Organizational Flow & Structure

Do your employees know the flow lines and structure of your particular clinic?

Do they know how all the individual staff fit together and IN A SPECIFIC ORDER to make a well functioning clinic?

Sometimes an employee or therapist has come to you after having worked at another practice and honestly, most times things are run a bit differently business to business.  Sometimes these slight differences are not known to the new person and sometimes it may be that some old bad habits simply slip in – these unknowns or habits can lead to things not running as smoothly as they should, or possibly not what you intended at all!

This would also apply to the new girl who has her own ideas of what is best.  Her “best” may not be yours!

In either case, each employee should understand how their position fits into the whole and how each function is best performed.  IF ANY POINT OF THE FLOW LINE IS INTERRUPTED SLOWED, OR EVEN WORSE, OUT OF PLACE, IT CAN JAM THE WHOLE WORKS AND LEAD TO CONFUSIONS OR LOST INCOME.

The following is something to be done by an executive or owner: Draw a large diagram/flow chart showing the sequence of steps a patient goes through from the entry point to their final completed treatment and discharge. Next, write what employee performs each specific function at every step along the way start to finish.  Keep working at this backwards and forwards and adjusting where needed until it all flows smoothly throughout.

Next: How to put this in use: Drill it using yourself as a patient and allow each employee to perform their function(s) along the way.  Example: Patient enters, Front Desk greets and schedules, upon first visit the therapist does a free evaluation, Front Desk then schedules the remaining treatments, etc., etc., etc.

Work out the kinks.  Wherever you find something needing improvement, work on it until you reach a smooth model that works best for you AND the patient.

This diagram would be an integral component in the training for any position in your company as it shows every action required in the proper sequence to deliver the best possible service to your patients at each point of service.

Additional note:  You might want to try this as an experiment.  Diagram your own ideas of the lines, functions and structure; next, ask your employees to do the same individually.  Check these for comparison.  You might find areas that have been missed, or you’ll see what specific areas need more attention so all staff become fully aware of the whole workings of your clinic.

Hope this helps to smooth things out.

Craig Ferreira, CEO