Join our special guest host Liam Fernando-Canavan as he leads us through our Osteoarthritis Interventions series. The first guest on this series is Professor Peter Choong to speak on Surgical Interventions.

Surgical Interventions w/ Prof Peter Choong

We held our Winter Webinar in mid-November for DecodeME, the world's largest genetic study into ME/CFS. Sonya Chowdhury, Chris Ponting and Sian Leary from the DecodeME team update on study progress, explain why involving patients and carers is vital, and answer your questions.

DecodeME launches in the 2022 new year. Register your interest now: https://www.decodeme.org.uk/ (UK, 16+).

DecodeME: winter webinar - why involving ME/CFS patients is crucial

Mary Donovan is the Assistant Dean for Standardized Patients (SPs) & Experiential Learning at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.  She has served at Georgetown as administrative director and educator for the Integrated Learning and Simulation Center since 2007, providing medical students with clinical learning and assessment opportunities through SP education and simulation.  These methodologies use professionally trained actors, retired teachers and others to portray specific patients and families in a broad spectrum of healthcare experiences for learners – a safe space to develop clinical and communication skills and receive feedback from the patient perspective.  
Prior to Georgetown, she held a faculty position as senior SP trainer at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and as academic-affairs staff at Johns Hopkins Medical School.  Prior to her work in med-ed experiential learning, she managed a forum of women in international trade and diplomacy, taught as adjunct faculty on Georgetown’s main campus in the mid-90s, served as marketing manager for a B2B organization, and as chapter liaison for a national trade association. In the early days of online journal search-and-retrieval and library automation, she worked as a researcher at the National Library of Medicine, Library of Congress and other libraries. While in college and beyond, she worked for the UVa Hospital Education system, teaching children with disabilities from birth to age 21. 
Mary presented (virtually) at the Ottawa Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a finalist for the IMU-RHIME Award for Innovation in March of 2020, and won an innovation award for her presentation at the international Association for Standardized Patient Educators in 2011.  From 2016-18 she served as Chair for the Mid-Atlantic Consortium of med-school clinical-skills programs.  In 2016, GUMC honored her as a “bridge-builder” in the Ongoing Engagement and Consultation initiative.  She recently joined the editorial board for the Journal of Health Design, published in Melbourne, Australia.
She joined the Screen Actors Guild in 1999; speaking roles to-date have landed on the cutting-room floor, but she (or her old Honda Civic) can be seen as background in various TV and film productions.  Mary’s artwork has sold in art fairs and hospital exhibitions, and through personal commissions.  Her days as a publically performing singer and guitarist are largely in the past, but she dreams of resurrecting half-written original songs someday.  Other work that will never retire – writing short stories, children’s books, a memoir, a novel and personal essays. Meanwhile, she launched a blog/website in early 2021:  marymuffindonovan.com  
She received her BA in English from the University of Virginia, MA in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University and MFA in Writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts. 
Twitter: @marydonobird
Instagram: @maryfdonz
Facebook: /mary.donovan.75457
Website:  marymuffindonovan.com

Mary Donovan, Assistant Dean Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC.

Welcome to "Beauty and the Biz", where we talk about the business and marketing side of plastic surgery, and how to build a practice you can sell. I’m your host, Catherine Maley, author of "Your aesthetic practice - What your patients are saying", and consultant to plastic surgeons to get them more patients and profits. ​  Build a practice you can sell Even if you’re going to work until you drop and have no intentions of selling your practice, this episode will give you insights on how to make your practice more successful. So please listen in  You are the majority revenue-generator in your practice You put more value on YOU as a surgeon vs. growing profit centers run by others You work IN your practice more than ON your practice  The objective is to set up your cosmetic surgical practice as a business so it’s more profitable, more enjoyable to go to every day, and it frees up your valuable time, so you have more of it to spend doing what you like to do with the people you most enjoy being with. But, you have a challenge that keeps you from winning in the long run.  As a surgeon, you were programmed to think in a certain fixed way. You had to think that way to become a great surgeon. However, that thinking is the opposite of how a businessperson thinks. In a cosmetic practice, you, the surgeon, are the technician of the surgery, so you focus on that because you’re good at it and that’s what you know. However, does that make for a sellable asset when you’re ready to exit? Probably not, so you either have to work until you’re ready to close the doors and get nothing back for your efforts, or you can set your practice up to make a profitable exit and enjoy your retirement. If a profitable retirement sounds good to you, think like a businessperson by using these strategies: The first one is Mindset: Shift your thinking from a surgeon to a businessperson and&nbsp;“Operate your practice like it’s for sale”. In other words, regularly ask yourself,&nbsp;“If I wanted to sell my practice tomorrow, what would I need to improve to get the most value for it?”&nbsp; Or,&nbsp;“If I wanted to buy an existing practice, what would “I” be looking for and be willing to invest in? That leads us to The Value of Your Practice Many components make up the value of your practice such as:  Profits Good Will People Processes Tools such as your CRM Patient list P&amp;L statements Vendor agreements &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fixed Assets &amp; inventory&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;  All of that is important but when I interview surgeons on this Podcast and we talk about them buying another surgeon’s practice, the #1 value component they are looking for is a ready-made income stream. Because Buyers are looking for a practice’s ability to generate cash with a degree of predictability and certainty. That’s why it’s difficult to value the surgical side of your practice. If you have been practicing with a “one and done” mindset, you’re not developing much of a bond with your patients because it’s such a short-term relationship. And, to keep your surgical side busy, you have to market and advertise to attract new surgical patients and that increases your overhead costs so other surgeons have to look at not just your revenues but also your overhead to make those revenues happen.  They know there’s no certainty that those surgical patients will come back for more surgery or come back soon enough or often enough. Or, if they do return years later, will they be ok with a different surgeon they don’t know? It’s hard to say so that affects the value of your practice. However, if you can show a prospective buyer:  Predictable revenues they can count on month after month that don’t include YOU And how you increase the lifetime value of your current cosmetic patients And how you generate more referrals and reviews organically And how you...

