Building Partnerships in Allied Health

SMA Chair Kay Copeland at SMA Board Meeting

Establishing partnerships in allied health can be a personal and professional growth strategy for practitioners looking to expand their options, enhance their impact, and advance their careers. I have experienced firsthand the benefits of developing partnerships in many different arenas and can attest to the profound difference it has made in my own journey, particularly in the creation of my book, The Health Practitioners Journey. I will discuss some of the partnerships that I been involved in and detail they have shaped my career.

Partnerships come in various forms and serve different purposes. 

Equity partnership in clinical environments

My first foray into a clinical partnership was the creation of one of the first MD clinics in Australia, Malvern Sports Medicine centre. That centre with a focus on Musculoskeletal sporting injury management involved partners who were Sports Doctors, Physios, Podiatrists and Dietitians. This partnership evolved and developed a further four sport medicine practices in Metro Melbourne and provided three weekend sports casualties as well as services to elite sports clubs. Mutual growth, learning  and support were hall marks of those businesses.

I have mentored many practitioners  looking for equity partnerships in practices, and businesses where they are exposed to opportunities to invest in the success of a venture while sharing risks and rewards. These partnerships are built on trust, transparency, and a shared vision for growth and prosperity.

Network partnerships 

When my sports medicine  group I was a partner and General Manager of was approached by LifeCare Health (LCH as listed Co on ASX in Perth) it was clear that LCH were keen to acquire our business and to partner with a larger clinical group on the East Coast of Australia. This formed a great partnership vehicle to see our service expand and as  a group develop a number of clinics  in Victoria as well as having a corporate partner to guide that growth. The collaboration lead to LCH being acquired by Foundation health care and the two entities became Independent Practitioner network (IPN). An opportunity was created for me to build a corporate career and learn many skills from senior managers and staff from the industry partnerships.

Another noteworthy partnership was a more personal one that built with sports medicine industry association that was with Sports Medicine Australia (SMA). By aligning with SMA I learnt the importance of networking and worked together with SMA on many projects be it with sport event coverage, teaching sports trainers, being involved as President and even CEO where  I was able to amplify health messages and effect meaningful change in healthcare policy and awareness of the importance of excellence injury management and the need for all of us to increase our physical activity to improve our health outcomes

Commercial partnerships

Additionally, partnerships with other consultants have been important to gain industry knowledge and understand the needs of up and coming clinicians who are building their own careers. Speaking and delivering webinars at events and collaborating on commercial matters, have enriched both my knowledge and reach within the industry.

I have recently been developing partnerships where I offer a promo code to those I collaborate with to promote my book to their network to purchase at a lower price point. I hope to set up a collaborative partnership with Universities in the US to include my book as part of the curriculum in their Allied health courses.

Sports Teams and clubs

Furthermore, partnerships extend beyond the realm of healthcare into sports clubs, where mutual support and reciprocity thrive. By partnering with sports clubs, I not only contributed to their members' well-being but also gained exposure and credibility within the community. 

In conclusion, partnerships are a cornerstone of success in allied health, offering opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and growth. Whether it's working closely with consultants, collaborating with industry associations, or partnering with government entities, the possibilities are limitless. By embracing partnerships as a strategic imperative, professionals can unlock new opportunities, amplify their impact, and achieve greater success in their careers.

Stage 3 for Experienced Practitioners

Stage Three is where you aim to 'lead your list' and maximise equity.

When your career is up and running and you feel you have developed a strong level of clinical excellence and a vibrant, regular list of patients, you will experience satisfaction knowing that people seek your services and advocate for your practice. If this resonates with you, take pride in your achievements.

If you're someone who seeks new challenges and feels ready to embark on a new journey, establishing your own business may be the path for you. However, this new and exciting path can be daunting.

One way to ensure you take the first steps towards success, where you begin to maximise equity (simply put, developing an asset that doesn't solely rely on your billings), is by dedicating time creating a comprehensive plan. This plan should outline your vision for the future business, its operational aspects, and considerations such as name, location, fit-out, and personnel requirements.

from Stephen Coveys 7 Habits of highly effective people

Spending time in quadrant two (non-urgent but important) of the time management matrix, where planning takes precedence. Whether you're considering buying into an existing business or starting from scratch, thorough due diligence is essential.

