Archive for the ‘Family Practice’ Category

Valuing the Family Practice

Assigning or defining the value of a Family Practice is not something that’s easily done. Nor is it something most physicians think about until forced to. Knowing the value of the Family Practice is part of practice management. It can serve as a measuring tool for evaluating practice growth in good times. Should death, divorce or other circumstance force a sale, correctly valuing the Family Practice is important.

Standard Valuation Methods: Comparison

One way to value a Family Practice is to compare the Practice to others in the local area. While this may work for realty situations involving homes or buildings, it doesn’t work in this case. The problem with this method of valuation for Family Practice is that there are too many intangibles involved. Not all Family Practices are the same size or serve the same patient base. There are too many variables to arrive at a reasonable sum.

Standard Valuation Methods: Inventory

The inventory method of valuation looks like a simple one. All assets are inventoried and a value is assigned to them. The values are added and the total liabilities are deducted, leaving a valuation sum. The problem with the inventory method of valuing the Family Practice is, again, the presence of intangibles. It’s hard to assign a definite value to an intangible.

Standard Valuation Methods: Cash Flow

Cash flow valuation of the Family Practice takes income and accounts receivable into consideration. Too large a sum in the accounts receivable column can negatively affect cash flow figures and the attitude of potential buyers.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Family Practice is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Family Practice.

Standard Valuation Methods: Appraisal

Professional business appraisers usually take several issues into consideration when valuing the Family Practice. Cash flow and a potential practice growth in years to come are part of the process.

Standard Valuation Issue: Goodwill

One intangible asset that may be overlooked in the family practice valuation process is goodwill. Goodwill is an asset that is often defined by charisma and an inherent talent that invites trust. Goodwill includes the ability to attract and keep clients, reputation, etc. Some professional appraisers add goodwill to the valuation, others do not.
According to some reports, the assigned value of many Family Practices is 20 to 50 percent goodwill. This is an important figure. If the physician operating the practice is a large part of the reason the practice is successful, what would the family practice be without that physician?

Professional goodwill is a conglomeration of experience, reputation, charisma, skills, abilities, etc. of a physician. Practice goodwill is based more on location and the nature of the family practice and how long it has been in business.

Valuating Goodwill

One commonly used method of calculating the value of goodwill in a family practice is comparing the family practice to that of another physician with similar background and specialty. The low number is subtracted from the higher one. The resulting sum is then divided by 20 percent. The result is the goodwill dollar value.

If the need to value the family practice should arise, a general valuation or valuation method will be available. If a professional appraiser is chosen, it should be one who does use the goodwill factor.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson (Click on the link to learn more about me)

Rising Liability Insurance Rates Hurt Family Practices

So what is Family Practice really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Family Practice–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for family practice physicians to even obtain medical liability insurance let alone afford it. More and more insurance companies are deciding not to underwrite any medical liability insurance. Literally, in most states there are only few who will offer it. The increasing rate of malpractice lawsuits is to blame for this. Juries are awarding multi million dollar settlements and it is forcing many doctors to close the doors on their family practices.

The problem is concurrent with other problems; doctor A closes his family practice so all of the patients rush to doctor B, now Dr. B is on overload and his patients are unhappy because of lengthy wait times and the vicious cycle continues. It has already been obvious as most family practices no longer deliver babies due to the ever rising costs of OB insurance. Also, most have stopped performing any surgical procedures because they simply can not afford the insurance premiums.

This does not work like auto insurance either, regardless if a doctor has had a malpractice lawsuit against him or not, the premiums remain the same as well as whether or not the carrier will even write the policy. This is certainly posing a problem for family practice doctors or doctors in general who have to limit the scope of their services. Doctors are literally becoming afraid of assisting high risk patients because of the consequences and ramifications that could follow.

Is everything making sense so far? If not, I’m sure that with just a little more reading, all the facts will fall into place.

If something does not change soon what will happen is people will not be able to get health care when it is most needed and it is due to two factors: availability of liability insurance and affordability. Another result from this is that most family practices who were always about to receive discount health insurance reimbursements such as Medicaid and such, no longer can because they can not simply afford to. Liability insurance companies simply claim that there is zero stability in the market of liability insurance due to the puerile lawsuits and the astronomical awards that juries are handing out.

This is causing family practices and doctors everywhere to watch every move that they make to avoid being sued. It is further raising medical costs because a doctor is running countless and sometimes unnecessary tests to ensure his medical security. All of these possible unneeded tests take money away from those who really need medical treatment. Now guess who ends up having to foot the bill for all of this? The government and the taxpayers.

