Patients make up the heart of your office, from the way that you interact with them to the way that they pay for their services. Without patients, you are looking at a loss of money and, potentially, the closing of your practice. This is why you have to focus on patient support at all times. At best, you want to provide as much as possible at all times. Sometimes, you will have to rely on automation and services to provide the support for you. No matter what, you want to ensure that all communication to the patient is as smooth as possible so that he or she has faith in what you do.

How can you make it so that your patients have the financial, emotional, physical, and personal support that they need, but you don’t have to take hours and hours out of your day working with different approaches? There are a few different ways to focus on supporting your patients at all times:

Treat Them Like People

While you might look at them like metrics or numbers a lot of the time, you have to understand that your patients are people. Learn little things about them – like what they do, what their family is like, and what they worry about. Not only will this make everyone more comfortable, but you will also be able to get information more easily as well.

It is too easy to immediately ask a patient to verify his or her insurance from the onset of the appointment. Or to ask about symptoms. But taking an extra ten seconds to ask about a child’s graduation or a new haircut will completely change the situation. You can screen each patient for eligibility within your network while talking about what happened last week at their son’s soccer game. For older people, asking them about grandchildren or showing them how to use your online systems will help to pass the time and maybe even increase their understanding so that next time you don’t’ have to do as much.

Now, you have to make sure that you aren’t being too chatty or asking questions that are too personal. Instead, focus in on asking questions that are friendly chit chat that won’t lead to extremely long conversations.

Use Revenue Cycle Management Systems

Revenue cycle management systems allow you to have a more hands-off approach to your financial services while still ensuring that you get paid. Everything is streamlined into a system that does much of the work for you. The work that the automation doesn’t do can then go to another firm that manages your collections.

The best revenue cycle management systems don’t require any start-up costs from you and won’t change your day-to-day functions too much. Using these systems will also help you to improve your bedside manner and talking to the patient.

Ask About Long Breaks in Care

Longer breaks in care typically show that something happened or there was a problem in someone’s life. This is especially true if the person went to you then didn’t for an extended period of time. It could be that they lost their healthcare, they were afraid to come to the doctor, or they tried out someone else without letting you know. Don’t pry, but asking questions can help you to get information about the emotional, physical, or monetary status of the person. In some cases, this can really help the patient open up to you about problems he or she is facing.

If you believe that your patient needs more support than you can provide, you can use this as an opening to talk about care for specific physical or emotional needs.

Get Your Payments Up Front

Another option that you can use to provide better patient financial support is to require the payments for your services up front. This can help you by eliminating backlogs of information that you have to wade through at a later date. It also ensures that you get paid, which is becoming harder and harder to do.

Receiving payments before a patient leaves your office ensures that you get money and that the money is good – you can deal with any problems right away while the patient is standing there. This dramatically increases the chances of getting a payment at all – there is nothing to slip someone’s mind once he or she leaves your office.

Make sure that your patients know before they come to their appointments that they have to pay upfront – include it in your reminder calls and emails and have a sign in your office.

Providing adequate support to your patients is just a simple way to show that you really do care. With more and more doctors flooding the market at a rapid rate, you must improve the relationship you have with your patients so that they are willing to come back to you.

Hardwood flooring is so popular today,people are installing hardwood flooring  in kitchens and bathrooms. For starters, it is important to realize that solid hardwood floors are manufactured from wooden that where every individual section comes from a single timber. The benefits of this product include durability and a classic look. Plus, customers have the option of buying wood that may be either unfinished or prefinished.If you are a “DIYer”,don’t worry all the manufacturers come with instructions on how to install hardwood flooring.By doing-it-yourself you will get a great hardwood flooring discount,and the project will add to your homeowner handyman knowledge.

If you choose unfinished, then the finishing work is done on-site, an activity that enables your client greater control in the final look of the product. However, the negative effects to this option would be that the installation time is greater. Whichever approach one takes with solid hardwood floors, they should keep in mind that such a hardwood floor is supposed to be installed on top of a plywood subfloor. Basically, this system can’t be installed directly on top of concrete.

With a concrete floor, the consumer must consider other styles of hardwood floors for instance engineered hardwood floors. The product is comprised of at least two layers of wood which are pressed together. The top layer of wood is a specific item when the finished strategy is installed even though the bottom layer or layers provide the necessary foundation.

One benefit to this product is that it could be glued to concrete whereas solid hardwood flooring cannot. Another situation where engineered hardwoods should be made is whenever a room is below grade. Finally, you aren’t a under floor heating should use engineered hardwoods as opposed to solid hardwoods.

For both kinds of flooring, customers could also choose to possess a hand scraped finish to attain a classic World style. On no account should either engineered or solid hardwood be mistaken with laminate or veneer floors. While these kind of flooring are made to appear to be real wood, they typically don’t succeed in relation to the realism factor.

Should you be searching for some hardwood floors to your home, then it is very important pick a company while using proper knowledge and experience that may help you find the right product to meet your needs.

