Randall Berning's Smart Words For Smart Doctor CEO's

Reflections: Power 2 Reason Gorman Symposium

The orthodontists and their staff members attending the American Orthodontics sponsored program were treated to a 100% education program. No product displays. No order taking. No speaker representing the company making a pitch. Nothing. And the doctors and staff were thoroughly appreciative. A standing ovation was given to the company for sponsoring this program and all speakers by the audience at the concluding session! How spectacular! I very much enjoyed being part of this special program. Dr. David Sarver, Charlene White and I led off the first morning program with Standing Up To The Adversity In A Volatile World and then David and I presented right after lunch, What Do You Believe? We had a great time and the doctors did too, based on the reaction and comments by doctors afterward. Check out the pictures on our Facebook page!

Doctor CEO Can't Muddle By

A doctor running a larger practice he related to me how he feels he is "running in place" and there is not the "upside" he anticipated at this time in his career. He stated he could not wait for the economy to improve. Until it does he thought he would continue to "muddle by". I believe that is not a productive approach for this or any doctor. Having a vision for the practice that speaks to what that doctor wants to see in delivering care whether in good or bad economic times is a must. There is no room for just treading water. Doctor CEO's in my view are best when they are proactive. They should ALWAYS be seeking to advance their capability and their practice. I never want to see dentists and dental specialists facing what is happening to physicians (and should not be!) see CNN Money article http://money.cnn.com/2012/01/05/smallbusiness/doctors_broke/index.htm  If you believe like I do and want to discuss your vision and how to be proactive in your practice, with your staff and in your market contact me. Tackle It! Consult.

Reality Time

A Doctor CEO related to me that as he and his staff have returned to the practice after a Holiday break everyone feels the time away was too short! Some staff seem to be only "partly here" in their level of attention. In my view now is the time for the Doctor CEO to quickly call a staff meeting, outline the key objectives that have been set for the year and effectively remind everyone it is back to priority one: meeting the needs of the patients that seek care at the practice. This is one of the most important tasks of a leader, guiding the enterprise and all staff to meet their fundamental responsibilities to help ensure the future.

The Story Behind A Talked About Practice

I had a consultation recently with a practice that has made a deep impression on me. In the course of discussing the history of the practice and the strategy goals the Doctor CEO desired to implement, he touched on his desire to be true to his patients and community. I asked if he could explain. He stated that the practice was often talked about in the community because it had an unwavering dedication to patient safety. He related that starting many years ago he began to communicate everything he and staff did to treating patients safely. The equipment he used, the procedures he suggested and the materials used - all were discussed with patients as part of his goal to keep them safe. The bottom line for this doctor was that in communicating why he was suggesting a course of treatment, what resonated with him and his patients and now with his community, was that you will be treated well and you will be safe and not taken advantage of at the practice. This was eye opening for me. In short, this doctor has a very narrow positioning (go to this practice and this doctor and they will keep you safe) and yet that factor appeals to every prospective and current patient. You might not agree with the positioning or the constant emphasison this aspect. But think about what position you and your practice hold in your community. Is your position as vital and understood as this doctor has made his?

No Act Too Small & The Invisible Gorilla

There are many ways that a practice, doctor and staff can standout in a patient’s mind. I came across one of the more interesting recently during a practice visit. In short, the Doctor CEO had encouraged his staff to see  the patient experience through a patient’s eyes. This alone was not that unusual. But what was unusual was the amount of staff meeting time and role playing that went into refining what has became a defining aspect of the practice. Namely, there is nothing too small, no act or action, that might impact the patient experience that it should not be a priority. Think about that for a moment, what would it be like for your patients if everyone on staff, including you, watched and anticipated meeting the needs of each patient? Seeing each patient as a person with unique needs, means that their time, their schedule, their comfort, and their understanding of the treatment becomes paramount. It certainly makes the practice a unique place, one that any patient would treasure and want to return to. Now you might think that you already know what your patients think when they come to the practice. A new book may help you see what do you are not seeing. The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us by Christopher Chabris and Daniel Simons takes the position that how our minds work and our perceptions are not what we think they are. I think Doctor CEO’s will relate to some of the key points through the unusual stories told by the authors.

Take Note NEW FTC Identity Theft Web Site

Doctors and their staff work with a host of personal identify information. Now there is a new web site designed for consumers and business to be alert and learn about identity theft. Here is what the home page states, in part: "This web site is a one-stop national resource to learn about the crime of identity theft. It provides detailed information to help you deter, detect, and defend against identity theft. On this site, consumers can learn how to avoid identity theft – and learn what to do if their identity is stolen. Businesses can learn how to help their customers deal with identity theft, as well as how to prevent problems in the first place. " Go to http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/

This site can act as an information resource you can pass on to your patients. Consider using the site as a staff meeting discussion starter.

