Manager Sarah Dekutowski provided expert insight to Physician’s Money Digest for its Oct. 14 article, “Combat Rising Operating Costs.” The article cites a recent survey by MGMA-ACMPE that states rising operating costs are the most intense challenge of running a medical practice, and Dekutowski does not disagree. “Operating costs are going to continue to go up across all businesses, and physician practices are not immune,” she said. “And you know, reimbursements are out, so any increase, even an extra thousand dollars a year, will affect the practice.”
But there are steps physicians can take to combat those rising costs. For example, if a practice is not already using an electronic medical record, that should be the first consideration to combating costs. Once implemented, do not duplicate efforts. All that does is waste valuable time and money. In addition, physician practice management should understand the scope of their practice and what they’re comfortable with to ensure all staff are performing the proper functions and being used most effectively.
Finally, Dekutowski advises not to just sit back and “go with the flow.” She says: “You can’t just wait and see what happens. This is your business. Physicians really have to be engaged in everything. Those that I see that are successful are the ones that are engaged.”
To read the full article, click here.
For more information on how physician practices can combat rising operating costs, contact Sarah Dekutowski at sdekutowski@draffin-tucker.com or (404) 220-8494.
