Whether you are expanding your chiropractic practice or just getting started, you can’t do it alone. It takes a team to run a practice and a team is only as good as the team members.
The characteristics you need depend on the job that is to be done. However, no matter the role it’s important to hire people who will fit the role and the team.
Here are a few tips on how to hire for a chiropractic practice so you get the right personality for your team.
Front Desk
Your receptionist is responsible for greeting patients, answering phones, and making appointments. This person must have the heart to serve others.
Much of the patient’s perception about their office visit will be formed based on their interaction with your front desk personnel. This is the place for an even-tempered person who excels at multitasking. They should have no problem greeting every patient with a smile and smile while they politely but firmly collect co-payments. Since this person is responsible for onboarding new patients, they should also be able to enter new patient demographics and insurance information into your computer system.
For many chiropractors just getting started, a spouse fills the role of front desk operator. Before considering asking a spouse to do this job, think about how a working relationship will impact your relationship at home. Don’t sacrifice one for the other.
Clinical Assistant
Think of your clinical assistant as your office manager. This is the person you trust to help you grow the practice and manage the business on a day-to-day basis.
Your clinical assistant can be the contact point for your speaking engagements and networking events, your marketing guru, and the professional who identifies efficiencies in back-office procedures. Rely on your clinical assistant to stay abreast of new technologies to improve patient outcomes as well as identify new sources of revenue.
Your clinical assistant frees you from time-consuming activities so you can concentrate on caring for patients.
Look for a person with the skills necessary to grow a brand and help you establish and maintain a culture of excellence in the office.
If you are just getting started, you may only need the services of a clinical assistant 20 to 25 hours a week. As the practice grows, the need for a full-time employee will grow as well.
Insurance and Billing or a Better Way
Essential to a healthy chiropractic practice is a healthy revenue cycle. Many chiropractors rely on the skills of a well-trained, skilled, knowledgeable, and detail-oriented insurance and billing clerk and the good graces of insurance companies to keep cash coming in.
Frankly, if you accept insurance payments the financial health of your practice literally depends on the ability of this team member to get insurance companies to pay claims that are often initially denied.
Instead of hiring a billing clerk and investing in software, you might outsource this job. But you’re still left at the mercy of insurance companies and must wait 6 weeks or more to get paid.
Instead, why not operate on a cash basis to eliminate the hassle of dealing with insurance reimbursements? You may still need an accounting clerk to send statements and post payments, but you’ll end up making more money on each patient you see. And you won’t wait 6 weeks or more to get paid.
Don’t think it is possible? Contact Nutri-West of New York and set up a consultation. The chiropractors at Nutri-West of New York have years of experience operating a highly successful practice on a cash basis and can show you how to do the same.
The Importance of Job Descriptions
Before you start gathering resumes and taking applications, make sure you can identify the role the employee will play.
Create job descriptions that are more than just a list of tasks to be performed. A job description should clearly identify the roles and responsibilities of the team member as well as how their success will be measured.
When reviewing applications, resist the temptation to compare applicants to each other. Consider the job requirements as a measuring stick and compare applications to this standard.
No successful chiropractor operates alone.
Knowing how to hire for a chiropractic practice allows you to surround yourself with the team you need for success.