The Private Medical Practice Academy
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Understanding Employer's Responsibilities For Employee taxes
15 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Understanding your obligations surrounding employee taxes is crucial for operating a successful business, whether you're an employer or an aspiri...
Stark and Anti-Kickback Primer
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Stark Law prohibits physicians from referring patients to entities in which they have a financial interest to prevent financial incentives from dr...
Business Insurances You're Probably Not Thinking About
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Insurance is one of those things you never want to need or use. But, unfortunately, when life happens having insurance can save you. Some types are pr...
Understanding Your Exit Strategy Options with Eric Miller
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Owning a private medical practice is a journey. Initially, you're focused on how to get the practice up and running. The next phase is how to bes...
More Patients, More Revenue with Zed Williamson
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More patients equals more money. Right? Not necessarily.If you want to grow your practice, you're probably thinking how do I get more patients. B...
Mistakes Help You Grow Your Practice
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
You've probably heard me say that medicine is a business. It takes work to run a successful business. There are good days and bad days. An...
Developing Your Practice's 2023 Strategic Plan
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I'll outline the key steps you need to develop your practice's strategic plan for the new year.The first step: doing a revi...
What I Need To Do Labs In The Office with Dr. Heather Signorelli
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You never know when your mother-in-law will turn out to be a valuable asset to your practice. Mine was a lab technologist who had started up and ran m...
Nuts and Bolts of Medical Real Estate with Colin Carr
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Finding space for your medical practice can seem very intimidating. So when someone asked me for a consultant in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to help t...
Drug and Medical Device Reps Help Leverage Your Practice
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Drug and Device reps often drop into medical offices--usually uninvited. And they seem to always to be there at the most inopportune times. Most annoy...
EMPLOYEE VS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR: What You need to know
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
I’m frequently asked about the benefits of hiring employees versus having independent contractors. Many physicians are under the impression that h...
Top 5 Things My Healthcare CPA Wants You to Know with Jeremy Kilbert, CPA
06 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When I started my medical practice I quickly learned that there's much more to accounting than quickbooks. My CPA firm, with its extensive heal...
Why You Need An ABN
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You want to offer a service to a patient but you aren’t sure that Medicare will reimburse you. Is there something you can do to increase the chances...
Don't Let Calling Your Office Be A Nightmare with Zed Williamson
09 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard, "First impressions matter." Calling your office to schedule an appointment is your patient's first interaction wi...
Improve Patient Care and Generate Revenue: Remote Monitoring
26 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One of my greatest frustration with practicing medicine is poor patient compliance. You spend time educating the patient and discussing the treatment ...
Understanding Payer Audits With David Vaughn JD, CPC
12 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Are you afraid of getting audited by insurance companies or Medicare? Do you get anxious when one of the payers sends you a request to audit 5 of your...
Add Chronic Care Management (CCM) and Principal Care Management (PCM) To Your Practice
05 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2015, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced Chronic Care Management (known as CCM) with the intent of improving the c...
Demystifying Malpractice Insurance with Jennifer Wiggins, Aegis Malpractice
26 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you are an employed physician, chances are your employer purchases malpractice insurance for you. Your first introduction to the complexities o...
In Network vs. Out-Of-Network with Guest: John Lin MD
06 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Today I had a great chat with Dr. John Lin about how to think about choosing to be In-Network vs. Out-of-Network. We all know that dealing with health...
How Medicare's Local Carrier Determinations Affect You
29 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
You’re a Medicare provider. And you know that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) runs Medicare. But did you know that CMS is just ...
Supplying Your Practice: Should You Join A GPO?
18 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To start with, make a list of supplies that you everything you need: drugs, syringes, gloves, paper for your exam table, cleaning supplies and more....
Tips for Staying on Schedule
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Here are some strategies that can help keep you on schedule. Get to clinic before your first scheduled patient. Preferably you get to clinic early. I...
Strategies for Reducing After Hour Phone Calls
15 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
To reduce the volume of after-hour phone calls, you need to have a policy that implements these strategies.Implement strategies that help reduce after...
Business Associate Agreements
28 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you run a private medical practice, you’re invariably going to need services and vendors outside of your practice. What you need to know is ...
HIPAA Compliant Email
11 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We send and receive email every day so it would seem natural to send emails to your patients. But what if the emails contain protected health inform...
Using The Digital Space For Your Practice-An Interview with SoMeDocs Founder, Dr. Dana Corriel
04 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to figure out how the digital world fits into your private practice can seem very overwhelming. Today, I had a great conversation with Dr. Dana...
Episode 52: Getting Ready For Opening Day
21 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I’m sure that you’ve heard the expression: build it and they will come. You started your private practice because you want to see patients. Bu...
