It can be scary when facing the unknown. No one really knows right now how COVID-19 is going to ultimately affect each of us, and our businesses. Sol Operation Solutions can help you navigate this uncertain time. (Be sure to follow the links to the FREE DIY Resources down below.)
If you are a medically inclined practice, you have more leeway right now to keep your doors open and see patients. The truth is, patients with flashes and floaters or foreign bodies in their eyes do not need to be taking up space in the emergency room or at an urgent care facility right now. If you can successfully follow the CDC guidelines of social distancing and provide your staff with a safe and clean work environment, you should continue to see patients on an emergency basis. You can also look into your options with Telemedicine to reduce risk of exposure for patients and staff. Telemedicine visits need to be triaged appropriately so that patients are still receiving quality care.
If your practice is focused on vision care needs, now is the time to implement a method for patients to purchase glasses and contacts over the phone or via the internet available for direct to patient shipping. But where does this leave you and your staff?
The answer to this question is frankly complex and very specific to your budget, cash-flow, and office needs. Sol Operation Solutions can help you weigh your options and understand the resources and benefits available to you and your business. Luckily, the FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Care Act) provides eligible companies with assistance in covering employees up to 80 hours of additional paid sick leave, and up to 10 weeks of emergency paid FMLA. This can be tricky for health care professionals to navigate especially, and we strongly advise you speak with your accountant, attorney, etc. to see if you are in fact an eligible company for these benefits. There has also previously been a stimulus package approved to make sure each tax filing American adult is set to receive a one time $1200 check. The unemployment benefits have become more easily accessible to those furloughed or who had a reduction in hours directly due to Coronavirus, and the federal government has guaranteed to pay everyone on unemployment an additional sum of $600 on top of their state awarded benefit weekly up until July. For a lot of employees, this money comes out to more than what their regular paychecks would be.
Once you’ve made the tough decision of how to handle your employees and their compensation, you need to proactive in maintaining frequent contact and communication with your staff and patients. Sol Operation Solutions can guide you with options and ideas for how to maintain a relationship with everyone essential to YOU and YOUR BUSINESS. You can schedule updates on your social media accounts weekly, or even daily, to remind your patients you are still here for them. Remind them their health and safety are always your top priority. Scheduling time to be in the office or answer patient phone calls and emails will definitely help you not lose patients once all of this is over, especially if you go above and beyond to make sure they have enough contacts or that medication refill right now.
When it comes to staff, you need to make a frequent effort to check in with everyone who is still employed with you and remind them that their loyalty is appreciated. We have seen this happen in a multitude of ways in our practices, such as:
Daily Zoom conferences to check in with all of your staff working from home
Office food drives where providers or managers provide the staff with a schedule to come and pick up food for the week
Conference calls to walk employees through filling out an unemployment application
Q&A sessions and readily available FAQ resources so employees all have the proper information and documentation to apply for unemployment benefits
Morning emails with assignments or training resources expected to be completed from home
Use this FREE RESOURCE: Staff Training Log to keep you organized and available to re purpose for the future.
Most importantly, you really need to make yourselves readily available for staff questions and concerns in this difficult time. Strong leadership now will really build a bond between you and your team that will surely last as long as everyone wants to maintain a professional relationship. Your team will remember that you made every effort to keep them afloat right now, and that loyalty is way more valuable in the long run than any other asset you will have once all of this is over. Even if you have to make tough decisions, communicating with your team with a sensitive approach and showing empathy and concerns for their personal needs and worries goes a very long way. Remember to assure everyone that this isn’t just your business making these tough choices. It is comforting to remember that practices and business around the world are dealing with the same frustrations you and your team are. Right now tensions are high, so receiving employees with grace and patience is key. Do not be defensive, and where possible, be transparent.
These situations can be scary. Sometimes you don’t know what’s best. SOS is here to help walk you through making the best decisions for your practice. Together, we can help you put an action plan in place to keep your business safe and afloat during a time of uncertainty. Our team has created a handful of tools and resources that you might find useful during this difficult time. Check out this FREE RESOURCE: Steps to temporary office closures. We are posting updates on Social Media as the situation changes in our industry and we will create more resources for you in the future. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook @soloperationsolutions for more helpful tips.
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