While it goes without saying that you need to staff your healthcare clinic with doctors, nurses, secretaries, receptionists and even perhaps a nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant, the one position that is often lacking is a professional business administrator. Someone with an MBA would be the ideal addition to your staff, even though they aren’t trained in any area of healthcare, they are certainly trained in what it takes to run a successful business. And make no bones about it, so would someone with a masters in health law.
1. A Business Oriented Mission Statement
A healthcare clinic is a business even though many consider it a ‘service’ to the community. Just like any other business endeavor, they are there to make money and without a qualified business administrator that might not be a possibility. Even accountants aren’t in a position to organize and run a lucrative medical office so your best choice is a business administrator and preferably one with an exceptional grasp of healthcare law.
2. An Office Administrator with an MBA and a Masters in Health Law
There probably isn’t a better combination of skills than someone who has advanced knowledge of business operations as well as health law when it comes to finding a healthcare business administrator. The MBA would qualify that person to oversee the financial and operational end of the business while his or her knowledge of healthcare law would prepare them to deal with any legalities or legal questions that arise. In fact, that very same person could advocate for patients as well in situations where family and/or the government falls down on the job. It’s a winning solution for anyone involved – patients and staff alike.
3. A Staff Committed to Excellence in Patient Care
So many healthcare clinics have state of the art equipment, office décor that could be spotlighted in a leading design magazine and can even be located in a prime location but still there is something lacking in patient care. Typically this would be a staff that is less than congenial and that treats everyone with a cold demeanor. Some patients come away from clinic incensed at the way in which they were treated like a number and not like a patient that had medical needs. There was no empathy for their condition or the amount of pain they were dealing with. This is a common complaint and one that should be dealt with but unfortunately rarely is.
Although healthcare is a business, it is a business that is also a service. This service is provided to people who are suffering and that makes it even more important to treat them with dignity and respect. Human compassion is often lacking but if health care law was better understood these offices would understand that cold and abrupt treatment may also be borderline unethical. A lucrative healthcare clinic can only grow significantly if the patients who walk through the doors are treated with dignity and respect. Every effort should be made to follow healthcare laws in terms of the care received and confidentiality. To act in any other way is unprofessional and certainly no way to grow your practice. Looking for success? These key elements are the most direct path so follow them carefully. The results will speak for themselves.
