ASK NEIL with Dr. Neil Gailmard

Track Practice Net as a Pecentage of Gross 

July 26, 2012

A doctor asks,

"I don’t have a detailed practice budget, but I notice that my net income has slipped this year with about the same patient traffic. How should I begin to analyze what’s happening?"

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Building Up a Patient Email List 

June 28, 2012
 A doctor asks…

“I would like to use one of the new marketing companies that specializes in electronic communication to reach my patient base, but I have very few patient email addresses on file. Many people don’t want to give us their email address. How do other offices overcome this problem?”

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What Traits to Look For When Hiring an Associate 

February 23, 2012

A doctor asks…
"What traits do you look for in an associate OD whom you hire?" 

 

 

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Upgrading Happy Bifocal Eyeglass Wearers to Progressives 

January 31, 2012

A doctor asks…
“What techniques do you use to convince perfectly happy bifocal eyeglass wearers to upgrade to progressive lenses?”

... read more
 
 

Dealing with Staff Lateness 

April 30, 2011

A doctor asks...

"One of my staff, who is competent and good with patients, consistently arrives five to 10 minutes late for work. What's a tactful way to deal with the problem?" 

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Reducing the Walk-Out Rate 

April 15, 2011

A doctor asks...

“A lot of patients take their eyeglasses Rx to another provider. How can I reduce the walk-out rate?” 

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To Change Staff Habits, Give a Reason 

March 15, 2011

A doctor asks:

"My staff has developed bad habits over the years. How can I change these habits?"  

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What’s the Right Amount of Time for a Doctor to Spend with a Patient during a Routine Eye Exam? 

September 27, 2012

A doctor asks…

What’s about the right amount of time for a doctor to spend with a patient during a routine eye exam?  

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When Patients Want Just What their Insurance Allowance Covers  

August 23, 2012

A doctor asks...

How do you convince patients that their insurance allowance only covers a very basic pair of glasses, unlikely to fully satisfy their expectations?


 

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How Do You Increase Eyewear Sales to Patients with No Rx Change? 

May 24, 2012

A doctor asks...

"What can be done to increase eyewear sales to patients with no change in their Rx and with a workable pair of glasses in good condition?"


Quite a bit can be done in these cases. I view helping patients obtain the best eye care as my job. Here are a few considerations for increasing eyewear sales even when there is no change in the Rx.
 

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Is Email Really Effective for Patient Communications? 

April 26, 2012

A doctor asks…
“My staff tries to collect email addresses for patients, but many people don’t want to share them with us. Is email really effective for patient communication? "

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What are the clues that signal it’s time to add staff? 

A doctor asks…
"
What are the clues that signal it’s time to add staff?"

March 22, 2012


There are some metrics that can serve as rules of thumb, which I will share, but I think the best way is to observe practice operations over about two weeks.
 

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Softening an Office Manager's Style 

March 30, 2011
A doctor asks…

"My staff doesn't get along well with the office manager, who has a dictatorial, micro-manager style. The office runs smoothly otherwise. How should I deal with this?" 

... read more
 
 

 

 


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2013 MBA Seminars

 

 

SUNY College of Optometry

New York, NY

June 14

 

Additional dates will be announced soon.

 

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