CEO Alert Medical Identity Theft

This is an issue and an exposure for health care practices that is not going to go away. Read this ABA article excerpt carefully and consider the implications in your practice. I have received permission as an ABA member to share this material in this blog, a limited distribution forum from the ABA. Please note that the material is copyright by the ABA and the author and any subsequent use will need to have the permission of those parties.

February 2007 Volume 3 Number 6

Medical Identity Theft What It Is And Considerations For The Healthcare Provider by William E. Hopkins, Thompson & Knight, Austin, TX Everyone is familiar with the concept of financial identity theft. There are television programs about it, credit card companies run commercials bragging about their theft deterrence systems and zero liability programs, and notices are regularly provided to consumers providing tips on how to prevent it from happening. Medical identity theft, (MIT) on the other hand, is an equally significant problem with equally devastating potential results, yet it receives little or no public recognition or attention. Also unequal are the available remedies to victims. Victims of financial identity theft can depend on rights such as the ability to see and correct errors in their credit report, the ability to file fraud alerts, the right to obtain documents or information relating to transactions involving their personal information, and the right to prevent consumer reporting agencies (such as credit bureaus) from reporting information that has resulted from identity theft.1 By contrast, victims of MIT do not have a similar complete set of rights or redresses. Victims of MIT do not have the blanket right to correct errors in their medical files. In some cases, victims have not been allowed to even review the compromised files, nor do they have the right to prevent healthcare providers, medical clearinghouses, or insurers from reporting and re-reporting information that has resulted from identity theft. Based on statistics acquired by the World Privacy Forum from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for their 2006 report, there have been 19,428 complaints regarding MIT from January 1, 1992 through April 12, 2006, received by the FTC through its Consumer Sentinel database.2 Given these are only the reported numbers, and these numbers only run through 2006, it can only be imagined what the actual occurrence numbers must be and how many instances go unreported or undiscovered. In general, not only is the public is generally ignorant of this crime and its potential effects, the healthcare industry and the federal and state agencies responsible for protecting citizens against identity theft matters have failed to adequately recognized its enormity as well. Unlike financial identity theft, MIT is a crime that can go well beyond financial difficulties; it can cause great physical harm as well. Often, MIT leaves a trail of falsified information in medical records that can plague a victim's medical and financial life for years. These fraudulent changes can result in financial losses, loss of reputation based on false diagnosis, patients not getting the treatment and care needed, receiving the wrong type of treatment or care or receiving insurance denials based on inaccurate medical histories. In its worst case scenario, the misinformation created by this type of fraud can cost someone his or her life. Medical Identity Theft: What is It and How Does it Happen? In this crime, a victim's medical identity, usually their name, address, social security number and health insurance information is stolen or appropriated through some form of access to the victim's medical file. Most often, this access is acquired through documentation found in the office of a healthcare provider, a medical records storage company, insurance company or other location. Often the information is appropriated by someone who has unique access to it, such as an employee, care provider or other type of records worker. Once acquired, the information is then used, without the victim's knowledge, to make false claims or fraudulently receive medical goods or services. Frequently, in order for the fraud to be effective, the victim's medical information, such as blood type, prescription history, allergies or chronic diseases, is changed as a part of the false care being rendered. These changes, made to the victim's actual medical records, are where the danger begins for the victim. Since changing the billing address and the contact phone numbers on the medical chart is necessary to hide discovery of the crime, the victim often has no idea that a crime has been committed or that changes have been made until long afterward. The usual signs of MIT are: overdue bills for services never received, receipt of explanation of benefits for services not received or when receiving care, recognizing that unauthorized changes have been made to the patient's health record. ___________ Note the author's article proceeds with a discussion relating to medical identity theft and its implications as it relates to HIPPA. This and more all adds up to areas that require, in my view, the upmost attention by all doctor CEO's. My thanks to the American Bar Association for permission to share this invaluable material.

The CEO Doctor’s Spectrum Of Thought

There I was again, just like a couple of hundred times before (at least!) Watching a doctor give an exam to a patient. Do you know what was going on? Silence. Oh, there was the occasional "hmmm" by the doctor and the click of the mirror against the patient’s teeth, but really there was silence. This is exactly the opposite of what is going on inside a doctor’s head. When I ask, "Doctor, what do you see while you are performing an exam?" I hear about a lot of clinical observations. But they are often only shared with the patient in summary or as a short list with a treatment recommendation. Try sharing your perspectives, the full spectrum of what you are seeing and considering with your patients and watch their regard for you as a sophisticated care giver jump! I’ve seen it over and over again, sharing your diagnosis as a running observation can translate into high patient regard and treatment plan acceptance.