We recently analyzed all the requests for help that MMS has received in the last year. What we found may be helpful to your practice. When we took all the questions and requests and subtracted language from the equation (the many different ways to ask the same things) 10 questions were repeated over and over. This list of questions represents over 90% of the requests MMS has received in the last year.

1. What is the right decision for my practice? Should I become aligned with a hospital or stay independent?
2. What is the right EHR to purchase for my unique specialty?
3. Should I outsource billing or perform in-house?
4. How can I increase revenue without seeing more patients?
5. I have an opportunity to merge with another practice, what do I need to know before considering?
6. How will ICD-10 affect my practice?
7. I need a practice manager, what are the skills needed to run my practice profitably and productively while taking really good care of patients?
8. How do I manage my practice web site and other IT services in the practice?
9. What are the right reports from my accounts receivables system to ensure top performance of AR?
10. What do I need to know about the Affordable Care Act?

Now you are probably expecting answers to these questions. But the point of this article is that the answers are different for every practice. There are no cookie cutter solutions to the hard questions of the business of healthcare. Those questions you are struggling with do have logical answers and those answers are based on many variables that all need to be considered.

Someone said to me recently, “if I wanted to start a healthcare practice, I could Google all the questions and figure it out.” Really?? Now Google is a powerful tool, but more than anything what Google should tell you is that the expertise to successful run a healthcare practice is as specialized and varied as the physician. Knowing the right questions, the options that make sense, and the right combination of people and technology will take much more than a Google search.

Most practices struggle with essentially the same things: productivity without compromising quality, IT (changing in healthcare as fast as in the other sectors), management of people and processes. Knowing where to turn when you have determined you need outside expertise is a critical decision for your practice.

MMS is focused on finding the right answers for your practice questions. If you have the same or similar questions, give us a call (877.521.3198) or email us and we can talk with you about the answers and solutions for your practice.