Posted by: AtlasMD

November 25, 2015

Down, Down, Down The Transaction Fees Go…

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We did it back in June, and it felt so good that we decided to do it again. That’s right – just in time for the holidays we’ve dropped credit card transaction fees from 2.5% way down to 2.1%. More money in your pocket, right when you need it most!

Remember the days when 3.1% was the norm? You probably didn’t really even notice it… after all, that’s what you’d come to expect. But in dropping it to 2.1%, we’re showing you just how committed we are to helping Direct Primary Care succeed. And just like DPC promotes in every detail of its model, we want the recipients of its care to expect better.

It’s a two-fold result, really. On the one hand, clinics who use the Atlas.md EMR know without a doubt they’re getting the most bang for their buck and that Atlas truly cares about saving money where it counts. And on the other hand, those same clinics are in an even better position to pass the savings on down to their patients. Just like that, everyone wins!

So you see, it’s more than lower numbers. With them come higher expectations and higher satisfaction.

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 25, 2015

It’s Almost Time for Turkey, but First…

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Posted by: AtlasMD

November 20, 2015

Recommended Reading: The Innovator’s Prescription

RecommendedPost02We often get asked for recommended reading lists. We’re delivering! These posts feature a book we highly recommend to learn more about business, philosophy, and different perspectives to help you run your business. Do you have a recommendation that’s not on the list yet? Mention it in the comments!

This Week’s Recommendation: The Innovator’s Prescription  

A groundbreaking prescription for health care reform–from a legendary leader in innovation . . .

Our health care system is in critical condition. Each year, fewer Americans can afford it, fewer businesses can provide it, and fewer government programs can promise it for future generations.

We need a cure, and we need it now.

Harvard Business School’s Clayton M. Christensen―whose bestselling The Innovator’s Dilemma revolutionized the business world―presents The Innovator’s Prescription, a comprehensive analysis of the strategies that will improve health care and make it affordable.

Christensen applies the principles of disruptive innovation to the broken health care system with two pioneers in the field―Dr. Jerome Grossman and Dr. Jason Hwang. Together, they examine a range of symptoms and offer proven solutions.

YOU’LL DISCOVER HOW:

  • “Precision medicine” reduces costs and makes good on the promise of personalized care
  • Disruptive business models improve quality, accessibility, and affordability by changing the way hospitals and doctors work
  • Patient networks enable better treatment of chronic diseases
  • Employers can change the roles they play in health care to compete effectively in the era of globalization
  • Insurance and regulatory reforms stimulate disruption in health care

Put The Innovator’s Prescription on your bookshelf. >

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 13, 2015

Recommended Reading: Outside In – The Power of Putting Your Customers at the Center of Your Business.

RecommendedPost02We often get asked for recommended reading lists. We’re delivering! These posts feature a book we highly recommend to learn more about business, philosophy, and different perspectives to help you run your business. Do you have a recommendation that’s not on the list yet? Mention it in the comments!

This Week’s Recommendation: Outside In – The Power of Putting Your Customers at the Center of Your Business.  

What simple innovation brought billions in new investments to Fidelity? What basic misunderstanding was preventing Office Depot from achieving its growth potential? What surprising insights helped the Mayo Clinic better serve both doctors and patients?

The solution in each case was a focus on customer experience, the most powerful—and misunderstood—element of corporate strategy today.

Customer experience is, quite simply, how your customers perceive their every interaction with your company. It’s a fundamental business driver. Here’s proof: over a recent five-year period during which the S&P 500 was flat, a stock portfolio of customer experience leaders grew twenty-two percent.

In an age when customers have access to vast amounts of data about your company and its competitors, customer experience is the only sustainable source of competitive advantage. But how to excel at it?

