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Congratulations on taking the monumental step towards opening your medical practice! Embarking on this journey involves an array of crucial decisions and meticulous planning, and we are here to give you some help. From securing the ideal location to establishing a distinctive brand, here's a comprehensive breakdown of key things you need to know to set up a thriving medical practice in 2024.
Finding the Correct Real Estate
Whether you are buying or leasing property, finding the perfect location for your medical practice is pivotal. Consider factors like accessibility, proximity to your target demographic, zoning regulations, and space requirements. Collaborate with a real estate agent specializing in commercial properties to identify spaces that align with your vision. Patient convenience matters most. Here are some of the main points you should think about when looking at real estate:
Neighborhood Selection: Prioritize accessible and secure areas, considering future developments that might impact accessibility.
Parking and Transit Accessibility: Ensure easy access to parking and public transit to minimize delays with clients and optimize time management.
Anticipating Future Developments: Stay informed about upcoming developments nearby to avoid unexpected neighborhood changes.
Tailoring Location to Patient Expectations: Choose a location that aligns with patient expectations, whether it's within professional buildings, retail spaces, or remote setups.
Cost-Efficiency and Scalability: Strategize to optimize costs while aligning the space with growth plans for the practice.
Understanding Competitive Landscape: Evaluate the density of other healthcare providers in the vicinity to maintain a balanced patient flow, avoiding either an oversaturated or underserved market.
Partnering with a pharmacy: This can provide huge savings in leasing space. Similarly, sharing space or being in close proximity to a family practice office can facilitate a source of referrals for specialist care for example.
Hiring Staff for your Medical Practice
Building a competent and dedicated team is fundamental to the success of your practice. From skilled medical professionals to administrative staff, prioritize hiring individuals who resonate with your practice's values and ethos. The team you assemble now will be the bedrock of your practice for years to come. Making the right hires can shape your workplace culture, ensure precise administrative records, and elevate the standard of care your patients receive. Hence, it's crucial to make astute choices!
We strongly recommend having formal employment contracts that outline the following:
Terms of Employment
Compensation and Benefits
Job description and responsibilities
Vacation and absences and
Termination and severance
We recommend consulting a lawyer when drafting this.* While it is important to keep overhead expenses low, unnecessary turnover of employees should be avoided as it takes considerable time and effort to find and onboard new employees. We recommend fair compensation with the opportunity for bonuses/promotion to reward good performance.
Insuring your Medical Practice
In addition to general malpractice insurance for physicians through the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), it is important to ensure you have adequate business insurance for your practice. This may include coverage for general liability, business overhead insurance in the event you are unable to practice, business interruption insurance should your clinic become damaged or unusable and finally, general property insurance. We recommend consulting an insurance professional to discuss your personalized insurance needs.*
Choosing an Electronic Health Records Software (Arya EHR)
Selecting the ideal Electronic Health Records (EHR) software is pivotal for efficient patient management and streamlined clinical processes. When establishing your practice, it's vital to thoroughly explore the EMR landscape rather than defaulting to familiarity. Doing so can prevent missing out on essential features, overspending, or using outdated systems. It's crucial to prioritize integrated features and ensure they're encompassed in the pricing structure.
Arya EHR offers a comprehensive suite of top-tier features tailored for your medical practice. Here are the standout elements that seamlessly integrate into the platform and are included in the pricing structure:
Customizable Templates: Tailor workflows to match specific needs.
Online Booking: Simplify patient scheduling and accessibility.
Telehealth: Facilitate remote patient consultations efficiently.
Data Analytics: Harness insights for informed decision-making.
Artificial Intelligence: Employ AI-driven tools for note generation
Exceptional Customer Service: Access support to navigate and optimize system usage.
Patient Portal: Enable patients to engage and access their health information.
Workflow Customization Flexibility: Adapt the system to match unique practice workflows.
These integrated features within Arya EHR not only elevate practice efficiency but also ensure a patient-centric approach while maximizing overall effectiveness.
How to Market to Patients
To help your practice thrive, you must spread the word about the exceptional care you offer. This involves listing your practice in online directories, establishing a digital presence, networking with fellow healthcare professionals, and more. Marketing your medical practice means embracing diverse communication channels. Avoid relying solely on one method and aim for a well-rounded strategy that maximizes returns. Craft a comprehensive marketing strategy to reach and engage with your target audience. Leverage digital marketing, community engagement, and patient testimonials to establish a robust online presence and foster patient trust. This can involve creating a beautiful up to date website, having a social media presence, investing in paid ads, sending out email newsletters, or even creating a referral program for your clients depeding on the practice you are running. Remember, you are building a brand for yourself, you want the marketing to reflect that.
Outfitting Your Clinic to be Patient Friendly
What makes certain medical practices more accommodating to patients than others, and why should a physician prioritize this? In essence, the success, competitiveness, and longevity of your practice hinge on how you prioritize patient care and the impression you leave on them. Present-day patients are well-informed and discerning; they extensively research online and peruse reviews before choosing a physician. Once they've chosen a practice, they're inclined to switch if dissatisfied. Hence, it's imperative that your practice prioritizes being as patient-centric as can be. Here are a few things you can focus on to make your practice as patient friendly as possible:
Welcoming waiting area designed for comfort, equipped with ample seating, high-speed WiFi, various entertainment options, including toys for children and a selection of books.
Convenient self-check-in kiosks available for patients, streamlining the appointment process and alleviating administrative tasks for the admin staff.
Pristine office space maintained with regular cleaning and updated amenities for a modern and professional environment.
Create a welcoming environment! When that patient first walks through the doors they should feel at ease.
About Arya Health:
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Arya Health is an electronic health record system designed by physicians for physicians. It is used in clinics across Canada and helps streamline patient records management. The technology used in our healthcare software is constantly evolving to meet the needs of healthcare professionals and their patients. Our goal is to improve the efficiency of clinics and provide a better overall experience for healthcare professionals and patients