Consider how you will market your business to increase billings. Determine whom you will employ or contract to assist you and contribute to the business's growth. In my book, "The Health Practitioners Journey," I've included MK Laws of Growth, some strategies to increase referrals and patient flow, aiding in the growth of your team's lists.

Implement robust induction, training, and mentoring processes for your team. Introduce meaningful performance measures or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to guide progress and performance.

Additionally, you'll need to consider

• Understanding the financial aspects, including fair pricing for acquisitions or greenfield startup capital requirements

• Comprehending the operational processes and systems

• Identifying your competitors and ensuring compliance with regulations and permits

• Defining your business's vision and the patient demographics you aim to serve

• Planning for necessary equipment and creating an ambience in your premises that reflects your business's values and professionalism. I suggest creating a checklist as a valuable exercise to ensure no crucial matters are overlooked.

Utilise the example checklist provided in my book to guide you through the various considerations.

This step is a big one and it is challenging but very rewarding and undoubtedly worth considering, so ensure you are prepared to embark upon it confidently!

My Speaking Journey

In my journey within the healthcare industry, I've had the privilege of engaging with practitioners through various communication channels. Whether it's been mentoring sessions, discussions with business partners, delivering lectures, presenting at conferences, or simply sitting down with business owners, each interaction has been invaluable in sharing knowledge and insights.

In today's interconnected world, the avenues for communication seem limitless. With the release of my book, 'The Health Practitioner’s Journey,' my focus has shifted towards sharing the model outlined in it and my experience through speaking engagements. Speaking has been an incredibly rewarding way to connect with audiences, and I'm passionate about sharing my learnings gained over the years to benefit others in my field.

Let me take you through some recent examples of how I've been able to educate and inspire through speaking:

Productivity Videos

I developed a series of comprehensive videos aimed at helping practitioners and businesses enhance their productivity. These videos, delving into time management, activity planning, and overall efficiency, were well-received by various healthcare associations, providing practical insights for those seeking to optimise their work processes.

Webinars

Hosting webinars allowed me to delve into the intricacies of practice and business operations within the healthcare sector. These sessions attracted a diverse audience, and I had the opportunity to further collaborate with attendees through my consulting services, offering tailored guidance based on their specific needs.

Multidisciplinary Conferences

Speaking at conferences covering a range of topics, from business operations to career advancement in healthcare, provided a platform to share expertise and engage with professionals from all backgrounds.

Workshops

Hosting interactive workshops provides a more informal setting for exchanging ideas and feedback on various aspects of business operations, fostering a collaborative learning environment.

Podcast Appearances

Participating in podcasts allowed for engaging conversations about my professional journey and the insights shared in my book, this interactive platform provides a unique opportunity for dialogue and knowledge exchange between professionals.

Each of these speaking opportunities has not only enabled me to connect with audiences but has also served as a source of inspiration and fresh ideas. As I approach the later stages of my career, I'm excited about the prospect of tailoring my speaking engagements to address specific themes from the model in my book, catering to the needs of different audience segments with the different phases of the Health Practitioner’s Journey.

I'm eager to share insights that resonate with individuals at every stage of their professional journey. It could be guiding students and recent graduates on building a solid foundation for their practice. Or assisting established practitioners in maximising their commercial success, possibly moving into their own practice, or considering it may be time to take on a new challenge or look at options to exit their business

There's a wealth of topics I'm keen to explore further, and I look forward to the enriching experience of speaking to diverse audiences, each presenting a unique opportunity for learning and growth.

Michael A. Kenihan

Stage Two for 1st-2nd Year Physiotherapy Graduates

In my book "The Health Practitioner's Journey," I outline four stages in a health professional's career. The second stage is Commercial Success. This entails maintaining a patient list consistently over 80% full, with referrals coming from various sources, including word of mouth. Through diligent efforts in achieving clinical excellence, this stage yields commercial success as patient lists and referrers grow.