Ep.128: Build A Practice You Can Sell

Welcome to "Beauty and the Biz", where we talk about the business and marketing side of plastic surgery, and what a good conversion rate is. I’m your host, Catherine Maley, author of "Your aesthetic practice - What your patients are saying", and consultant to plastic surgeons to get them more patients and profits. ​  What is a good conversion rate? It's a question I’m asked often enough so I’m assuming other surgeons also experience this, so I’ll address it in this episode. Here’s the question: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dear Catherine, I had the same patient consultant for many years and she did a great job. We made a really good team. I performed several procedures on her through the years so she was a great testimonial and she knew how to credential me as the best. She was also very good with my patients and really good at closing consultations. I never realized how good she was until her husband was promoted and she moved away. My current coordinator has been on the job for the past year and we are getting mixed results. She’s nice enough but we don’t get the same results I used to get. My consult conversion rate used to be in the high 70’s for years and it’s dropped significantly. My coordinator says that’s because the patients are price shopping our competitors and our prices are too high. I’m not sure that’s true. I don’t know if it’s the patients or the coordinator or something else. Can you tell me what is a good conversion rate? Dr. W &nbsp; Since that’s a loaded question, we need to unpack it before I start throwing out percentages. Lots of plastic surgeons are experiencing sporadic conversion rates. Or “feast or famine” months and they’re not sure why. This inconsistency can wreak havoc on your day, your attitude and your pocketbook. You start questioning yourself and doubting your staff and that’s a path to even more frustration. So, what’s really happening?  Well, the bad news is, there’s no one easy answer. So many variables go into your success (or lack thereof) when converting consultations. One practice can play the QUALITY vs. quantity game and experience an 80% conversation rate because the coordinator only works with the hyper interested. So, she sends one follow-up email and if they don’t respond, she drops them, but that same practice who is “cherry picking” also can experience big highs and lows in the schedule because they need a lot more leads to cherry pick the best ones.. Or a practice experiences a 25% conversion rate because they play the “QUANTITY vs. quality” game so they see everybody. They don’t charge a consultation fee, they have lots of no-shows and frankly, lots of flaky price-shoppers who are not yet ready to to action so the coordinator has to sift through who is a real candidate and who isn’t. So given that, here’s a short list of why your conversions “could” be off:  Your SEO isn’t working like before because google changed the rules again or you changed your SEO/website provider and lost ground on your Internet presence so the new Internet company has to build your rankings back up; or   A new competitor came to town and is out-marketing you;   You changed up your marketing strategy and while you’re getting more Internet leads, they are poor quality leads;   Your new coordinator is nice and friendly but doesn’t have the converting skills needed to get to a YES and so on.   Because the reality is not about how many leads you get. It’s about how many prospective patients say YES and PAY for your services, right? Which is why your coordinator must be on her game to convert these consults so if she needs training,...

Ep.129: What is a Good Conversion Rate

In this episode of the MGMA Week in Review podcast, we feature articles on medical supply costs, health worker vaccine mandates, and the golden rule.

Sources in this episode:

2022 Medicare Outlook (https://mgma.com/events/2022-medicare-outlook -- this is an MGMA member-exclusive webinar)

https://www.mgma.com/data/data-stories/medical-supply-costs-still-high-amid-covid-19-spik

https://apnews.com/article/coronavirus-pandemic-joe-biden-business-health-lawsuits-2d05c688115e139b034ec4a497140c3b

https://hbr.org/2021/11/becoming-a-more-humane-leader

Additional resources:

To keep up with the latest healthcare legislation, visit mgma.com/advocacy.

