/; an effort to help you maximize all your services. Dr. Daniel Dalian has identified 7 departmental areas in your practice, which need to be addressed. Each of these areas will be dealt with beginning with this issue and continuing in subsequent issues of The American Chiropractor. By following the steps given, your office will not only maximize its potential, but also delineate areas of weakness that need your attention. 1. Front Office/ Reception 2. Treatment Protocol 3. Billing Department 4. Collection Department 5. Marketing Department 6. Business Department 7. Compliance Department/Issues 1. Front Office Reception This is by far the most important department in your office. Indeed, all your patients must first call to set up an appointment for times of service. Hence, the initial contact is entirely determined by the content of the call. Since introduction to patient information as well as all primary questions are typically presented to the front desk receptionist, the individual responsible for handling the call should be organized and dedicated, pleasant, knowledgeable in all aspects of the practice, always smiling, polite, courteous, soft spoken but with an assertive voice, and have a great command of language (the one spoken by most patients). He or she should be able to give directions to the clinic from major crossroads, be fully aware of your hours of business, and have access to an extensive list of services available at the clinic, prices, as well as general insurance plan requirements, co-patient deductibles, and should also have a basic understanding of modalities and procedures used. This team member should know whom to go to with issues when they arise, and possess the ability to make multiple appointments. As a side note, in the 1,000-plus centers that we manage, we typically find that, when a doctor's family member (spouse, sibling, offspring) runs the front office, there are fewer complaints, excellent collections and hardly any cancellations. In conclusion, the front office staff member is to be very well trained in continuous coaching to patients so that your office reaches its ultimate goal, which is treating as many patients as possible in the best environment with exceptional care. EZS3 Dr. Daniel II. Da him is the foamier ami CEO of Practice Perfect, one of the nation 's largest management and consulting /inns for intilticiisciplinaty centers. For more information call H66 67-DAHAN. (H66) 673-2426 (Toll l-'ree #), email iUihatL(ti.d{iliau.coiii or visit mvw.tlaliun.com.