Owning your patient list

Stage two is an ongoing process that can set the groundwork for starting your own business. At this point, I discuss a practitioner "owning" their patient list, a figurative term signifying patient loyalty, where they would follow you if you moved from your current practice. This loyalty is established through advocacy, as patients recommend you to others, as detailed in the ladder of loyalty in my book. 

During this stage, you become more aware of the conditions and patients you wish to treat, possibly developing a unique selling proposition. For example, targeting specific referrers, like a sports club, can help you focus on treating athletes.

The journey to commercial success

Working towards commercial success is a rewarding part of a practitioner’s  journey. Treating more patients, enhancing clinical skills through courses and mentorship, and staying informed through reading all contribute to your success. You may find yourself sought after for specific niches or invited to speak at events, reflecting your professional development. It's crucial not to become complacent; hence, developing strategic plans to nurture existing referrers and attract new ones becomes vital in this stage. While seeking new referrers is important, understanding the associated risks and benefits for the referrer is equally crucial, this allows you to establish trust and  a strong relationship. I dedicate a portion of my book to discussing managing the benefits and risks associated with gaining referrers. These are integral aspects of becoming a commercially successful healthcare practitioner.

Methods for improvement

I have mentored numerous practitioners on achieving commercial success. After collaborating with my colleague Jon Ford to implement a clinical mentoring program during our tenure at LifeCare, we shifted our focus to enhancing practitioners' commercial awareness. The process primarily involved gaining buy-in and understanding meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs).

Jon and I developed what we believed would be useful measures, including:

• The average revenue generated per practitioner hour.

• The average number of patients seen per hour.

• The average revenue per consultation or the average fee charged.

The introduction of these KPIs provided practitioners with a baseline from which to work. A managing director of the listed company network at that time advised me that creating meaningful KPIs and actively monitoring them would lead to improvement. This is precisely what we observed. We ensured that the KPIs were easily accessible for practitioners to review monthly, leading to increased engagement. We witnessed their commercial improvement, and the enhanced KPIs became a proxy for growth.

We combined the KPI approach with a planning document titled "Achieving Your Career Objectives," which I have included in the appendix of my book 'The Health Practitioner's Journey'. This document helped practitioners plan their quarterly objectives for improvement. Goal-setting and planning encompassed not only clinical aspects but also their referrer base and targets for increasing referrers. Teaching them to utilise their time more productively in both clinical and non-clinical aspects further boosted their productivity.

To illustrate the impact of these activities, we devised a league table for the network, highlighting those who generated the highest dollars per hour KPI. We realised that those with the highest numbers were also among the acknowledged best clinically. While not entirely surprising, this revelation served as motivation for all and confirmed that clinical excellence leads to commercial success.

I trust this glimpse provides a taste of the comprehensive details in my book about this stage of your journey. 

My book is available on my website, www.michaelkenihan.com.au or from Amazon.

M.A.Kenihan

Stage One for new Physiotherapy Graduates

When I was at Lifecare we established three levels of education for our practitioners. The initial stage was for graduates, 1 to 3 years into their careers. They were in the first stage of education which I call Clinical Excellence. 

It was important to have mentors who would teach these practitioners. I had guided Ross L through commencement of practice at Lifecare Prahran Sports Medicine Clinic and was fortunate to mentor him through stage one (with assistance from exceptional clinical mentors) and into Stage two commercial success. Just six years after graduation Ross was ready to fly!

I asked Ross if was interested in taking a new step, involving becoming a mentor and teacher of others. Despite his initial reluctance, Ross eventually agreed, thanks in part to some persuasive encouragement from me.

We were eager to commence level one mentoring with formal group sessions with the group of graduates from years 1 to 3 that were working at the Lifecare practices in Melbourne. In all we commenced with some eight graduates from six different practices. We named the sessions ‘manual handling and clinical reasoning’. 

I cover those aspects of learning in detail in my book 'The Health Practitioner's journey'. We identified that upon graduation these two aspects of practice need further teaching and by building up the skills in a group environment we believed we could facilitate greater clinical excellence in the graduate’s practices.

Learning in a supportive group of peers where you share what you know and learn together is a wonderful way to enhance your skills. Encouragement from both Ross and peers created an environment where the graduates rarely missed a session. 

