Cause for Celebration at ATI

Management and staff at ATI, the nationally-recognized provider of outpatient orthopedic rehabilitations, deserve HIGH- FIVES.  In 2013,  ATI has steadily acquired clinics in key mid-atlantic and midwest states: Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin.  In fact, over 20 clinics have been added under the ATI banner.  We're pleased... as our former client, MX Physical Therapy, was acquired in January and is part of ATI's growth to date.

Top 10 Healthcare Workplace
Kudos to the Bolingbrook, IL-based organization… for recognition as a Top 10 healthcare company based on results of the yearly WorkplaceDynamics survey.  The survey measures employee satisfaction, engagement, organizational health.  Overall, ATI was ranked #54 of the 872 companies (with 1000+ employees)  participating in the top workplaces programs.  >>Learn more

In the Spring, ATI was also recognized regionally as a top workplace in the Philadelphia and Indianapolis regions, respectively.

As a proud President and CEO, ATI's Dylan Bates noted:

“As we look to the future, and as our company continues to grow, we are even more determined to provide an environment in which our employees can enhance their skills, succeed in the field of their choice, and grow from the positive experience of having excellent outcomes for our patients,” 

Good Job ATI...

Do Well by Doing Good

Community Marketing - it's smart marketing for local businesses… 
It raises your profile and elevates your reputation in the community.  And, that's a good thing if referrals and foot traffic are important.  So, how to?

According to Dr. Roger Levin from the Levin Group...

• Create an annual High-Visibility Event that benefits the community.
• Choose a Good Cause and "Own" it. 
• Involve your entire team to identify a local need and fill it.
• Keep the staff engaged so all have a stake in event success. 

Possibilities:  food drive for local food bank, fundraiser for nonprofit

Make the event memorable and worth repeating year after year:

• Think creatively
• Pay attention to details
• Create a timetable
• Assign responsibilities 
• Meet deadlines  

Enjoy Your event, the community connections and a job well done!

PatientFocus Signs Agreement with Choice Medical

PatientFocus, a healthcare billing company providing enhanced patient billing services, has signed an agreement with Choice Medical, Inc., a specialty distributor of orthopedic, neurosurgical, orthotic and prosthetic product lines. 

The agreement will give Choice Medical patients access to Patient Focus’ suite of patient-pay account management services.  Payment options will include check, credit card, bank draft, Health Savings Account and PayPal.  >>Read more

Hats off to U.S. Physical Therapy…

Forbes recognized the operator of outpatient physical therapy as a Top 100 U.S. small business.  Its #60 ranking is impressive as is its operational footprint - approximately 450 clinics in over 40 states.  Founded in 1990 and currently headquartered in Houston, U.S. Physical Therapy has close to 2000 employees.  

Kudos to other healthcare services companies appearing on the latest Forbes America's Best Small Companies list:  

• Metropolitan Health Networks
• Air Methods
• Bio-Reference Laboratories
• HealthStream
• HMS Holdings
• Ensign Group

Inclusion was based on earnings growth, sales growth, ROE in the past 12 months and over 5 years.
Source:  The Motley Fool

Pay Raise for Physical Therapists?...

Medicare recently released its proposed fees for healthcare professionals scheduled to take effect January 1, 2014.   As expected, there were winners and losers…a few are noted below but Click here to learn how others will be affected.  

Winners
Physical / Occupational therapists… +1%
Family practitioners…+1%
Chiropractors…+2%
ER physicians…+2%
Losers     
Dermatologists…-1 to -2%
Radiologists… -1 to -2%
Pathology specialists…-5%
Radiation therapy centers…-13%

3 Questions to Get Your Business Unstuck

Unsure of your business' next steps?  Glenda Eoyang, author of Adaptive Action:  Leveraging Uncertainty in Your Organization suggests that you start with 3 questions:

1. What is going on around you?  (Helps assess the current state of business affairs.)
2. So, what does this mean? (Helps clarify why it's important.) 
3. Now what do you do? (Set the path but be willing to change course, if necessary.)

Read more>>>

Source:  CEO.com

Retail Clinics Continue to Roll Out

Up 7% percent (as of July 1) - that's the growth of retail clinics year over year, according to Merchant Medicine, a consulting firm in the field of walk-in medicine. 

Impressive…

Today, the total number of retail clinics is over 1400 in 38 states and Washington, D.C.* and the upward trend will continue.  Evidence is the recent announcement by CVS, Minute Clinic's owner, of their plans to double locations by 2016 from 570 to 1000.  

Not surprising…

After all, a Forbes article points to the fact that retail clinics are expected to be a key component of Obamacare when it kicks in next January (2014) -  either through a private health plan operating on an exchange or through Medicaid health insurance programs for the poor.  Read more>> 

Solid ground…

Healthcare's walk-in side must be doing something right.  An editor at Physicians Practice, suggested in a blog post that traditional practices could learn a few things from retail clinics.  During a recent visit, she was impressed with the walk-in's "cleanliness and efficiency in handling patient intake, prescription list, insurance information and payment all by one person."  Another important point, her "care-coordination was equally smooth".    

*Convenient Care Association