This is an uncertain time for many healthcare practices. It’s important for practices to implement a strategy to protect their staff and revenue during the Coronavirus pandemic crisis.
Below are 6 tips to help strengthen your practice during the Coronavirus.
1) Create a Coronavirus Response Team
Every medical practice should form a team or a task force, dedicated to understanding and navigating each development of the Coronavirus. As legislation changes, news developments unfold, and patients flood in, your practice needs to have has much information as possible.
This team should be responsible for staying up to date on all of the relevant changes and making a plan for your practice to respond accordingly. With the most up-to-date data, your medical practice can remain united and prepared throughout each progression.
2) Develop an Emergency Plan for Your Medical Practice
Global health emergencies, like the Coronavirus, can leave many medical practices without what they need to effectively care for patients. During a period where resources like ventilation machines, gloves, beds, and more are only available in limited quantities, your practice needs to have an emergency plan in place.
Your medical practice should have a plan that offers solutions like staffing alternatives if the COVID-19 outbreak leads to staff absenteeism. With a response plan, your practice is less likely to panic should an emergency take place.
3) Establish Partnerships
Coming together and forming partnerships with other businesses and health organizations is essential. Work with pillars in your community to ensure individuals in your area are informed of safe practices through the duration of the Coronavirus.
Work with other health facilities and create plans for what to do if one location reaches capacity or runs out of resources. Forming partnerships during this time can ensure your medical practice gets added support and assistance during the Coronavirus.
4) Implement New Services
Many providers are choosing to offer telehealth services, utilize RCM services, or even implement Chronic Care Management at their medical practice in response to the Coronavirus.
Telehealth offers a visit alternative that helps more patients stay home, allowing providers to screen individuals who might test positive for the virus, and keep caring for patients who are at high risk for contracting COVID-19.
RCM services are enabling providers to continue optimizing their revenue as the Coronavirus puts a strain on medical practices who’s on-hand cash and resources are limited. Quality vendors work hard to ensure clean claims and timely reimbursements for your practice through this tough time.
Lastly, Chronic Care Management is helping Medicare patients receive quality and attentive care during an isolating time, keeping them safe in their homes while also helping providers introduce a new stream of revenue at their medical practice.
5) Protect Your Staff
Healthcare workers are on the frontlines of the Coronavirus pandemic, working directly with patients testing positive and working diligently to keep everyone safe.
In order to make sure your medical practice is prepared to continue working through the duration of the Coronavirus, providers should take extra measures to protect their staff. Many medical facilities have begun screening their workforce prior to their shift for symptoms of COVID-19 as well as screening patients before they enter the facility.
Providers should also take extra steps to ensure their staff is using proper protection equipment (PPE), whenever possible, to prevent cross-contamination and also go the extra mile to inform everyone who enters your medical practice of proper hygiene response.
As the Coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, your practice should prepare and look ahead. To learn more about services that can help your medical practice optimize revenue and protect patients during this time, click here.
