THE CEO CHECKLIST

A MONTHLY REMINDER

SCOT MORRIS, O.D.

THIS MONTH “Optometric Management” introduces a new column called “The CEO Checklist.” The Checklist is designed to be a monthly reminder of things your management staff may need to do, as well as a place for ideas you might want to incorporate into your business. Every month will focus on a few general themes, including strategy, finance, human resources, operational workflow, retail items and marketing ■

THEME: YOUR BUSINESS

This month, we are going to focus largely on the big picture and what it takes to improve your business.

STRATEGY SESSION:

Calculate your daily goal number, which is your revenue goal divided by total clinic days (see calculation below)

THE DAILY NUMBER:

Start a great habit by tracking your daily revenue number. Compare it with your daily goal number. Post the number by the time clock so that every staff member sees it.

THE FACILITY/FORMS:

Financial policy review.

Review scripts and process related to your patient financial policy review.

WORKFLOW: CHECK-IN

Map out the workflow of your check-in/reception department.

Who does what and when? Write it step by step. What happens at each step? When do they do it? What do they say? Consider what steps could be streamlined, delegated or eliminated.

FINANCE:

KPI: Revenue.

Review your revenue goals per day and per patient.

Write them, and display where providers and staff can see them daily.

Your Budget

Plan your annual budget.

Estimated Income Tax due.

IRS W2s and 1099 sent out.

THE SERVICE SIDE: GLAUCOMA

Review your glaucoma protocols.

• What diagnostic tests are performed?

• Document how much time you think each will take.

• Apply the dollar per minute rules, and reset your fees appropriately.

• Review the correct codes.

HUMAN RESOURCES:

Quarterly payroll report due.

STAFF TRAINING:

Goal review.

Review your daily goals, and practice goals with your staff during your monthly office or training meeting. The conversation does not have to last more than a few minutes, but talk about goals with your staff every day. This number drives the success of the business and also impacts the staff’s ability to earn a raise or bonus.

MARKETING:

Patient communication software. Are you using your patient communication software to its fullest capability? Should you consider purchasing the software? How would the software improve areas of your practice, such as patient growth, patient retention, sales, patient recall and patient loyalty? Do some research to find out how to get the most out of this vital technology. OM