A few weeks ago, I went on a “Grand Tour of the Pacific Northwest,” and decided to start this blog, for reals this time. The first time around was two years ago as I was packing up to move from Portland to Berkeley. I may have been under the influence at the time, but only in the way where all your ideas are THE BEST EVER. My fiancé, C, being far more practical than me at the moment, reminded me that it was a crazy time to start a blog: I was working and packing and moving away from all our friends and moving to our first place just the two of us and starting grad school. He was right, but my motivation really fizzled out when I couldn’t pick a good name.  Among my many blog ideas that were THE BEST EVER,  a name was not one of them.  Even my friends and family valiantly tried to come up with name ideas, but with little success.  Observe:

Sweet helpers, but no winners.

So the move happened, but the blog didn’t. Moving from Portland to Berkeley meant leaving our damp basement room in a 5-bedroom house of friends complete with yard, garden, and sometimes-koi-pond in the city we both love, in order to move to a cute 1-bedroom apartment complete with no outdoor space, no option to get a dog, and quadruple the rent in a city I kinda like and C sweetly tolerates.

In the two years since C and I moved, we’ve visited Portland a handful of times between us, but never together. So when we had the chance to take a trip to Washington, we decided to go all out and make a Grand Tour from Berkeley to Seattle to Victoria to Seattle to Portland to Berkeley again. The whole thing just solidified that I want:

(A) to live there

I mean seriously…

Come. On.

(B) to have a yard

A yard! With a grill! And with seasons! And with outdoor movie nights! (Photos from BFF-F and her yard)

(C) to get a dog.

There are at least 3 years before we leave the East Bay, so in the meantime, I’m working towards building a space I love to be in, rather than sitting around mentally bitching about all the things I’d like to change. Not to worry! There will still be plenty bitching! But I’m hoping to channel it towards projects I’ve been putting off and/or half-assing.

“But, that doesn’t sound ‘lazy’ at all!” you say. “How dare you call yourself ‘The Lazy Apartment’ when you’re talking about ‘working,’ ‘building,’ and ‘channeling-bitching-energy’?!”

“Well,” I say, “you’re thinking of just one kind of lazy. At the moment, I can think of at least two. You’re thinking of being lazy as ‘not doing much of anything at all’ (trust, this blog will also include plenty of that kind of lazy). But oftentimes, being lazy means getting shit done now, so that you can get back to ‘not doing much of anything at all’ in a nicer space OR so that the next time you have to use that space it’s less stupid than it was before.”

“I’m unconvinced! Give me an example! Paint me a word picture!”

“Easy. Sweeping the floor. For some (me most of the time), it’s lazier to just…not sweep. But if you get that shit done now (instead of waiting for weeks and weeks), you can sweep quickly, and then sit your ass down again and enjoy the view of the floors from your couch/bed/toilet (it’s a nicer space!). If youWhen I decide to just not sweep for weeks on end, and instead just wear flip flops around the house and wash your feet multiple times per day and run around dodging giant hair-tumbleweeds…this is when just sweeping would make the whole situation way less stupid.”

“Wow…you let your floors get really…really dirty.”

“Yep. And that’s nothing compared to the stupid mirror situation up in here. Stay tuned for that one.”

At one point, this blog was going to be about putting in a little effort now, to be a lot more lazy later.  Turns out, when you’re getting a Ph.D., there’s not a lot of room for “lazy later.”  The last few months have been all about something I affectionately call PP2.  I’ll spare you the details, but it’s in between a term paper and the big D (that’s dissertation for those of you whose Ph.D. programs call it something else, looking at you BFF-F).  Actually, it’s pretty far from a term paper, and even though it has been in development since last fall, it is still OWNING MY LIFE.

So whenever I feel capable of writing, I’ve been writing that, and whenever I assign myself some downtime, I’ve been doing anything but writing (including updating my lovely blog).  I am currently experiencing some unassigned downtime in my tub, because after 3.25 days of writing for 6-10 hours per day at my slightly too low monitor, this morning I stretched my arms into the air, arched my back, and my whole upper back and neck seized up.  Shit.  I knew this would happen.  That’s why I finally paid the $10/term membership to the student gym and put all their yoga classes on my calendar.  That’s the first step, right?  No.  That’s like, the zeroth step.  I do this every time.  Every time my body breaks after not taking care of it, my motivation to take care of it skyrockets.  Every time I start to feel better enough to actually do so, my motivation plummets.  What are you, 16?  Be a grown ass lady and take care of business, yeesh.  (Hopefully that pep talk will keep me motivated through this recovery.)

Okay, so blaming my lack of posts on PP2 is not entirely fair.  I also blame the apartment.  This apartment has always been love/hate.  We loved the space, but hated the price.  I love the proximity to everything, but hate the dumbass kitchen counters.  I love that I can take an afternoon bath with light streaming down on me from the window in the shower, but I hate the shower curtain rings.  But mostly, I hate that ever since it sunk in a few months ago that this would likely be the last time we renew the lease, I hate that my motivation for putting any effort into the apartment (or this lovely blog) has gone down the drain (even for quick shit I’ve already paid for like replacing the shower curtain rings with new ones I bought on sale five months ago).  I’m not promising that this is some kind of turning point for the apartment or the blog, but I am going to put down my phone, get out of the bath, and put up those damn rings, neck or no neck.

