#8: Building a High-End Practice

[AdminWolf]

ODwire.org Radio

Episode 8: Building a High-End Eye Care Practice

Dr. Steve Silberberg describes his experience of building a high-end private practice from scratch.

Learn how Steve did it & how you can start cultivating a high-end image from day 1.

Topics include picking a location, staffing the practice, and marketing tips.

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[AdminWolf]

Thanks again to Dr. Silberberg for sharing his experience with us. If you've got any questions, just post 'em here!

thanks
adam

 

[Douglas Haigh]

I used to not turn off lights when I left a room, and my dad would yell at me. I slowly made it part of my routine and now it's automatic.

This whole message is about slowly changing your personality to appeal to your brand. The market will then come to you. I hope not everyone follows your message, because then it will be even harder to distinguish yourself.

That being said, excellent points throughout the video, both obvious and subtle. Every student should spend at least two weeks in a practice like yours to really appreciate the 'high end experience'.

 

[AdminWolf]

I used to not turn off lights when I left a room, and my dad would yell at me. I slowly made it part of my routine and now it's automatic.

This whole message is about slowly changing your personality to appeal to your brand. The market will then come to you. I hope not everyone follows your message, because then it will be even harder to distinguish yourself.

That being said, excellent points throughout the video, both obvious and subtle. Every student should spend at least two weeks in a practice like yours to really appreciate the 'high end experience'.

Steve really drove the points home I think; the staffing aspect is one of the biggest issues that I sometimes feel gets swept under the rug. Think about how much more time most patients spend with staff than with the doctor... and then ask yourself what the patient's experience must be like. How can you really assess staff when trapped in the exam room all day?

adam

 

[Steve Silberberg]

I used to not turn off lights when I left a room, and my dad would yell at me. I slowly made it part of my routine and now it's automatic.

This whole message is about slowly changing your personality to appeal to your brand. The market will then come to you. I hope not everyone follows your message, because then it will be even harder to distinguish yourself.

That being said, excellent points throughout the video, both obvious and subtle. Every student should spend at least two weeks in a practice like yours to really appreciate the 'high end experience'.

Thanks Doug It's not easy. In this world you either take two steps forward every day or fall 1 step behind. Thanks for the kind words

 

[Douglas Haigh]

Steve really drove the points home I think; the staffing aspect is one of the biggest issues that I sometimes feel gets swept under the rug. Think about how much more time most patients spend with staff than with the doctor... and then ask yourself what the patient's experience must be like. How can you really assess staff when trapped in the exam room all day?

adam

From what I have heard, you hire personality first and foremost, and then train from there. I never really thought abotu the Xmas bonus being equivalent to pay increase in terms of staff morale/loyalty. Are you basing this on personal experience? I don't know how you would empirically measure this intangible.

 

[Steven Nelson]

Excellent podcast, doc and it was full of great ideas. In particular, what you did with the low vision clinic inside the retinal specialists' office was brilliant.

 

[Steve Silberberg]

Excellent podcast, doc and it was full of great ideas. In particular, what you did with the low vision clinic inside the retinal specialists' office was brilliant.

There is always a vehicle just have to be agressive and creative. U would do the same I believe

 

[Uduak Udom]

Thanks again to Dr. Silberberg for sharing his experience with us.

Waoh! That was very useful, as we're just about venturing into opening a practice in a new area. Event though some of the 'tricks' don't apply here, the ideas are very useful. I've actually been off ODWiRE for nearly 2 years because of pressures from combining work, international optometry and academics; but seeing this topic raised my curiosity, and here am I!

Thanks again, Dr Silberberg!

 

[Steve Silberberg]

Waoh! That was very useful, as we're just about venturing into opening a practice in a new area. Event though some of the 'tricks' don't apply here, the ideas are very useful. I've actually been off ODWiRE for nearly 2 years because of pressures from combining work, international optometry and academics; but seeing this topic raised my curiosity, and here am I!

Thanks again, Dr Silberberg!

+1: email me about your particulars and perhaps I can come up with other vehicles specific for your situation
spacedoc@alum.mit.edu

 

[Steven Nelson]

There is always a vehicle just have to be agressive and creative. U would do the same I believe

Lol...I almost DID do a similar thing. I was talking to a local corneal specialist about setting up in their office one day a week to do specialty RGP fittings (cones, pellucid, post-graft, etc). If I feel I need to kill a day per week at some point, I'll probably still do it.

 

[Steve Silberberg]

Lol...I almost DID do a similar thing. I was talking to a local corneal specialist about setting up in their office one day a week to do specialty RGP fittings (cones, pellucid, post-graft, etc). If I feel I need to kill a day per week at some point, I'll probably still do it.

Just think Steve: Both my approach and yours solves a problem THEY have and would love to dump somewhere because they can't deal with it. Retinal Low Vision in my case, Distressed corneas in yours

 

[Brian Guice OD]

Yes, thanks doc!