If you want to become part of the discussion, join the MGMA STAT panel by texting “stat” to 33550.

Keep up with the latest industry news by subscribing to the MGMA Insights Newsletter at mgma.com/insightsnewsletter.

If you have a story you want to share with us, email us at podcasts@mgma.com.

MGMA Week in Review: Medical Supply Costs, Health Worker Vaccine Mandates and The Golden Rule

Inflammation Nation is a podcast from Arthritis Ireland aimed at increasing awareness and understanding of arthritis and related conditions.

For further information visit www.arthritisireland.ie

Inflammation Nation is supported by Pfizer.

Inflammation Nation: Trailer

In this episode, Iris Zink talks to Brian Lynch about the impact that arthritis can have on people’s relationships and sexual health. Iris Zink is a rheumatology nurse practitioner in Michigan and is the co-author of ‘Sex-Interrupted: Igniting intimacy while living with illness or disability’. 

Also in this episode, Peter Boyd explores the relationship between foods, supplements and arthritis. He talks to dietitian and nutritionist Richelle Flanagan to get the expert opinion, while Niamh Hogan spoke to the people of Meath to get their views on the subject.

For further information visit www.arthritisireland.ie.

Inflammation Nation is supported by Pfizer.

Inflammation Nation

Inflammation Nation episode 4: Arthritis, relationships and sexual health

In this episode, Prof Kate Lorig talks to Gráinne O’Leary about self-management for people living with arthritis and other chronic conditions. Arthritis Ireland has delivered the Living Well with Arthritis programme since 2006, which has positively impacted thousands of people who have completed the course. Prof Lorig served as director of the Stanford Patient Education Research Center and professor of medicine in the Stanford University School of Medicine. She developed the chronic disease self-management programme.

Also in this episode, Peter Boyd explores some myths around the disease of kings and high-living - gout. He talks to consultant rheumatologist, Prof. Geraldine McCarthy, while Niamh Hogan spoke to the people of west Dublin to get their views on the subject.

For further information visit www.arthritisireland.ie.

Inflammation Nation is supported by Pfizer.

Inflammation Nation episode 5: Self-management and arthritis

Les Prières les Plus Puissantes de la Bible

Priere pour etre joyeux et patients

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) equips practice administrators and executives with the knowledge and tools to head high-performance physician group practices in a complex and evolving healthcare environment.

The Health Design Podcast brought to you by the Journal of Health Design(www.journalofhealthdesign.com). Features interviews with the world's leading health design experts including clinicians, designers, patients, authors and researchers. Better health by design.

A national patient organisation and health research charity to support people living with arthritis and related conditions. Publisher of the Inflammation Nation podcast.

FOR MORE EPISODES AND CATHERINE'S FREE BOOK, VISIT
www.CatherineMaley.com

Book a free call with Catherine by visiting:
www.catherinemaley.com/book-a-call-with-catherine-maley/

Catherine Maley, MBA
Catherine has helped many practices double or even triple their revenue, all while creating a magnetic environment that encourages word-of-mouth referrals and repeat patients. Her proven, dynamic approach to marketing, advertising, sales and customer relations has been continually developed and refined for over 40 years.

Starting as an interdisciplinary Staff Coordinator with the Illinois State Medical Society and then as director of the House of Delegates for the California Medical Association, Catherine has been helping physicians and businesses reach their goals since the mid-80’s. This early experience laid the groundwork for understanding and overcoming the unique challenges, threats and opportunities facing physicians.

With this knowledge and experience acquired, Catherine spent the next 15 years developing and perfecting her marketing and sales techniques with various Fortune 500 companies. Her natural understanding of business gave her the edge to remain in the top 15% of all sales people nationwide. Her great successes would eventually land her the titles of National Sales Manager, Marketing Manager, and Product Development Manager for two Silicon Valley startups.

From her own personal experiences, Catherine witnessed a great need for practices to develop their customer service skills and learn the delicate dance of converting consults into patients. Now, armed with her top-performing sales and marketing experience coupled with her business knowledge of the medical sector, Catherine had all the tools necessary to begin coaching, training, and marketing specifically for aesthetic surgeons and their staff. She had the experience, drive, and passion to make her clients a great success.

With her stellar track record and solid business advice, Catherine is a rock star in the industry and is in great demand. Both as a consultant with word-wide clients, and as a speaker and lecturer at medical conferences all over North America, Europe and Oceania. She regularly contributes to the top medical trade publications in the industry and has been featured in the New York Times, Newsweek, ABC, ABC News, and others.

Catherine has consulted with the top surgeons in the world as well as with industry vendors. Her creative team of designers, copywriters, web developers, videographers, mail houses and print shops provide custom products, services, and consulting to aesthetic physicians who are ready to take their practice to the next level.

Catherine and her consultation practice are located in the San Francisco Bay town of Sausalito, California.

New tracks tagged #patients