The sessions also developed into an opportunity where participants could bring case studies to the session and collaboratively problem solve to find how to best treat or progress these patients in their recovery. A majority of those who participated found that their patient list grew quickly as they had acquired new skills that they applied to their practice. This also prepared them to enter Stage two, of Commercial success and they were well prepared with a solid base of clinical excellence.

Ross took to the challenge like a duck to water and contributed significantly to the development of these practitioners’ skill base. Equally importantly, Ross learnt valuable skills that he was able to apply to his own practice. Stephen Covery calls this approach three person teaching as I had assisted and trained Ross, he had trained his new grads and then encouraged them to share what they had leant to others at the businesses they were working in.

Structured learning needs to be interesting, relevant, and fit for purpose. By combining Ross’s acquired skills and engaging with a thoughtful, enthusiastic group of individuals who understood their position in their journey and the skills they needed to progress we created a very successful learning environment. We had cultivated a generation of new leaders in the Lifecare practices.

The Health Practitioners Journey Model

When I was planning  the structure for my book, “The Health Practitioners Journey” I thought about how a career in health practice usually unfolds. I thought it would be easier to explain by breaking it down into four stages.

Stage 1

The foundation of a successful career needs to be one of becoming as clinically excellent as possible.

Whomever I worked with, I reinforced that initial credibility as a practitioner comes from having a degree of mastery of the technical/clinical aspect of the craft. I also advise that years 1 and 2 from graduation are not about focussing on what you earn as the primary goal, but on building your clinical ability.

Stage two

Focus on commercial success where you start earning more and become busy.

The focus for stage two becomes more about developing referral relationships and gaining return patients. There needs to be some training from mentors and others for this stage. Maybe even some short courses that relate to commercial matters of customer service, finance and business development.

Stage three

Direct your career towards starting your own business to maximise equity.

This stage may not be for everyone. If you are comfortable with stage two and earning a satisfactory salary then you may choose to continue practicing where you are but if drawn to start something for yourself, commence a new challenge and apply the new knowledge then stage three maybe a natural progression for you.

Stage four

Leverage your asset by selling the business.

At some point you may want to realise the value of your asset by selling the business. You may continue working but with the business you started in the hands of someone with new energy. Stage four may mean retirement but may also be about new opportunities too.

If you have worked hard in the stages outlined above along the journey you will have harvested knowledge. Such knowledge will be invaluable as you move on to new challenges or want to grow the assets you have created

I use the metaphor of the “list “ as practice clinicians have a “list of patients/clients” that they see, particularly in private practice. In stage one you build the list, then in stage two you own your list, in stage three you lead your list, and finally in stage four you sell your list.

The notation at the base of the model indicates a timeline but this was never meant to be interpreted as tightly linear, many practitioners dip in and out of the stages or stop at a point in the journey where they find their satisfaction.

As I mused about the stages of the journey, I thought that perhaps the best way to convey the stages was by developing a model for the journey. That model is the essence of this book.

The Health Practitioner’s Journey

Today, I received the first copies of my book, “The Health Practitioner’s Journey.”

It was with great anticipation and excitement that I opened the box at my home surrounded by my family and Andy Ford from Social Star, who published the book for me. Chris Grierson, my editor and coach, wasn’t able to attend but was in my thoughts. The moment was emotional as the two-year journey of the book had finally come to fulfilment.

Reflecting on the two-year process as we celebrated together, I thought of the many times I sat at my kitchen table to write another 1000 words or engage in some research. During these moments, I was largely alone but knew that my family was always there, encouraging me and inquiring about my progress.

Having the physical book in my hand and experiencing the completion of a project that was so close to my heart, made me reflect on why I wanted to write this book. The word "legacy" comes to mind, as does the phrase “I always thought I had a book in me.” I wanted to showcase my experience and share what I had learned, primarily from the many interactions while mentoring and coaching those who worked with me or under my direction. I now have a record of the experience, and I hope it becomes a document that will assist and inspire others in a career in healthcare practice.

I am so grateful for the support I have received from friends and, most importantly, for the belief that my immediate family has in me. That support alone was enough inspiration to complete my journey of personal discovery. The book is also a compilation of the many topics I have taught and discussed with such a wide array of people over my career.