Based on fourteen years of research by the customer experience leaders at Forrester Research, Outside In offers a complete roadmap to attaining the experience advantage. It starts with the concept of the Customer Experience Ecosystem—proof that the roots of customer experience problems lie not just with customer-facing employees like your sales staff, but with behind-the-scenes employees like accountants, lawyers, and programmers, as well as the policies, processes, and technologies that all your employees use every day. Identifying and solving these problems has the potential to dramatically increase sales and decrease costs.

Put Outside In on your bookshelf. >

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 6, 2015

Meet Dr. Phil Baker, the Direct Care Pharmacist.

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Are you a Direct Care doc in a state where in-house pharmacies are prohibited? (Looking at you Massachusetts, Montana, New Jersey, New York and Texas…) Or maybe you’ve just elected not to embrace the in-house pharmacy aspect of DPC? Either way, this article is for you. Introducing Dr. Philip Baker of Good Shepherd Health. He’s the answer to your prayers, the alternative to dealing with local pharmacies when you want to dispense, and quite literally a seamless extension of your Direct Care practice.

Okay, so here’s how it works. His pharmacy has adopted the DPC business plan; Dr. Baker’s model offers a membership. For a low monthly fee, members are privy to wholesale prescription prices — no mark-up and no extra fees (ahem, red tape) to get wrapped up in. It’s literally a Direct Care Pharmacy! He’s got the benefit of everyone in mind as he makes pharmacy services available to those who might not otherwise be able to afford them. Some of what he offers includes:

  • Prescriptions, vitamins and supplements at wholesale prices.
  • Around the clock access to your pharmacist. Seriously, call or text anytime.
  • Prescription assistance programs to those who quality. (They’ll even do all the paperwork!)
  • They dispense 280 different medications for free to qualifying members.
  • The opportunity to work 24/7 directly with Dr. Baker on pharmacy consults. (That’s how much he cares about your patients’ care!)

Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 6, 2015

Introducing Direct Career Placement on IAmDirectCare.com.

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You’re only as strong as the team surrounding you, right? Well in that case, let’s give you an advantage over all the rest! Introducing Direct Career Placement, where IAmDirectCare.com helps connect you with the DPC family that’s right for you. Because let’s face it – a brighter future is right around the corner with Direct Care. Who does Direct Career Placement apply to? So glad you asked.

Is your practice looking to add a team member?

That’s great, congratulations! You’re probably talking around, getting a feel for who’s interested. After all, choosing the right addition to your team is a decision not to be taken lightly. So why not choose from a pool of candidates who are already actively interested in Direct Care? They know what it’s about and want to join your team. They’re individuals who are qualified and can’t wait to start their career with you providing excellent patient care using the Direct Care model. Take advantage of existing DPC connections by submitting your practice information on IAmDirectCare.com – interested individuals will be able to contact you directly. You can reach out to listed individuals, too! (Bonus: when you submit your listing you’ll even receive a unique URL you can share via social media to get the word out even further.)

Are you an individual looking for a DPC family of your own?

Also fantastic! If you’re transitioning out of the traditional healthcare setting, or even transitioning out of residency, you might already know for sure Direct Care is perfect for you. Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 6, 2015

Recommended Reading: Contagious – Why Things Catch On.

RecommendedPost02We often get asked for recommended reading lists. We’re delivering! These posts feature a book we highly recommend to learn more about business, philosophy, and different perspectives to help you run your business. Do you have a recommendation that’s not on the list yet? Mention it in the comments!

This Week’s Recommendation: Contagious – Why Things Catch On. 

New York Times bestseller and named Best Marketing Book of 2014 by the American Marketing Association

What makes things popular? Why do people talk about certain products and ideas more than others? Why are some stories and rumors more infectious? And what makes online content go viral? Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

November 3, 2015

Three Ways Your Direct Care Practice Can Tell A Better Story. Part Two: Branding Speaks Volumes.

2-Branding01In part one of this three-part storytelling series we talked about how literally every action you take plays a role in the story you’re telling your patients. What you do matters — even little stuff like saying thank you, responding to emails, and having a friendly face or voice to greet your patients can send a powerful message. And that’s a message you don’t want your patients to interpret on their own!

