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BUSINESS ADVISOR
als manager can also begin to research how to best acquire additional equipment surgeons might request, while the director of nursing can determine if your current staff will need specific training to use it.
The credentialing process is a great time for physicians to tour your facility, meet with key staff members, familiarize themselves with equipment and seek answers to questions they might have. These visits also let the director of nursing and the business office manager walk physicians through your clinical and billing processes. The initial visits are also great opportunities to discuss and negotiate block times.
When adding new procedures — and related new instruments or equipment — ask the central sterile staff to review any changes to your current reprocessing standards. Finding out the type of procedures surgeons will perform will help ensure you have time to turn over needed instrument trays in order to maintain scheduling efficiencies and prevent immediate-use sterilization.
Bottom line: You want surgeons to be confident with your processes, from the business office to the reprocessing room, and comfortable bringing cases to your center. Having them visit before their first surgeries eliminates last-minute misunderstandings and ensures a smooth start.
2. Schedule for satisfaction
Building physicians' confidence in your ability to care for their patients starts with the scheduling process, so your business office must be available, reliable and accommodating when working with referring schedulers.
Develop rapport with physician schedulers by providing comprehensive patient care before the date of service. Ensure the pre-operative process (insurance verification, pre-op screenings, notifying patients of
