Here we are at a very important chocolate holiday.......and a good reason to keep people walking:

"Chocolate has long been heralded for its value as an energy source. Think of it this way: a single chocolate chip provides sufficient food energy for an adult to walk 150 feet; hence, it would take about 35 chocolate chips to go a mile, or 875,000 for an around-the-world hike."
(quote courtesy of Godiva Chocolatiers web site)
Just imagine where a couple of dark chocolate truffles would take you!  

 ~ Gayle     *_*

From:  Gaibrielle Hauff, PMAC
re:      Location of Sinks/Handwashing

I would like to respond to Gail Bennett's question about OSHA and sinks in all the rooms.

Our office uses foam alcohol in all of our rooms.  As soon as we are done with the exam we spray our hands.  It is 99.9% effective in killing bacteria.  Our patients appreciate us doing it in front of them, because then they know for sure precautions were and are made.  For those of you who have never seen it, it is just like mouse.  Rub it in till it disappears.  That simple, yet most effective.

The product we use is DermaStat foam alcohol from Universal Footcare Products.

Thank Gayle!!
 
Gaibrielle Hauff, PMAC
Yakima, WA

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From:  John Guiliana, DPM, MS
re:      Now John says "Oh Well" - His Turn

Gayle,

What can I possibly add to the OUTSTANDING response that has already been provided?  I think that Hal did a great job hitting all the salient points from a managerial perspective.

The only thing that I can add to this is the following:

First, let's properly identify the "attitude".  It's APATHY, and it's becoming more common than most would like to admit.

I will start with the assumption that this doctor's "oh well" attitude (apathy) is rather new.  If this is a life-long personality trait, it is NOT going to be changed.  The staff will need to understand it and simply change their response to it.

With that assumption being accurate, at the very first meeting the staff will need to identify the "top few" reasons for the doctor's alleged apathy.  Hal's list very likely covers them.  Once the dialog is open and honest (and just getting to that point may take considerable time), the real apathy-causing issues can be identified.  I would recommend prioritizing only the top 3 causes of the apathy.  The staff should then recommend that they come up with an action plan to try to improve each cause.  The action plan must be agreed upon by all.  Goals should be identified (i.e., if skyrocketing overhead is the issue - the goal would be to reduce costs by 5% by the end of the year) and the means to arriving at the goal should be discussed at each scheduled meeting.  Minutes should be taken at each meeting.

Each issue should be addressed until the appropriate action plan is discovered and adequately solves the problem.  The staff needs to understand that this is going to take plenty of time.  Be patient.  Do not move on to the next issue until the prior one's action plan is under way.  At each meeting, the progress of each action plan should be reviewed.

Now here is the important part: Behavior modification techniques will be an important adjunct to the plan.  Attempting to "turn around" an apathetic person will require immediate strategies.  The staff will need to look for opportunities to praise the doctor if he/she displays any signs of interest (the antonym of apathy).  This positive reinforcement will encourage more of that behavior.  The doctor should also agree to let the staff point out when he/she has behaved apathetically.  They should do so respectfully.

Unfortunately, this mission may indeed take a year or two to execute and succeed.  Knowing that up front may help with the patience that will be required.  

Finally, I would like to point out that a rather "acute onset" of apathy is an important diagnostic indicator of "burnout".  This doctor may need to accept this possibility and seek stress management strategies.

Good luck..

John
John Guiliana, DPM, MS
Hackettstown, NJ

We recently had the pleasure to speak with a group of podiatric medical residents in New York City to discuss practice management.  The universal question was “What is the most effective way to secure a position as an associate in an established practice.”  Mike Crosby, a Vice-President from Podiatry Insurance Company of America (PICA) gave the most common-sense response to this question we have ever heard: thinking from the perspective of the hiring doctor or anyone who is in the position to purchase.  Simply said, look to answer the question from their perspective of “What is in it for me?”

When communicating with your patients, simply remember that in most cases they will be thinking “What is in it for me?”  Why should I have that injection that hurts?  Why do I need custom orthotic devices when I can buy an arch support at the local pharmacy?  Why did I need to have surgery that is painful and will take me out of commission for six weeks?  The answer to these questions should be addressed from the perspective of “What is in it for me?”  Your patients need to clearly and definitively understand that your treatment plan has the most important person in their life as #1 in your mind…. them!

The injection is to allow “them” to play ball with their children; a custom-made orthotic device provides the best care for “them”; and surgery is so “they” do not have increasing pain and deformity.  The key here is the “them’s” and “they’s.”  If your patients can identify with the services and treatments you advise, they will make a logic-based decision to have them performed.  The confidence in your presentation and recommendations then becomes the next key factor in the patient accepting your plan.  Do not expect them to believe if you do not appear to believe.

Call it selfish, self-centered, and egocentric or whatever you want, but the bottom line is your patients will always ask themselves “what is in it for me?”  So do what we do best and let them know that everything we do is “all for them”!


Previous "Gems" can be found on their own pages of the FootZine.com web site, at
http://www.footzine.com/FZ_90.htm

While Valentine's Day is generally thought of as a day for sweethearts, it's also a perfect time to remember all those near and dear to your heart.   Have a Love-ly day!

~ Gayle

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