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Lists that keep your administrator organized and productive, part one

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Administrators must be super-organized. Facing the challenge of wearing numerous hats at one time requires planning. Unless she runs a very large practice, administrators are the main force behind the human resources, IT, marketing, outreach, finance, billing, credentialing and regulatory departments. And, if you want the practice to keep growing, let’s not forget the high-level work required for strategic planning, benchmarking and practice development. Of course, the managing partner role in a practice strongly coordinates with these efforts, but you should depend on your administrator to keep the pace.

The best way to stay organized and focused is to have a personal written plan. I keep a daily/biweekly/monthly/quarterly/annual set of to-do lists. These lists remind me of the essential elements of my job, the “must-not-lose-focus-of” tasks that can slip away as we get distracted by daily operational needs.

Here is an example of a daily to-do list. If your administrator is feeling overwhelmed or is not as productive as he or she could be, use this as a developmental tool. Review together what the focus needs to be and you will find that communicating about it and preparing the goals together will enhance productivity and your teamwork.

1. Prepare a daily to-do list.
   1. Prioritize it so the most important items are finished first.
   2. Be sure to allot the right amount of time for each task.
2. As you are working on something, ask yourself whether this has to be completed by you or if it could be delegated entirely or in part next time. This helps free up future time. Always be looking for ways to streamline your job and be more productive.
3. If feeling time pressured or distracted, only check your email several times a day. Don’t be controlled by your computer (which represents others’ time lines and not your own).
   1. Provides time and space for you to focus without interruption.
   2. Allows for completion of work for both a personal sense of accomplishment and to meet set goals for the practice.
4. Review the appointment schedule. A full schedule is critical to practice success.
   1. Is it full?
   2. If not, what is getting in the way?
   3. Fix this fast by calling the waiting list, sending an email to staff to encourage them to fill in certain days/times.
   4. Check recall system functioning for a longer-term fix.
5. Tour the facility(s).
   1. Say hello to staff and get the daily news.
   2. Observe patient flow from front to back.
   3. Observe cleanliness/neatness/impression.
6. Communicate goals and important information to someone/staff every day. Talk about customer service, importance of a tidy office, future practice goals, new policies and procedures, great feedback you just received from a patient, how appreciative your doctor is of staff effort, etc.
   1. Share a lot of information so the staff is engaged, feels included and starts thinking the same way you do.
   2. As these positive messages spread, the staff will take up the cause and you can allocate your time to other tasks.

Corinne Z. Wohl, MHSA, COE, is the administrator at Delaware Ophthalmology Consultants and can be reached at czwohl@gmail.com or 609-410-2932.