But your actions are only one part of the equation. To tell a complete story you also have to think about what your patients see when you’re not there. That’s right – we’re talking about branding.

It’s the website. It’s the brochure. It’s the business card. It’s the content of your blog, emails and texts. In one single word, it’s your identity. Good stuff, huh? Let’s talk about how you can use these branding elements to breathe life into your story and convey the real message of DPC.

One Voice

Throughout all the materials mentioned above (website, brochure, business card, content, etc.) it’s important to have one underlying theme peeking through. Is it that you’re available 24/7? Is it that you always put your patients first? Do you have a tagline you can weave in? When patients see the same message on various materials it does a couple good things: it tells them you’re put-together, and it engrains your message into their heads. Rather than just another doctor’s office, they come to identify you as the people who provide care.

So in a nutshell, what you’re trying to avoid here is sending mixed messages. If there was only one thing you could tell your patients, what would it be? Now make sure that comes across in each piece.

Visual Storytelling: Design

Small design elements can translate really well across different pieces — and go a long way toward telling a cohesive story. Let’s start with your logo. Read more

Posted by: AtlasMD

October 30, 2015

Recommended Reading: The Art of Possibility – Transforming Personal and Professional Life.

RecommendedPost02We often get asked for recommended reading lists. We’re delivering! These posts feature a book we highly recommend to learn more about business, philosophy, and different perspectives to help you run your business. Do you have a recommendation that’s not on the list yet? Mention it in the comments!

This Week’s Recommendation: The Art of Possibility – Transforming Personal and Professional Life. 

Presenting twelve breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander’s experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander’s genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment. The authors’ harmoniously interwoven perspectives provide a deep sense of the powerful role that the notion of possibility can play in every aspect of life. Through uplifting stories, parables, and personal anecdotes, the Zanders invite us to become passionate communicators, leaders, and performers whose lives radiate possibility into the world.

Put The Art of Possibility on your bookshelf. >

Posted by: AtlasMD

October 27, 2015

Three Ways Your Direct Care Practice Can Tell A Better Story. Part One: What You Do Matters.

1-WhatYouDoMattersAs a Direct Care practitioner, you’re doing so much more than practicing medicine. You’re telling one of the most important stories our country, and perhaps the world, needs to hear today. You’re telling the story of happiness. Of freedom. Of satisfaction. Of care. 

Your story paints a picture for healthcare patients. This picture isn’t abstract nor is it intangible. It’s vivid with color, the depth of its honesty and transparency reaching into their souls and telling them that better is possible.

In this three-part series, we’ll dig deep into some ways you can step outside your medical mindset and tell your patients a more engaging story. In return, they’ll keep coming back and sing your praises to

What you do matters.

Every interaction you have with your patients tells the story of what healthcare should look like. In it’s simplest form, this step is just about taking advantage of the foundation Direct Care was built on. It’s sticking to your word and putting your patients first in the following ways:

If you offer same day scheduling, make it happen.
Remember, your patients are probably used to waiting three weeks for an appointment, spending an hour in the waiting room, and then being shuffled right back out the door 10 minutes later. You can show them they don’t have to put up with that nonsense for another minute.

Respond in a timely fashion.
You’ve chosen to keep a limited patient count in order to make time for everyone. So since you don’t have back to back to back appointments scheduled 15 minutes apart, you likely have some form of downtime throughout your day. Use it to keep on top of patient correspondence. You might have six patients to deal with in one day, but they’re only concerned with one doctor… they want to know they’re just as important to you as you are to them. A simple response can go a long way to prove that.

Staff your office appropriately.
You don’t need a whole crew of people to man your DPC practice. You might be the only physician in it! But if you’re behind closed doors with a patient, who’s manning the front desk? The phones? Read more