separate check-out station with products, payment for procedures, and scheduling for future appointments.
Obtaining accreditation as a certified ambulatory surgery center (such as that offered by the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care, www.aaahc.org
Do everything you can to ensure your patients' happiness. Happy patients are:
▸ Greeted warmly on arrival;
▸ Escorted courteously to the room;
▸ Well educated about their treatments via pamphlets, DVDs, Web site information, and direct communication with staff;
▸ Successfully treated with minimal side effects; and
▸ Provided with satisfaction surveys to complete.
Dr. Kilmer's overriding approach comes from a department store: "Keep in mind the Nordstrom's philosophy of exceeding expectations."
SDEF and this news organization are both owned by Elsevier.
'It's better to have a smart, happy, trainable employee than a trained, unhappy, slow-to-learn' employee.
Source Dr. Kilmer