I hope as you delve into the pages of the book, you find inspiration and insights that resonate with you.

P.S. If you are keen to secure your own copy of the book head over to our shopping site here.

Sports Medicine Australia tour of Karachi 2019

I was very pleased to be invited to present a sports trainers course with my team of physiotherapists from Sports Medicine Australia in Karachi, Pakistan in 2019. It was a great experience and enjoyable to be able to pass on my knowledge to fellow sports trainers. They kindly made a video of our experience.

Sports Medicine Australia, training with Michael Kenihan and team of physiotherapists

Why making timely and better decisions is important

For Practice managers and Clinician in the business of operating more sustainable Health
Care Practices

For many years I have been fascinated in the process of making decisions in business. I have learnt that if this skill is developed then enormous time can be saved/gained and productivity made rather than seeing paralysis by “over analysis”. The formal discipline of decision analysis has a rather turgid definition, sourced from a modification of a definition from Investopedia: “Decision analysis refers to a systematic, quantitative and interactive approach to addressing and evaluating important choices confronted by organisations in the private and public sector. Decision analysis is interdisciplinary and draws on theories from the fields of psychology, economics, and management science”.

Well, that is a mouthful so let me distil my thoughts about making decisions into six words that cover what I suspect are the key considerations.

Knowledge:

Over time one gains knowledge about finance, human resources, time management, team building and assessing what is truly important. This knowledge is crucial in the process of making decisions. Work on building your knowledge base.

Team:

Understand the capability of your team. We all have strengths and weakness. Some speak a lot and achieve little and other don’t speak up enough and contribute to the discussion. Assist them by putting them in the position to make decisions and even if they are wrong they will learn to make better decisions next time. The only bad result is for no decision to be reached!

Wisdom:

None starts with wisdom. Wisdom is the synthesis of experience, knowledge, judgement and learning. It is gained over time. Assist you team to explore how they may gain wisdom and that it takes time. Greater wisdom will lead to better decisions.

Confucius once said: “By three methods may be learn wisdom. The first by reflection which noblest, the second by imitation which is easiest and the third by experience which is the bitterest”.

Execution:

Sometimes just doing it is required and sod the consequences. There are always consequences so being aware of both the negative and positive consequences need to be outlined/discussed with those making decisions.

Confidence:

Being confident will help with the delivery of a decision and convey a sense of being in control. There are negatives with over confidence so beware how the message of the decision is delivered

Learning:

Establish the environment of learning with your team. Make sure you direct them to important books, articles etc to learn from and ensure that you regularly follow my aphorism of “teach don’t tell”. Empower them by advising that you want good decisions made and that you will help but at the end of the day they should use their judgement to move forward and act when they feel they have the resources to make the decision.

Remember that unless you assist them to develop this skill you will end with a beautifully coined phrase by one of my leading managers, “needlepoint management”, where all decisions end up coming to you to make… a sure sign of a dysfunctional working situation…

To see how I may be able to assist you with your Health care Practice

How to delegate in a way that doesn’t undermine your team

Leading a team means you will invariably have someone or several people reporting directly to you.

The most important thing is to get the best out of your team members.  This does not imply that you must constantly be directing them or chastising them when a job is not done to your satisfaction.  The mantra of “others never do the job as well as I can, so it is not worth teaching or delegating to them, is part of the reason that team leaders often fail to get the best from their team. This “I will just do it myself” attitude renders them unable to build a strong and productive team. Instead, the leader must forego their ego and accept that the delegation process can be slow, acknowledging that at first they may have to receive work that may be at a lower level than their own.

Delegating tasks is a crucial part of achieving an objective and to developing strong independent workers who make decisions with confidence and authority,  instilling greater competence and growth within them.

This said, it is still important to find the right balance of delegation. The lowest level is to tell somebody to do something and report back immediately. This base level delegation  is common in parenting when teaching one’s child to be more independent. In contrast, the highest level of delegation is to trust your team to make decisions and report routinely about progress and outcomes.

