It has become a tradition for us to help ODs create and stick to a few resolutions for the new year that align with the industry changes and patient experience. Of course, we've learned from 2020 that the year can be unpredictable, so how do you go about making goals for the year?
With the promise of vaccinations bringing relief and hope to practices, we think it's better to set intentions for the year rather than hard and fast measurable goals. If you're curious to see what we think practices will be focusing on in 2021, please keep reading.
New Year's Intentions for ODs
Vaccination & Education
This one is a given, but we think it's important to prioritize vaccinating your staff when it's possible and emphasize the importance of vaccinations to your patients. We created a blog on the long-term health effects of COVID-19 on the eyes here. However you choose to start accepting patients once the vaccines are widely available, we encourage you to make your message clear through patient recall emails, texts, and educational materials in their portal. The year will be better overall if you're making all your education clear and available digitally. If you require all patients wear a face mask even if your state government isn't enforcing it, provide them in your practice.
Creating Safety Nets
As we saw in 2020, you can't predict the future. That's why we're making a resolution to have a plan B, C, and even D when it comes to supporting practices with our EHR and PM system or outsourced billing services. We encourage you to have a fallback option for your patient's data security, exams when your practice is closed, and savings for when cash flow is low. Although these safety nets will require some creativity and maybe even the help of a financial consultant, it's almost crucial that you have a few options for growth no matter what happens in 2021.
Nurturing Relationships
Both in our personal and professional lives, we've realized the importance of connecting with and depending on reliable, caring people. This includes your staff. We know that staffing your practice can be a pain point for many practices, but that's why we encourage you to start off strong with training, candid 1:1 conversations, team building exercises, and career development. A staff member who notices that you care about their career growth is more likely to stick with your practice even through uncertainty. Make sure you're investing in delighting both your loyal staff and your loyal patients with giftcards, shoutout emails, or valuable time off.
We're excited to grow in 2021, won't you join us? Subscribe to the blog below.
