Get Ready For The New Year! Assess Your Practice

Are you ready for the New Calendar Year or New Financial Year? Are you satisfied with the way your practice is headed?

Before the new year, I bet you'll be super busy with the pre-Christmas or EOFY rush of patients and very much looking forward to the holidays and a well-deserved break.

The weeks and months can just seem to slip by and poof! another year over.  Do you take stock of the year?  Are you going to let the new year come along without taking inventory and assess what needs to change to do better?  Remember, if you change nothing, nothing will change.

Take some time to look over your practice - with honest and open eyes.  Honestly and with humility go through your numbers, look at your building, look at your team, think about the processes and activities in your practice.  Are they in line with practice objectives and your purpose?  Are you pleased?  Did you get the results your were reaching for? Are you satisfied with starting a new year with the status quo?

If not, use this checklist to make an assessment of what needs to change for the new year.

Financials

• Are you on track to make your production goal for the year?
• If not, do you think your goal was realistic?
• Were your collections at least 95 - 98%?
• Are your overheads in line with industry standards?
• Are you making a profit?
• Can you think of obstacles that prevented you reaching your goals?
• What can you do to remove these obstacles?

New Patients

• How many New Patients visited your practice?
• Did you average one per day?
• How many were scheduled for Comprehensive Examinations?
• What was the average value of your treatment plans?
• What was your acceptance rate?
• Do you think you are comprehensively treatment planning?
• Have you been surveying your NPs for feedback?

Patient Reactivation

• Are you tracking your incomplete and delayed treatment?
• Are you following-up these patients in a timely manner?
• Have you got a reactivation system in place to personally contact these patients?
• Do you know the dollar value of the incomplete treatment?

Preventive Care System

• How effective is your recall system?
• Are you pro-active in scheduling in advance?
• Are you following up overdue hygiene and recalls without allowing too much time to pass?
• Is your Hygienist's schedule filled to capacity?
• Is your hygiene department running efficiently and meeting patient needs?

Practice Culture

• Is the culture of the practice in line with your expectations?
• Are you clear on your vision and purpose?
• Are your team?
• Is your team the best at what they do?
• Do you need to invest in more training and education?
• Does everyone enjoy their work?
• Have you got any 'toxic' employees?

Leader's Self-Assessment

• Do you think you are a good leader?  (does your team?)
• Is your vision realistic? Are you committed to the vision?
• Do you inspire and promote positivity?
• Do you have the skills to coach and train your team?
• Do you value training and education for your team?
• Do you have a sense of fun and joy?

Patient Expectations

• Do you know if you are meeting and exceeding patient needs?
• Do you ask your patients what they want and need?
• Do you actively try to find out what concerns them, what motivates them?
• What are you doing to 'wow' your patients?
• Have you got many positive google reviews or feedback on your social media?
• Where are your referrals coming from?

Practice Building

• Is your practice clean, safe and tidy?
• Does it look fresh and modern?
• Is the building in need of repairs?
• Does the garden and carpark need maintenance?
• Does your furniture need updating?
• Is your patient lounge relaxing and comfortable?
• Is your front desk cluttered and unprofessional?

How was this year overall?

• What were the top 3 best things?
• What were the 3 biggest failures in your practice?
• What mistakes did you make that you don't want to repeat?
• What are the top 5 things you want to change for the new year?

It's a great idea to do this assessment for yourself and don't be afraid to also ask your team and patients to provide the feedback you need.  Set up an online survey so its anonymous.

Really take it on board. 

What can you learn from this year? 

Think about what went right and what needs to change. 

And don't forget, if you need assistance or support - help is out there!