Episode 51: Social Media Marketing and Your Practice
07 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Wendy Margolin who owns Sparkr Marketing and is the founder of The Clinician’s Social Media Clu...
Episode 50: How to Avoid a HIPAA Danger Zone: The Notice of Privacy Practices form
12 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Notice of Privacy Practices is a form that many patients toss in the garbage but that can you into a lot of trouble and costs an enormous amount o...
Episode 49: Things You Have To Consider When Firing A Patient
08 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you practice medicine, sooner or later you’ll get to the point that you want to fire a patient. Whatever the reason that you may have for termina...
Episode 48: Finances, Your Practice and Your Significant Other: Interview with Dr. Brent Lacey
02 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
New ventures require money. The question is always where does that money come from. It may come from your savings, a loan or other investors. Regardle...
Episode 47: Keys to Hiring A Practice Manager
19 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What is the difference between an office manager and a practice manager. If you hire someone to help manage your practice—regardless of how small it...
Episode 46: A Successful Lifestyle Medicine Practice: Interview with Dr. Cheng Ruan
05 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I have the great pleasure of chatting with Dr. Cheng Ruan, the founder of Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine. Dr. Ruan started out i...
Episode 45: Key Skills Your Front Office Staff Must Have
28 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You need to hire someone for your front desk. But before you sit down to write the ad for that position you first need to understand what it is that y...
Episode 44: Credit Card Processing Fees Eat Into Your Profit
14 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you are like me, you never carry cash. I pay for EVERYTHING with my credit card. And, as a consumer, I get annoyed if a place doesn't take cre...
Episode 43: Understand The No Surprises Act or Be Prepared to Lose Money
31 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you are an out-of-network provider for an insurance company you may perceive that you can get better reimbursement--in large part because, in some ...
Episode 42: Maximize Your Revenue With Clean Claims
17 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Submitting clean claims is key to maximizing your ability to collect the money that is due to you. What is a clean claim?The claim for payment has to...
Episode 41: FMLA's Impact On Your Practice
03 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Employees often ask about taking leave through the Family Medical Leave Act, otherwise known as FMLA. As the employer, like when you own your own prac...
Episode 40: How to Choose Your Best Malpractice Coverage
22 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Types of malpractice insurance policies: Claims-Made CoverageWith a claims-made policy, your insurer will only cover malpractice claims if the claim ...
Episode 39: Why YOU want to add Remote Patient Monitoring to your practice
06 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are several reasons that you should want to add RPM to your practice:You can take better care of your patientsRPM can improve patient accounta...
Episode 38: RVUs and CPT codes: Understanding How You Get Paid
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Physician compensation is often based on RVUs. But, in reality, RVUs actually have no monetary value. So in order to understand productivity and rev...
Episode 37: You Need A Facebook Business Page
08 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Baby boomers and household decision makers--the target demographic for most medical practices are on Facebook. In other words, your ideal patients are...
Episode 36: What Benefits Do I Need To Offer?
01 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Salary is only part of the overall compensation package. Potential hires often rank benefits as one of the top factors impacting their decision to acc...
Episode 35: Should I Join An IPA or CIN?
25 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the questions that I’m frequently asked is whether physicians should join a provider network? First, let’s get the alphabet soup mumbo ju...
Episode 34: How Much Should You Pay Your Staff?
18 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Trying to figure out how much to pay your employees can be a very daunting task. On one hand, you want to pay enough to get the best possible talent. ...
Episode 33: You NEED a Compliance Plan
04 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone knows that there are lots of rules and regulations in healthcare. In order to help you complying with all of the complicated healthcare law...
Episode 32: Why Your Website Is Your Best Marketing Tool
27 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Your website serves as the central hub for information about your business and a direct impact on your marketing efforts. You own your domain name...
Episode 31: How To Choose The Right Bank For Your Medical Business
19 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Here are 3 key things that you want to assess when assessing a bank’s quality of service:You want a bank that demonstrates a firm understanding of...
Episode 30: What Your New Patient Packet Must Have
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve scheduled your first patient. But that's only the first step in getting them to that first visit. You need a new patient packet. Th...
Episode 29: Revenue Cycle Management: What is it? Why is it important to you?
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Revenue cycle management refers to the process of identifying, collecting and managing a practice’s revenue from payers based on the services provid...
Episode 28: Your MIPS Primer
02 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
If you take any form of insurance as payment for your services then you need to understand MACRA and MIPS. MACRA is the law and MIPS is the implementa...
Episode 27: What You Need To Know Before Scheduling A New Patient
23 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Today I'm going to talk to you about the steps you'll want to consider when setting up the process for scheduling a new patient. There are ...