My biggest bug bear with watching leaders delegate is to see them constantly undermining those in their team. This includes asking them several times about progress or even chasing up others to see if the task is done.  Finally, what really irks me is when the leader has their direct report delegate a task/message to a subordinate, and the subordinate, unhappy with the task, bypasses the authority of the direct report and contests the leader. The issue then arises when the leader grants the subordinate's request without reference to their direct report. This is a breakdown in communication that shows little respect towards the direct report by both the subordinate and the leader themselves. This often leads to a lack of trust, unhappiness amongst team members and in a lot of cases, resignation.

The fabric of leadership is a fickle one, and the onus is on all parties to maintain balance.

Be Efficient with things but effective with people!!

I constantly meet Managers and others who have difficulty getting the best out of the people they work with and those who report to them.

I also meet people who are tremendous workers and their productivity with the “things of the job” is outstanding but…….

Effective with people

Over time I have realised that some people are naturally effective in their dealings with people. They seem to be able to get the best out of people, are well liked and manage their team very well. Such people instinctively adopt a position of being effective…

This means that they:

• Take time to explain things to people
• Use the “right time” to interact with people ie when someone is unhassled and not likely to be interrupted or in the middle of something
• Schedule meetings effectively
• Are generally kind and positive in their dealings

Efficient with things

Being Efficient always relates to things:

• Do the accounts before time,
• Reply to email quickly,
• Process mail quickly.

In all these instances the object of the work will not be upset at how it is dealt with, so efficiency rules. Those who are good at this too  often try to be efficient with people and it doesn’t work….just think about the last time you were speaking with somebody and engaging with them, eye contact, good body language and they are talking with you while they take messages or look at the phone.. they are trying to be effective and efficient and it doesn’t work! Even worse they don’t know why it doesn’t work!

In the world of work, we need to be both efficient and effective. So to be both just make sure you do your best to not be efficient with people as this is a pathway to ineffective management of people and interpersonal interactions with anybody.  

How Do You Work With Your Team To Assist Then To Improve Their Performance?

We often hear about people having a performance appraisal……In my experience this invokes fear, discomfort or even the notion of “we suggest that you add value somewhere else because you are not adding value here…”

Performance appraisal should be about improving performance and be for the benefit of the individual. It should never be about putting someone down or rubbing their nose in areas where they may have done better. In my experience these necessary procedures should be called “how to be better at what you do”. Consequently a number of strategies should be employed when assisting your people to grow and improve the work they are doing. It might help to consider that you are always working to assist improvement and thatyou just do this often and informally (with feedback), then more frequently and a little more formally (assessment)  and then with a more structured formal event (review).Thesethree methods that can be used to assist your people in their performance, so let’s tease out some more detail.

FEEDBACK

Feedback should be provided regularly and informally. By often we mean several times per week or in the early stages a couple of times per day. Try and ensure it is provided in the first person with many “I” messages. An example of this may be “when I was stuck for the best response to make to a difficult patient I used to restate what I perceived them as saying……..”.

 It is never good when you hear “you should have done…….”. Providing an observation is a good way to minimize the reaction and will often produce a quick dialogue, ideally this observation should be factual and objective, not judgemental. Once again an example “I have noticed that when you take a client from the waiting room that eye contact is not being made and a smile will help to create instant rapport”. Try and invite a response as this may remove any unwanted over reaction and build positive communication. Always start with a positive comment. We say that even if the only thing you can come up with is “I like your shirt/dress today..” then that is a good start.

ASSESSMENT

Making an assessment of progress is a more formal activity and should be done with some but short notice. This sort of activity may be used weekly or every couple of days at commencement and will involve sitting down out of ear shot of others and when both parties have the time to be productive. Time allowed for such activity should be around 15 minutes. Similar types of approach to feedback as mentioned above but the following factors make this interaction more structured:

Provide objective and non-judgemental feedback and invite a response
Impart details regarding why an action is appropriate/inappropriate e.g “maybe it is a good idea to go out of the room while the clients gets dressed”

Offer suggestions or provide directions or alternative actions if required
Provide resources to assist behaviour e.g an article about a topic like e.g“empathetic listening”. The reading of the resource prepares the person for the meeting
Provide personal demonstration of desired action
Role play. We cannot urge you enough to use this activity as a learning tool. In this way you can help your personnel to see a situation from another point of view.

QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL REVIEW

This type of activity is something that is formal, structured, has preparation required by both parties and done at distinct and scheduled times in advance. We suggest annually when a detailed plan is prepared and hopefully able to be measured against some KPI that were set at the time the person was engaged to work. Hopefully such KPI’s will be a mixture of qualitative and quantitative

People can be very poor at setting objectives and need much assistance. SettingS.M.A.R.T objectives when someone starts work that they create and own will assist with the review when it happens. 

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Timely

See what difference you can make in your team by following some of the simple advise outline above and good luck!

In Business Coaching, Business Education, Michael Kenihan, Business Tags improve, performance, team, goals

Building Business Capacity in your Health Care Practices

Most of us have visited health care practices. We visit expecting a service and generally judge the practice on how friendly the staff are, how the facility is presented and on the "feel" we get while waiting for our visit. Generally speaking we have little ability to judge how good the advise or treatment we receive is and whether one clinician is more technically effective than another. We just know what we "feel" about what we have experienced and if we "feel" listened to and engaged with we are mostly happy. I have highlighted the word feel because when receiving a service that is how we judge that service not on the technical competence that may be delivered.

How then does this relate to business capacity in health care practices?

It matters because what a business needs is the engagement of their clients whom they hope will become advocates for that business. Such engagement may need to be something that we train our people to deliver, both from staff and the clinicians. Technical ability is assumed by clients so by paying attention to the feel good factor we will build business capacity.

Mentoring at LifeCare Health

Over the last few years at LifeCare we have introduced a mentoring system into the Physiotherapy and Sports Medicine practices that we own and operate. Moving from an informal, non structured process to a system that dictated how we were to mentor and at what specific times was a challenge for me. I had been used to a more ad hoc, slightly hit and miss approach, which had a degree of success but never created a predictable, sustainable result that improved the retention and development of clinicians in the business. We decided to review the results of the system and found some interesting items. In summary those who engaged with the program (completed documents, attended mentor and other education sessions and were generally and genuinely seen to apply what they learnt) were found to have measures that were around 20% better than those who did not. In other words the anecdotal improvements we observed we confirmed by analysis.

We continue to grow and develop the system we have and believe that effective mentoring from those who have the experience and follow the system is the key to success in Health practice. If you want to know more I recommend you email me and I will provide the results of our study to you.

How to assist your people for better results by mentoring and teaching them what matters!

The Mentor

Over the years I have mentored many practitioners. I am aware that to develop your people takes time and patience as well as a consistent approach where respect, mutual expectation and understanding are built. The primary role of the mentor is to assist others to improve performance and grow professional! The role is about providing feedback and developing a relationship upon which trust will grow. With trust, your ability to be an effective mentor will be enhanced. Do not have the expectation that because you have authority people will listen or engage with you as this is a mistake. A mentor mentee relationship is one of mutual respect.

Spending time on this role is the key to the development of a successful, sustainable and profitable practice as it is by the work and engagement of those who work with you that your practice will grow and thrive.

One needs to have some credibility to be a competent and effective mentor. In a service business, be it in health or another industry, having some “runs on the board” is essential. In other words having been a practitioner yourself who has had to grow a practice, has had to develop a referral base and who has taken the opportunities for professional development will be the “runs on the board” I speak of. To make engagement effective it helps to have “real life stories and experiences to draw from. These will assist you to add value and gain the engagement you will need. As we have stated respect comes from the development of trust.

This will come from:

• Meeting commitments
• Clarifying expectations
• Open and honest communication.

This communication from you will be both caring and supportive and at times more courageous where you deliver clear and honest messages about perfromance.

Teaching

The need for training does not imply that those you engage have not had some formal teaching or technical training. Depending on the experience they have had and the time since they graduated from their academic education they may bring many skills and abilities to the business. There are however many aspects that will be underdeveloped particularly in the commercial and business domain. Most colleges and universities do not prepare people in an understanding of appropriate commercial behaviours one needs to be successful in any private practice. Having technical knowledge does not always mean that practitioners understand clinical reasoning and how to manage their patients and practice. There is a difference between treating patients and managing them.

