• Missed appointments below 10 percent
• All patient financial responsibilities met
• 90 percent of patients multiple scheduled

4. Hot Spots

A hot spot is an energy drain; a job that multiplies and becomes unmanageable. Ignored, it will turn into a "fire" if not attended to daily. If done on a regular basis, it is usually an easy process. However, unless you take a proactive stance, it will turn into a pile that is moved around and avoided. "Piles" cut productivity. They should always be on your mind. If you attend to them daily, they stay manageable.

Sample hot spots for the front-desk CA:

• Recalls and missed appointments
• Entering patient payments
• Entering insurance payments
• Filing charts
• Patient schedule updates
• Implementation of patients' financial plans

5. Weekly Planning Time

Spending a few minutes planning each week, typically 30-60 minutes, will save you hours. The quick-reference routines provide staff with a roadmap for success. Teach them to follow the outlined steps and see a dramatic change in your practice that will help everyone connect with your mission, work with others, train for their job, bring in new patients, and manage routine tasks.

Sample weekly planning time for the front-desk CA:

• Are there any scheduling changes for doctor and staff?
• Are there any half days or full days off planned?
• Which patients need to be scheduled for re-evaluations?
• What is the quality of my scheduling?
• When is my own adjustment scheduled?

6. Weekly Task Hour

The weekly task hour is a specific time set aside to perform the tasks that are important, but might be overlooked. Having and holding your weekly task hour sacred is the difference between adequate and exceptional performance. Each staff member should plan an uninterrupted hour at a specific time each week. Set a time for each task; for example, 10 minutes. When the timer rings, move on to the next task.

Sample weekly task time for the front-desk CA:

• Implement marketing action steps: confirm professional lunches; restock patient-education brochures; make reminder calls to patients for new-patient workshops
• Update practice Facebook / social media posts
• Physical surroundings upkeep: water plants, purge magazines, restock supplies
• Update sign-in for new-patient workshop

7. Clutter Control

Clutter drains the energy from you, your team and your life. Most people won't de-clutter because they believe it is such an emotional drain to do it. They quit before they start. Here is how you can be successful when dealing with clutter. Set a short time aside (5-15 minutes) or declare a limit: three times a week to clear clutter (for example, things to throw or give away). You will quickly have less stuff in your office and everything will become more manageable. Clear the clutter holding you hostage.

Common areas of clutter for the front-desk CA:

• Filing
• Explanation of Benefits (EOBs)
• Correspondence
• Magazines and catalogs
• Outdated resource books
• Email / junk mail
• Old insurance cases
• Personal-injury, worker's compensation and insurance reports in progress
• Sticky notes for uncompleted tasks

8. Team Meeting Preparation

The team meeting is a critical time to coordinate and plan. Each team member needs to prepare for a successful team meeting. Most successful team meetings are kept to under an hour.

Sample team meeting preparation for the front-desk CA:

• Confirm day and time of meeting
• Prepare office for no interruptions: enable messaging or forward phones, lock doors, and post signs
• Allow no food or other distractions
• Collect last week's statistics for your job
• Review last week's action items list and sign off on all completed items assigned to you; be prepared to report on any incompletes
• Identify any problems and have a possible solution to present
• Keep focused and on point
• At the end of the meeting, post agenda in a central location for team members to refer to all week

The Master System for Your Practice

No doctor can reach their full success potential without the support of a dedicated and well-trained team. Just like your nervous system is the master system for your body, your practice needs an interference-free master system to function at a level of peak performance. Implement quick-reference routines for your practice team members; whether you are a single doctor just starting out, a busy multi-doctor practice or a multidisciplinary practice, you will take a major step toward becoming one of the busiest and most successful practices in health care today.

Dr. Mark Sanna, a 1987 graduate of New York Chiropractic College, is a member of the ACA Governor's Advisory Board and a member of the President's Circle of NYCC and Parker College of Chiropractic. He is the president and CEO of Breakthrough Coaching (www.mybreakthrough.com).