Healthcare is a high growth industry and to better navigate the ever-changing landscape of the industry healthcare providers are looking at themselves in a more entrepreneurial way. Their practice is a business that needs to succeed, and managers have enlisted the help of what is known as “intrapreneurs” to ensure greater success. How a spine practice operates in 2016 is vastly different from how practices operated as little as five to ten years ago. Maintaining quality and cost are a top priority to keep up with demands.
Managers believe that the best employees will be more than their job description and seek additional responsibilities outside of their day-to-day activities. Intrapreneurs have the ability to make managers look really good because it shows that they are innovating, thinking outside of the box and delivering more value to the overall organization.
The shortage of primary care doctors will only worsen over time. NP’s and PA’s are looked at as a way to solve the problem. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants fit everywhere as long as it helps the physician. Healthcare occupations and industries are expected to have the fastest employment growth and to add the most jobs between 2014 and 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the increase in the proportion of the population in older age groups, more people in the labor force will be entering prime retirement age. This economic growth projected to generate 9.8 million new jobs--a 6.5-percent increase between 2014 and 2024. Doctors and Nurses are in the perfect place to recognize problems needing solutions to improve patient care and outcomes. Tapping into this wealth of expertise is critical to make the biggest impact possible.
PAs and NPs have the ability to provide high quality health services while remaining cost-effective. The increasing number of patients seeking access to medical care is rising and using midlevel providers is one way to manage the costs. Patients are able to be seen in a timely manner since the physician won't be overbooked and the PA or NP will be able to refer the patient to the physician when needed.
In most cases practices suffer when an employee decides to leave because recruiting and finding a replacement is difficult and time consuming. Instead of having to struggle to find a replacement take the extra steps to ensure the salary is competitive and the work environment is stable and there is room for growth. High turnover can be damaging to your practice; the more steps you take in the beginning to minimize the likelihood of a surgeon leaving the better off your practice will be financially
High-quality healthcare depends upon the presence of well-trained, dedicated healthcare professionals. Hiring high-quality providers will only enhance the service the physicians are providing as well as keeping patients happy with their care. The ranks of the physician assistant and nurse practitioner workforces continue to grow, even as scope-of-practice battles continue between doctors and these advanced practice clinicians.
High-performing and innovative employees are the foundation of productivity. By far the most impactful factor in workforce and team productivity is hiring and retaining employees with exceptional capabilities and self-motivation. Effective managers and leaders set direction and execute. A great manager/leader is the second-most important productivity factor. Leaders and managers play a critical role in defining the direction, purpose, priorities, goals, and roles of the workforce. Practice managers should focus on team and individual goals, performance metrics for continuous improvement, and effective rewards to drive performance.