If I missed it in the presentation sorry, but how do you successfully incorporate vision plans into your model? Do you take many VCPs, limited, none? Do you feel they have facilitated your success or do you think you've been able to achieve despite these (necessary?) plans? Is there a point where you would drop any/all VCP's?

(Not to start a billing/coding argument on this thread whatsoever, but....) How does your office manage patients expectations regarding their vision plan vs medical insurance?

Thanks!

 

[Steve Silberberg]

Yes, thanks doc!

If I missed it in the presentation sorry, but how do you successfully incorporate vision plans into your model? Do you take many VCPs, limited, none? Do you feel they have facilitated your success or do you think you've been able to achieve despite these (necessary?) plans? Is there a point where you would drop any/all VCP's?

(Not to start a billing/coding argument on this thread whatsoever, but....) How does your office manage patients expectations regarding their vision plan vs medical insurance?

Thanks!

We take VSP and Eyemed. many are medical patients anyway with diabetes, Plaquenil etc. It is perhaps 10% of patients but many are loyal patients who have been with us for years. As new docs are added they get the vision plan patients to build their goodwill. We dropped Spectera, davis and block after a couple of months of trying. RIDICULOUS! We also do a fair amount of KC which VSP reimburses fantastically BTW!

 

[Lisa Heuer]

Awesome

This was fantastic! Thank you for all of the great insight. Steve, when you mentioned the Starbucks perk, you mentioned that you had a bunch of other things that you do to add to the experience of coming to your office. Would you mind sharing some of the others?

Just wanted to say that I have really been enjoying these radio shows. They are an excellent addition to ODwire. Many thanks to Steve S., both Steven N's, Gil, Tom, Michael and the others who have offered to speak (sorry if I left anyone out - I listened to all of them!). Those of us who are new to navigating the waters of practice ownership benefit enormously from this kind of information.

It's very hard to find time to sit still and read, so I love having it on the iPod while I drive. Kudos to Adam and Paul for such an awesome idea!

 

[Steve Silberberg]

This was fantastic! Thank you for all of the great insight. Steve, when you mentioned the Starbucks perk, you mentioned that you had a bunch of other things that you do to add to the experience of coming to your office. Would you mind sharing some of the others?

Just wanted to say that I have really been enjoying these radio shows. They are an excellent addition to ODwire. Many thanks to Steve S., both Steven N's, Gil, Tom, Michael and the others who have offered to speak (sorry if I left anyone out - I listened to all of them!). Those of us who are new to navigating the waters of practice ownership benefit enormously from this kind of information.

It's very hard to find time to sit still and read, so I love having it on the iPod while I drive. Kudos to Adam and Paul for such an awesome idea!

To name a few:
1).An internet cafe' for the kiddies or business man to use
2).Gifts for the kids upon leaving (always eye related)
3). Tune up everyones glasses including new nose pads, sonic cleaning etc even if they aren't buying eyewear..often they wind up doing so
4). Do a robust prescreening and schedule in appropriately..i.e. if I am doing a 24-2 , OCT, Digital retinal screening photo etc tec the patient is scheduled to come in 45 minutes before they are on my schedule
5). Have a cake ready if you notice it's the patients birthday that day or next few and sing happy birthday to them at front desk
6). Bagels and coffee especially Saturday morning
7).My staff scours the obituaries and we send a condolence to a patient's family (rather than them getting a recall because you didn't take the time to see the obit)
8). An emergency button on our website that sendsa text message and email to my partner and I 24/7

I could go on and on but you get the idea?

 

[Lisa Heuer]

To name a few:
1).An internet cafe' for the kiddies or business man to use
2).Gifts for the kids upon leaving (always eye related)
3). Tune up everyones glasses including new nose pads, sonic cleaning etc even if they aren't buying eyewear..often they wind up doing so
4). Do a robust prescreening and schedule in appropriately..i.e. if I am doing a 24-2 , OCT, Digital retinal screening photo etc tec the patient is scheduled to come in 45 minutes before they are on my schedule
5). Have a cake ready if you notice it's the patients birthday that day or next few and sing happy birthday to them at front desk
6). Bagels and coffee especially Saturday morning
7).My staff scours the obituaries and we send a condolence to a patient's family (rather than them getting a recall because you didn't take the time to see the obit)
8). An emergency button on our website that sendsa text message and email to my partner and I 24/7

I could go on and on but you get the idea?

Yep, I get the idea. We already do #2, 3, and 4, but the others are great suggestions. Thank you, Steve!

 

[AdminWolf]

Yep, I get the idea. We already do #2, 3, and 4, but the others are great suggestions. Thank you, Steve!

Took my 3-year old to a pediatric dentist yesterday. The place does pediatrics exclusively, abd the most interesting thing I saw there was a bank of iPads set up with some sort of stand/protective device and pre-loaded with a bunch of kids apps. Very smart -- they are the ultimate distraction in what could be a scary environment for kids. My little guy immediately ran over and started playing, as did the others...