Practice Management
December 2023

by Corinne Wohl, MHSA, COE, and John Pinto

Effective leadership and team building are essential elements of success for physician practices. Managing a practice has become increasingly complex over the years. As patient expectations continue to evolve and rise, physician practices must adapt and excel in order to provide contemporary care and remain financially successful.

As patient expectations continue to evolve and rise, physician practices must adapt and excel in order to provide contemporary care and remain financially successful.

Practice leadership sets the tone for the entire organization. It is leadership’s responsibility to inspire, motivate, and guide the team toward common goals. But there are always so many responsibilities and projects to juggle. How do you prioritize and focus on the things that have the most impact? Here are four goals that highlight the importance of excellent leadership skills and where exactly to focus your energy and discipline.

1. Create a vision and direction. Leaders provide a clear vision for the practice’s future and a roadmap for how to get there. In the dynamic ophthalmic environment, having a direction is at the heart of making strategic decisions.
2. Enhance the patient experience. Strong leadership allows for better patient experiences. When physicians and staff are aligned under a common vision, patient care becomes more coordinated and patient satisfaction improves.
3. Prioritize operational efficiency. Efficient practices save time and resources. Effective leaders optimize processes, streamline workflows, and ensure that resources are used judiciously.
4. Adapt to change. There is a constant evolution of new regulations, technologies, and patient needs. Strong practice leadership can navigate these changes and guide the practice toward innovation and growth.

The role of physician leadership

Physicians play a dual role as clinicians and leaders. This leadership profoundly impacts the practice’s success. It also impacts the success of the administrator and management team. If the leadership team is cohesive and works well together, managing the practice is smoother and provides the opportunity for more success. If there are competing goals, standing conflicts, or consistently poor communication between physician and manager leadership, being successful becomes more difficult. Here are key aspects of physician leadership that impact the practice.

1. Clinical excellence. Patients trust practices where physicians exhibit clinical excellence and a reputation for excellence is earned—and re-earned each day. A tarnished reputation may take years to rebuild. Physician leaders are challenged with balancing the time it takes for clinical care excellence with devoting enough time for the management duties required to lead the practice.
2. Communication skills. Effective communication is vital. Physician leaders must communicate clearly with patients, management, and staff. This fosters trust and understanding. To be an excellent communicator with the management team and staff, there needs to be a significant commitment to attend meetings and take time in advance to prepare for each meeting so you are clear on your goals and priorities.
3. Decision-making. Physician leaders face challenging decisions daily, from clinical choices to business strategies. Strong decision-making skills are crucial to navigate these complexities. Working closely and collaborating with a practice administrator you respect and trust helps make decisions less stressful.
4. Team collaboration. Respected physician leaders help promote collaboration among the whole team. Showing favoritism or disinterest in some departments makes managing a practice more difficult than it needs to be. Applying and supporting fair and consistent policies throughout the whole practice can eliminate conflict within teams and helps the practice stay on course with the major goals of excellent patient care, customer service satisfaction, and financial success.

The role of administrators and managers

A cohesive management team has the ability to provide superior patient care, improve practice efficiency, enhance staff satisfaction, and deliver outstanding financial results. Here’s how to foster the teamwork needed to meet these goals.

1. Set clear expectations. Define and communicate each team member’s roles and responsibilities. This clarity reduces confusion and ensures the ability to hold staff accountable for their actions. One way to accomplish this is with updated position descriptions. When everyone knows exactly what their priority roles are, the organization runs smoothly.
2. Communication and collaboration. A common theme we hear from clients is, “We need to improve communication here.” Almost every practice has this listed as a staff concern, even the ones where management thinks they are great communicators. Every practice must encourage open communication and collaboration among all departments and teams. Regular team meetings and digital communication tools facilitate information sharing and problem-solving. 
3. Shared goals. Establish shared goals and objectives for the team. When everyone understands the bigger practice picture, it’s easier to align efforts and work toward common outcomes.
4. Training and development. Invest in ongoing training and professional development for staff. This not only enhances their skills but also demonstrates commitment to their professional growth. When employees feel personally supported and competent with their skills, they are happier in their positions, naturally treat patients better, and patient satisfaction rises.
5. Feedback and recognition. Create a staff culture of feedback and recognition. Acknowledge and celebrate team achievements while providing constructive feedback to drive continuous improvement. 
6. Observe the team closely. An important and growing aspect of managing the team is to recognize burnout. Physician burnout is now more common than ever. Few recognize it in themselves, and they may need assistance with patient template changes or surgical scheduling adjustments. An increasing staff turnover rate is another way to recognize there may be work distribution challenges, internal conflicts, or department dysfunction. High turnover can disrupt team dynamics and create a domino effect that is hard to stop. Having strong recruitment and retention strategies is vital to avoiding high turnover. 
7. Stay ahead of stagnation or decline. If leadership is too focused on minor problems and doesn’t take in the big picture, stagnation or decline in terms of growth and market share can occur. The practice can become less competitive, lose referral relationships, and struggle to attract new patients if management is too distracted with internal issues and not constantly scanning for big picture issues. This is an area where combined physician and management leadership needs to stay coordinated in their efforts. This challenge can creep up on a practice, and it is not easy or fast to turn it around.
8. Keep improving. Effective leaders are always on the lookout for opportunities for practice improvement. This includes drawing on patient feedback and staff suggestions and streamlining operations. Practices gain valuable insight for growth and enhancement when paying attention and listening to feedback. 

Effective leadership and team building are essential elements of success for physician practices, especially in today’s challenging healthcare landscape. The roles of leadership and teamwork in ophthalmic practices will only become more critical. Today is the time to develop new strategies and set goals that physician leadership and managers can work toward together.

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About the authors

John Pinto
President
J. Pinto & Associates
San Diego, California

Corinne Wohl, MHSA, COE
President
C. Wohl & Associates
San Diego, California

Contact 

Pinto: pintoinc@aol.com, 619-223-2233
Wohl: czwohl@gmail.com, 609-410-2932