Get away from it all, while planning for the future
Retreats help practices plan their next move
Developing a strategic plan takes time. But in a busy practice, how can you find the time for your physicians to sit down and chart a course to future success? (See related story, p. 129.)
One way is to hold a practice retreat, says Scott Nettrour, MD, a physician at Tri River Surgical in Pittsburgh. His seven-physician orthopedic surgery practice held its first retreat last February. "We were recently enlarging rapidly, and while we could make short-term decisions, we had no long term strategies," he says.
Retreat from external distractions
But while most people think of retreats as something held at a ski lodge in the winter or on the beach in the summer, Nettrour and his practice opted for a real working retreat, held in the office on a Saturday. "You can’t do this in a setting where there is golf, alcohol, families, or other distractions," he says. "You can’t get work done when there is fun to be had. You have to do it in a situation where nothing external is tugging at you."
His practice wanted to talk about specific issues the ultimate size of the group, the geographic area it wants to serve, physician compensation models, and marketing strategies.
It was too much for the expertise of the physicians, so Nettrour brought in outside help a consultant facilitator, a lawyer, and another physician.
Over the course of the day, the group came up with specific action plans. For instance, the practice has formed an executive committee which will streamline decision making. There are three physicians on the committee, which meets biweekly.
The group has also worked on ways to bring the 55 non-medical staff into the decision-making process. "We hold meetings about specific topics and ask for their input," he notes. Before the change, problems would by handled with one physician talking with one support staff member at a desk. "The two people would just hash it out at the desk and not consider the ramifications on other staff members of any decision they made."
The insight of the whole group was not used, he adds. Now, if there is, for example, a problem with medical records, then the records coordinator can meet with all the physicians to discuss ways to solve the problem.
Harriet Wallsh, RN, director of business development at the Florida Oncology Network in Winter Park works for a group which has an annual retreat in order to plan for the future.
Where do you want to go tomorrow?
She says the best way to plan one is to ask all of your physicians for a desired agenda. Wallsh created a short questionnaire for her eight physicians asking them what topics they wanted addressed. While not all subjects may make the final agenda, she says they provide fodder for further discussion.
All of the topics may be important, Wallsh says, but it is imperative to keep the physicians aware that they can’t focus on everything. "They have to choose their top goals," she says.
Marilyn Happold-Latham, MBA, a consultant with Yergen & Meyer, a Portland, OR based accounting firm, says she likes to start physicians out with a SWOT analysis of the practice strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. That gives the physicians a clearer idea of potential growth.
Then she works on a mission statement for the practice if it doesn’t already have one. This, she says, puts a focus on what the practice wants to be. Then, Happold-Latham has the physicians identify three to five broad goals in major areas operations, finance, and human resources, for instance. "Once you have the goals, then you write up an action plan for each with deadlines and responsible parties."
While some administrators may be capable of objectively facilitating a retreat, Nettrour says the money spent on outside expertise is well worth it. His practice spent $15,000 for the one day retreat, and while some of the physicians were wary of the expense, they all agreed afterwards that it was money well spent. "I would highly recommend it," he says.
Scott Nettrour, MD, Tri River Surgical, Pittsburgh. Telephone: (412) 367-0600.
Harriet Wallsh, RN, Director of Business Development, Florida Oncology Network, Winter Park, FL. Telephone: (407) 539-7000.
Ted MacDonald, CPA, CMPE, CFP, Executive Director, Page Campbell Cardiology, Nashville, TN. Telephone: (615) 383-5524.
Marilyn Happold-Latham, MBA, Consultant, Yergen & Meyer, Portland, OR. Telephone: (503) 295-1288.
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