Then, this process affects employers because they no longer want to provide employee insurance or cut the insurance that they do offer because rates climb so high that they can not afford it either. The only foreseeable way to get the system back on track is to begin with eliminating the numerous amounts of petty lawsuits. Beginning with this will perhaps get the system back on track and instill some validity back into America hence, achieving the ultimate goal which is to provide everyone with quality health care and instill the values of family practice.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, the creator of Auto Blog Feeder, an automatic blogging solution for Wordpress

Making certain that your Family Practice doesn’t grow out of Control

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Word of mouth spreads the fastest. If a family practice doctor is good enough, people will wait sometimes for hours to see him. However, as word spreads about a doctor so do his patients. If he doe not have such a great bedside manner then he will likely lose patients but if he does he will likely gain patients which to an extent are a good thing but can also overwhelm the doctor, his staff and his patients.
Family practice doctors have a reputation for wanting to help everyone. Those who call in for a same day appointment are served just as someone who scheduled their appointment a month ago. Sometimes it is impossible to move them to another day or to switch them to a new provider. However, family practice doctors do need to recognize that they can only take on so many patients effectively.
If a family practice doctor is going to consider the numbers of patients that he can effectively manage then he will need to discuss with his patients what it is that they expect from him or her and what makes them happy and satisfied. The family practice doctor also needs to confirm his workload and see what hours he can put forth that works best for him and his family. Estimate in hours of surgery and hospital visits and so forth. Factor in the time allowance and see how time is humanly possible to complete the schedule.
The average doctor/patient visit is or should be about 10-15 minutes. Some doctors or nurses have the habit of scheduling 3 or more patients for the same time block which simply will not work. Based on a 10-15 minute time interval, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that the doctor should schedule four appointments per hour but might be able to get in five. Anymore than that and he could easily get behind schedule.
If a doctor with a family practice finds that he has taken on more than he can manage effectively then he will be left with no choice but to cut down on his list of patients. Annually, patients move away, pass away, and change insurance providers which naturally can cut the patient list. Doctors can also close their acceptance of new patients for a while. Another possibility is to remove patients who miss many scheduled appointments and do not see the doctor regularly.
The absolute number of patients that a doctor should have is the largest amount that he or she can care for effectively. That number can vary with time and there is no way to put an exact count to it. If everyone involved is happy then the doctor has probably the right amount of patients. However, if he finds that patients are waiting too long, he is cutting their visits short or running back in forth between rooms, and then the number may have to be readjusted. He does not want to few or too many but with a quality staff and dedicated persistence it is likely that the doctor will find his happy medium.

About the Author
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Recognizing and Accepting Family Practice

It has been a long time coming but family practice physicians are finally making the way to the front of the line. It has been a long struggle attempting to gain status quo. That was never really what they wanted, what they wanted was to make a difference and for it to be known that they care.

Family practice doctors are unique in a manner that they can take care of boys and girls, men and women. They are very convenient and offer quality care without having to visit many different doctors. It can not be argued that family practice doctors specialize in the long term and quality care of their patients. They can recognize and treat your physical problems as well as your emotional problems and maybe better than someone else who does not have the special bond with you as your family practice doctor does.

If you base what you do on inaccurate information, you might be unpleasantly surprised by the consequences. Make sure you get the whole Family Practice story from informed sources.

Advertisements have been everywhere, on billboards, in magazine, and in articles that chant about being smart and making sure that you see a specialist in regards to your physician. These are the types of statements that cause people to question the quality and performance of family practice physicians. The entire medical circle needs to recognize that family practice doctors went into this type of practice well aware of what they wee getting themselves into. They knew that they would never get rich, never be admired, or ever get the respect that they so deserve. They have the education and are by no means second rate doctors. Family practice doctors are some of the finest that medical school has ever put out but it was their passion and caring that brought them to where they are.

Family practice doctors get to know the real you and everything about you. Imagine calling the doctors office to ask a question, odds are that the nurse will tell you that the doctor will call you back after hours. But when he does call he actually remembers who he is talking to, he can put a face with the name and maybe even ask you some questions that a specialist would never ask. Why? Because to them, you are another patient, another file. Do not think about going to see them without your deductible or your checkbook. Family practice doctors are more likely to tell you not to let money or
the lack of it stop you from coming in if you need him. There is a difference and it is so very huge.

Family practice physicians need to be accepted as well as recognized as a specialist for that is truly special when you can deliver a baby, take out someone’s tonsils, medicate a patient for depression, update a woman’s diabetic medication, remove a wart, and stitch up a kid who fell off of his bike all in one day. This is the true meaning of specialty and the very reason that we count on our doctors. Family practice doctors fell off of the band wagon some time ago as the modern and savvy specialists came to the forefront but since, something very important has happened and that is that they have now resurfaced back into the front of the line again.

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Challenges of Family Practices in Today’s Health Care System

So what is Family Practice really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Family Practice–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

All businesses face challenges and struggles but with today’s health care system and its complexity the challenges that family practices face are great and even numerous. It is often difficult to maintain viability. Just attempting to generate the understanding of a family practice can be a struggle in itself.