Well, I put up some of the rings.  Our three shower curtains are held up by three separate types of shitty plastic shower rings. (Does each curtain have its own kind of ring?  Nope!  They mix and match!  How fun!)  So I was able to take down one set easily, but as I feared, the other two sets are held together by some sort of gypsy curse.  New motto for the apartment (and the blog): partway done is better than not done at all.

The first step to reducing my cell phone addiction has been to stop using my phone as my morning alarm clock and having no excuse for keeping the phone in the bedroom. I bought the alarm clock above (it’s so cute and thin!) for $14 and have set up my charging station outside of the bedroom. This means when I’m home, I’m using my phone less and only checking it when I need to talk to someone. I want to be focused on what I am doing and when my cell phone is in view, all I want to do is look at it. This doesn’t really achieve anything. There’s no problem with using the phone when I need it, but 95% of the time, I don’t need it.Stretch for 15 Minutes at Some Point Everyday

I have a distinct memory of always seeing my parents on the living room floor stretching out their backs and legs after a long day of work. On the weekends, they would do this in the mornings before starting the day. They would often ask us kids to walk on their backs (this was when we were under 100 pounds) or in the case of my mom, we would grab her feet and pull them away from her, giving her legs and back a good stretch. Now I see how helpful that little bit of stretching time can be. Not only is it helpful if you’ve been sitting down all day, it gives you time to meditate and reflect. I’ve also been using a Foam Roller to stretch the muscles in my back and legs. I highly recommend it, especially if you’re a runner.Clear out the Dishes in the Sink or Put Away the Clean Dishes

I dream of the day when I hire a weekly housekeeper to clean our house from top to bottom. But really, the kitchen is the biggest time-thief but with T. Make a commitment to make sure the dishes in the sink have been washed or put in the dishwasher at least once per day. If there are no dishes out, then take those few minutes to wipe down the counters, take out the trash or sort the recycling. It doesn’t matter if you do it in the morning or in the evening, just give yourself a few minutes everyday to put the kitchen in order so that there is less visible clutter in your everyday life.Make Water Delicious and Eliminate Most Other Beverages 95% of the Time

I already love drinking water and get pretty close to the recommended daily amount. But sometimes the mere thought of an ice-cold Coke or orange Fanta feels impossible to resist. I want to be serious about never drinking soda, lemonade or sugary juices, even when it’s free. To get your fix of something that’s a little more exciting than just plain water, you can infuse water with a few slices of cucumber, watermelon, or any other fruit, or try mineral (sparkling water). This Infuser Water Bottle is a sleek looking option if you prefer something fancier.Set the Alarm for No Distractions for 45 Minutes Every Work Day

If you do any kind of work where you have time to work independently- whether you are in construction, a writer, a manager, or anything else, the chances are that you are likely to get distracted throughout the day. There are a few different theories on what “chunks” of time are the most productive- you can do three to four 15-minutes chunks of time with no distractions (turn off email, phone, put up a “do not disturb” sign), or 25-minute segments with a 5-minute break right after. Personally, I can’t take the 5-minute break. A 5-minute break turns into me looking up what are the latest movies Anna Kendrick is in and why does such and such person have 1 million Instagram followers? And then I start thinking about what I want to eat for lunch so let me just get my phone out and check Yelp real quick. So I prefer the 15-minute segments. I still let the buzzer go off to remind me that I’ve completed one, and depending on how I’m doing I try to do at least 2 more segments of uninterrupted work. Usually this focused time helps me get so much done that it sets the tone for the rest of the day and gives me that sense of accomplishment I am constantly seeking.Work on One Important Goal Each Day

Right now I feel like I am floating without any written goals. But even without them, I know that I have some big goals like making more money, cleaning and decluttering our home, and writing more. If I am at least doing something towards each of those goals each day, I start to see progress in the right direction. To make it a habit, focus on one of your goals each day. Give it a separate time or scorecard. If you’re goal is to lose weight or get in shape, give yourself a fitness journal or a Crossfit Blog that help you throughout the journey. If you want to write one page of your novel every day, make your desk the space only where you write the novel, not pay bills and write grocery lists. If your goal is to change how you feel about yourself, give yourself time to clear out your old thoughts and behaviors to be able to create new patterns.

Although I could make this list much longer, I wanted to do a list that was achievable but not overly easy. It’s not easy to wash dishes everyday, but I always feel better when I do it. Everyday I check http://surrogateparenting.com/testimonials/surrogates-testimonials/ yet I don’t go through it. I admit I don’t have focused time every workday, but it’s something that is very important to improve how I work. Does this list help you or are you already checking the above items off everyday and this is easy-peezy? Let me know!