Teaching Resources

We can recommend that you develop some sort of directory that stores the teaching resources that you will develop yourself, acquire from other places and maybe even engage a consultant to develop for you. One method of managing such resources is to develop and intranet that sits as a private part of your web site. An intranet is secure for your people to access via a password and when administered well will assist you to keep your documents up to date. An intranet is a living thing and needs to be updated and developed regularly so it is current for the day. Your aim is to develop greater independence in your practice culture.
It is important to create a clear table of contents so the relevant documents can be accessed quickly and easily. This can also be facilitated by having a search function as part of the system. Categorising the documents is also necessary. Think of the broad areas that will need to be taught such as:

Clinical and Commercial documents and then sub categories thus:
- Relationship Marketing
- Patient management
- Forms and policies i.e leave forms, sexual harassment policy
- OH and S manual
- Procedures i.e stock system, billing procedures, item analysis etc
- Practice building and growth
- Leadership and management

The task may seem onerous to develop a good teaching system but take your time and try and add documents sequentially and you will get there!

Key Points To Remember

• Set the agenda for discussions
• Make the time to meet regularly
• Create and understand mutual expectations and ensure they are met
• Make sure the objectives they set are theirs and not just what you want
• Help them develop a formal plan including their clinical and commercial objectives
• Illustrate with lots of stories from your experience to make the time you spend more interesting and engaging
• Develop some teaching resources that will assist them with learning about the importance of commercial success

Business skills help to build a sustainable private practice

The following is from NAB's Business Research and Insights

Poor business skills can limit even the best healthcare practitioner’s ability to earn a good income and build a sustainable career.

“I know of incredibly skilled and experienced people who have left their profession because they couldn’t support themselves and their families,” says Michael Kenihan, General Manager of LifeCare Health, Australia’s largest network of allied health and sports medicine practices.

Frustrated by this waste of talent, he was inspired to share the skills he had acquired during his own varied and successful career. He established LifeCare Business Mentoring to help up and coming clinicians then, when results confirmed the practical value of this kind of support, he co-founded Knowledge and Learning Solutions International (KALSI) to make education and mentoring available online.

FOUR BASIC PRINCIPLES

LifeCare Business Mentoring is based on the principles of clinical excellence, commercial success, cultural leadership and customer service.

“We constantly remind people that private practice isn’t just a clinical pursuit, it’s a business pursuit,” he says.

The program covers all aspects of business from developing a strategic plan and financial management to leadership skills. It also teaches commercial behaviours.

“These days being technically capable isn’t enough – people expect as high a level of customer service from a practitioner as they do from someone in retail,” says Kenihan. “If you don’t make the effort to build a rapport with your patients they’re unlikely to come back, or to help you build your business with word-of-mouth recommendations.”

AN AFFINITY WITH SPORT

A former South Australian high jump champion, Kenihan trained as a physiotherapist after a severe ankle injury prevented him from competing. As a clinician, he treated over 30,000 patients, including the Richmond Football Club AFL team, before turning his attention to creating, developing and operating private healthcare practices. He is also a past president of Sports Medicine Australia

“I’ve found that the same principles apply in business as sport,” he says. “For example, your technical skill is the foundation of your success but you also need to focus, work hard and function well as part of a team. And, whether you’re a cricketer or an osteopath, you need passion and commitment to what you do.”

He also believes that every venture starts with a clear goal.

“As a high jumper, I used to sit on the track visualising how I was going to get over the bar,” he says. “Now I encourage practitioners to visualise exactly what they want to achieve in their career.”

FIVE TIPS FOR BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE PRACTICE

1. Don’t expect too much too soon. “The first couple of years are about learning, not earning,” says Kenihan.
2. Be prepared to work outside regular business hours so that you’re available to your patients when it’s most convenient for them.
3. Observe more experienced practitioners at work whenever you have the opportunity.
4. Be prepared to spend time building and maintaining good relationships and strategic alliances with people who can refer patients to you.
5. Make the effort to build rapport with your patients. Even little things, such as addressing them by name, smiling at them when they first come in and taking them back to the reception desk to arrange future appointments, will help them to feel confident, comfortable and well cared for.