There are many flaws in the health care systems that we have today. These flaws work in favor of family practice doctors if they are able to improve the results for patients. Family practices and family medicine in general are in need of a major overhaul. Family practice doctors will raise to the final victory as they display their deep concern for the patients overall well being.

Family practices are unique and a specialty all of their own. However, family practice doctors have wanted to remain unnamed and unlabeled along with a class of other specialists and physicians. Another big challenge and probably the biggest is the fact that family practice doctors have yet to gain the respect that they deserve. They are sometimes looked at as second rate doctors especially within their academic circle. Although it truly is a specialized field, it is generally not supported nor endorsed. Family practices and family practice doctors need to gain recognition and support because they have truly been the medical backbone for centuries.

If your Family Practice facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Family Practice information slip by you.

Today, many people believe that family practice doctors are old fashioned and not equipped to handle newer medicine. That actually holds no weight within the medical profession itself.

Family practice physicians are experts in their own field. They handle common complaints, diagnose acute and chronic conditions, they promote health and prevent disease. Prior to the skyrocketing insurance premiums that doctor’s had to pay because of so many lawsuits; doctors performed some surgical procedures such as tonsillectomies, appendectomies, child birth, and other simple surgeries. No longer do many family practice doctors provide these types of surgeries and have to refer them out to specialists but can often provide the follow up care.

Another challenge that today’s family practice doctors face is the aging population and the “baby boomers”. These people make up a large majority of patients that are dependent on family practice doctors. Issues with Medicare arise as well with these challenges. Further, work is being done to make family practices more attractive as options available rather than focusing on what family practice medicine or doctors used to be able to provide they need to look into the future and see what family practice physicians will be able to better provide in the future.

Although family practice physicians have some difficult challenges to face with the health care system of today there are also many rewards as well. The relationships that doctors are able to establish with their patients and their families, the ability to offer the best in preventative care, flexibility and security, and being able to observe and assist in all facets of life are just some of the rewards that family practice offers to some doctors who are just not willing to compromise the true meaning of quality.

About the Author
Check out Anders Eriksson’s latest web hosting sites: Lifetime Hosting and Cheap Unlimited Webhosting

The Employee Manual in Family Practice

So what is Family Practice really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about Family Practice–info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

The creation and implementation of an effective employee manual serves several functions in the family practice. Standard procedures and clearly defined job descriptions, duties and expectations are addressed once instead of multiple times.

Employee Manual Legally Mandated Content

State and Federal employment law affects the contents of family practice employee manuals. For instance, large practices with many employees must include Family and Medical Leave Act information. Medium sized family practices are required to include COBRA information. The State Department of Labor has all of the necessary information required to make sure employee manuals are in compliance.

Authoring the Family Practice Employee Manual

There are several ways to produce the family practice employee manual. One is to outsource the project to professionals. Another is to produce the manual in-house. Some office managers are experienced in creating employee manuals. There are software programs available as well as templates.

Some Chamber of Commerce organizations have employee manual templates available for member’s use. The contents of the manual may include brief job descriptions and any mandated legal information or be all-inclusive documents detailing not only job descriptions but how-to perform those actions as well. Consider requesting staff input regarding the manual.

Employee Manual as Family Practice Review

You may not consider everything you just read to be crucial information about Family Practice. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself recalling and using this very information in the next few days.

Request that staff members detail their own job descriptions and information. Reviewing the result will immediately point out any areas where expectation on the part of management isn’t made clear. If the required activities blur between departments, details may need to be included in both business and medical staff sections.

Once the family practice employee manual draft has been reviewed, any problem issues that have been revealed will need to be discussed and dealt with. It may be necessary to not only re-write the manual but also to reconsider the division of labor among staff members. Pay scale information should be included for each area of labor. Review of this information may reveal inconsistencies that need to be corrected.

Legal Issues and Family Practice Employee Manuals

No matter who authors the family practice employee manual, it is wise to have a legal professional review the final draft. All practices, payment detail and other information should be reviewed in accordance with local, state and federal law requirements. Provided information should be clearly stated in a way that any employee can easily understand policies and prerequisites.

Family Practice Employee Manual Final

Once the family practice employee manual has been reviewed for errors in typing, duty descriptions, details, pay scale and legal information, the manuals should be printed and assembled. Assembly options include putting printed pages inside three ring binders (easy to make changes and update) or going so far as to have the manuals printed and bound in paperback or hardcover form. The latter makes re-printing necessary should involved updates be required at any time.

Once the completed family practice employee manual is ready for use, all staff members should receive a copy. It is suggested that each be required to sign a form indicating not only the fact that a copy has been received but also the fact that the manual has been read and is understood by the staff member.

A well-written family practice employee manual can be a vital tool in the smooth running of the practice. Taking time up front to make sure the manual contains all of the necessary descriptive and legal information saves time, money and explanations later.