Episode 26: Key Features You Want In An EMR
16 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
With all of the choices out there, choosing an EMR can be a daunting proposition. Today I'll talk to you about the key features that will impact...
Episode 25: Your 2 biggest EMR decisions
09 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Every healthcare provider I know complains about the hassles associated with their EHR charting. When you’re an employed physician, you basically g...
Episode 24: How Your Referral Process Impacts Your Staffing
02 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
One of the first questions that everyone asks is—"how much staff do I need?" You’re not going to be able to answer this question witho...
Episode 23: Natural Disasters and Emergency Preparedness: 3 key lessons (for deciding if you should close)
23 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The recent ice storm and its devastating aftermath is a great reminder for why every medical practice (and actually any business) needs to have a plan...
Episode 22: Furnishing Your Practice
09 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How you design and equip your space speaks volumes about you. And, while you don't have to be an interior decorator, there are a couple of key th...
Episode 21: How much space do I need?
02 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How large does your office need to be? The general rule of thumb is 1200 to 1500 square feet for the first physician and 1000 to 1200 square feet for ...
Episode 20: Negotiating Your Tenant Improvement Allowance
26 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve decided to rent a space for your new business. Now you need to negotiate the lease terms. One of the most significant components is going to ...
Episode 19: The 4 Lease Types You Need To Know
19 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
There are 4 basic lease types--gross lease, full service lease, gross industrial lease, and triple net lease-- and it's imperative that you know ...
Episode 18: Should You Rent or Buy Space For Your New Practice (Business)?
12 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
I’m frequently asked—Should I rent or buy the space for my new practice or business? Regardless of whether or not you want to initially rent or...
Episode 17: Understanding The New E & M Coding Changes
05 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
As of Jan 1, 2021, E & M coding has changed and I’m willing to make a bet that you find the whole thing confusing. Honestly, E &M coding...
Episode 16: Tips For Preparing For Insurance Negotiations
30 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
More likely than not, you are trying to get contracts with multiple insurance companies. And, in case you haven't figured it out yet--there are m...
Episode 15: First Steps In Negotiating Your Insurance Contracts
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When you are first getting started you are so preoccupied that it's easy to lose sight of how important it is to nail down your payor agreement...
Episode 14: Couch to Opening Your Doors--How long will it take?
14 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
One of the questions that everyone asks is "How long is it going to take?" The question is the same regardless of whether you are looking to...
Episode 13: Customer Service Is Key To Your Practice's Success
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Doctors are sometimes so focused on delivering their medical expertise as a commodity that they seem to forget the customer service component of provi...
Episode 12: Everything CAQH (that you need to know)
01 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
What is CAQH?CAQH (Council for Affordable Quality Healthcare) is nothing more than a giant database of credentialing information. Insurance companies ...
Episode 11: Contracting 101
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
You have made one of your first major decisions. You want to take be in network with at least one insurance company. But now what? I bet you are wonde...
Episode 10: Why You Need A Business Plan
17 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The reason to write a business plan is for you. Sure--you may eventually show it to someone else--like a partner or if you are trying to get financing...
Episode 9: Figuring out your business' capacity
10 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
How many patients or clients do you need in order for your practice or business to be full (at capacity)? In order to figure out how successful your b...
Episode 8: Understanding Your Competition To Get Ahead
03 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Take advantage of my free masterclass on How to Write a Business Plan:. Register here. Are you thinking about starting a new business? Really, it does...
Episode 7: How to decide if you should take insurance
27 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you trying to figure out whether you should take insurance? Are you considering having a cash only business? How do you figure out the right answe...
Episode 6: Credentialing And Contracting
20 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There always seems to be a great deal of confusion about credentialing and contracting. In this episode, I'll talk you through the differences an...
Episode 5: Understanding Your Payor Mix: The Key To Adding New Services
13 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Are you thinking about starting a new practice or adding an ancillary service? Are you considering adding an additional business like an imaging cente...
Episode 4: Assessing The Opportunity
05 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, I talk about assessing an opportunity. For starters, what is an opportunity? Anything that you want to invest in. This may include st...
Episode 3: Carving Out Your Niche
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
When I moved to Baton Rouge, I was the only fellowship-trained pain management specialist. My multi-disciplinary, multi-modality approach to treating ...
Episode 2: The Key Steps to Actually Starting A Business
17 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Getting your business started is fast and easy. In this episode, I will walk you through the steps so you can do it yourself.Here are the key steps:Ch...
Episode 1: Why Do You Want To Start Your Own Private Practice?
11 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
At some point, most of us think about the possibility of starting our own private practice. The first, and probably the most important question, is WH...