Palate

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Prevention vs Treatment to reduce the cost in healthcare
Palate
Posted on April 30, 2018 at 2:18 am
I work for a CHC which treats a large population who possess limited health literacy skills. A diverse population  – different cultures, beliefs , values and life experiences. English is a second language amongst most of them, the poor and [...]

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On May 2, 2018, Palate commented on How to make the Healthcare System Sustainable (…and enjoyable) :

I agree with you about promoting healthy lifestyles and the emphasis being on PREVENTION.
Have incentives to motivate people to follow this trend. Get a tax break for leading a healthy lifestyle.
Organizations give out gym memberships as a benefit .
Yoga or Marshal arts along with meditation should be part of the school curriculum. Stress management.
Classes on nutrition, healthy school meals should be introduced to children at home and school from a very young age.
Make it a point to shop at the farmer’s market once a week in addition to our regular grocery store.

On May 2, 2018, Palate commented on Leaders to support expansion in dental clinics :

The right people are the greatest asset of an organization.
1) This has to be determined at hiring . Make sure you advertise your posting with a detailed job description at your dental organization , journals and also let your current employees know if they find the dentist for you, after 90 days from the date of hire, you will give them a finder’s fee. Do not hire someone based off a resume. Before you interview them , do a background check. If the interview goes well then make sure to ask for references that you can call and verify. Some corporations ask for a drug test.
2) hire and retain emotionally intelligent people who expect more from their employers. Job enrichment motivates employees by giving them a career track that includes a higher pay with a bonus structure in place ( 30% of collection + bonus). Offer benefits. The employees feel more involved as the work environment becomes more interesting and they feel valued. This has a positive impact on atttitude and productivity. It allows employees to have more control planning their work and making sure it is accomplished.
3) a well designed orientation program . Have a preceptor ( staff member) explain practices and procedures and accompany the newbie for the first 2 weeks around and made to feel welcomed. Introduce the new hire to everyone around in the practice
4) have a hand book for your organization .
5) Evaluate the new hire in 3 months. By now you should know if this new hire will work for you or not.
6) Set expectations and goals for your new hire after 90 days if you decide to keep your new hire. Tailor goals to each employee based on their strengths and weaknesses.
7)Deal with poor performance issues right away. Have a Performance Improvement Plan in place which explains in detail what is expected to correct it and the consequences of not making the changes would result in termination. This way there are no surprises.

On May 2, 2018, Palate commented on Opioid Addiction Crisis :

I have taken this upon myself that I don’t prescribe it after every surgical procedure. If I have any doubt or concern regarding the patient being a drug seeker, I go into our state website which will give me details about the patient’s prescriptions. This is very helpful. It takes time, but I personally take the effort to do it. It has to start with each one of us. I have patients who leave very upset because they did not get what they wanted , but that’s okay with me. There are a lot of other options.
It’s saddening to see in the news what is happening in San Francisco. I believe it starts with us healthcare providers to bring about this change and not be reckless in our style of prescribing.

On May 1, 2018, Palate commented on How to design incentives at a non-profit academic medical center :

we have a fixed base salary and RVU based bonus program every month. Each individual gets their own bonus. It’s paid out every month.

On May 1, 2018, Palate commented on conflicts within the team :

You cannot mix personal matters with work. You need to call your friends into a meeting and let them know you hired them because of their excellent work and also because they were your friends hoping that all of you can come together and attain those goals you have put in place. You were not made aware that they would not be able to communicate with each other at work because of their personal conflict. Its affecting work now and you do not wish to be caught up with it. They need to leave it outside of work or you are left with no option , but have to let them both go . You definitely want to give it a chance to see if this situation at work can be changed between them . If they cannot you will know it’s time to find someone new for the position. This way you were honest with both your friends , you came clean with your concern with both of them at the meeting and you gave them a chance. I would take this approach because both both of them are your friends.
Now if they were not your friends , you know the answer – we won’t be having this discussion ?

On May 1, 2018, Palate commented on Physician :

In my organization we have policies in place , which includes everyone including providers. There is ZERO tolerance to any of the above discussed. The policies are sent out to all of us , which we have to go through and sign off on it that we clearly understand what is expected of us. Any changes or updates with any of the above we are informed right away.If there is any such complaint , it is investigated and the necessary action is taken. We also go through modules every few months with a program called the “ Language of Caring “ ( LOC) . It is very helpful.