RWS February Newsletter
Missed out on the latest RWS newsletter?
Casual Employees
A number of recent decisions of the courts and FairWork Commission may require you to review your use of casual employees.
LinkedIn – Why should I be on it?
LinkedIn is used by millions around the world. This social media platform allows professionals to network with almost 600 million users.
Victoria – Changes to Long Service Leave
Changes to Victoria’s long-service leave laws will come into force on Thursday 1st November 2018.
This will mean new rights and responsibilities for employers and employees.
Award rates changes
On 1 July 2018, the minimum wage in the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2010 increased by 3.5%.
What does this mean to you?
For any practice that has employees covered by the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2010 and are paying at or close to the minimum wage under the award, it is important to review and increase the employee’s minimum wages. It is crucial that practices increase staff pay, if they receive award wages, by the 3.5%, with weekly wages rounded to the nearest 10 cents.
PodMD is Live!
PodMD creates medical podcasts by doctors for doctors. It is a joint initiative between Dr Sean Mackay, (Melbourne-based upper GI surgeon) and Caroline Chaplin, (Director of RWS).
Are your policies and procedures up to date?
General Practice clinics go through a rigorous accreditation process, having to ensure they are following the RACGP standards.
These processes help the clinic run smoothly, efficiently and to a high standard.
Medical interiors to inspire
At RWS our aim is to create an environment which delivers a sense of calmness, peace, comfort and reassurance so that patients feel they are going to be well cared for. Every minute detail is considered throughout the design process, ensuring the ultimate benefits to both patients and medical professionals.
This environment should reflect a positive work place for the Staff who represent your brand.
Out of Pocket Fees – A hot topic
Out of pocket fees charged by Specialists continues to be a hot topic in the media in recent times. The ABC Four Corners program conducted a report investigating gap fees being charged by specialists. In addition, The Age ran an article on the 26th May 2018 reporting on the AMA’s National Conference in Canberra recently, with doctors overwhelmingly condemning the practice of some specialists charging exorbitant “out-of-pocket” fees to patients, under the guise of “booking fees” and “bill splitting”.
RWS Featured in NAB Business View
If you get a chance to see the Winter issue of NAB’s Business View you’ll see Caroline Chaplin smiling at you from page 35.
The article “Why I do what I do” talks to five company heads, including Caroline, about what it is that drives them to do what they do. An interesting read.
Making a Positive Impression on Patients
Making a Positive Impression on Patients – 3 tips for your practice
A major contributor to practice prosperity is the first impression patients form. What we know from years in this business is that patients report back to their GPs about you! Ensure the experience is a positive one.
Practice Health Check
Is it time for a numbers “health check” at your practice?
Many specialists do not have processes in place to attain and review their monthly data.
As a starting point you need to regularly monitor categories such as those listed below.
This data will help you:
1. Make informed marketing decisions
2. Select and appoint staff appropriately
Are you using your Blog?
Are your rankings poor?
Maybe it’s because your competitors are blogging and you are not!
Writing regular posts is not only a great way to communicate with your patient base and referrers, it’s also an effective tool for Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and in turn driving traffic to your site. When ranking websites Google favours those which have plenty of well-written relevant content.
Referrer Marketing – Getting referrers and retaining them
Referrals are the lifeblood of your practice. It is of the utmost importance that you have systems in place to monitor and manage your referrer relationships. Appropriate medical marketing is crucial in the competitive environment of private practice.
We see many doctors who are paying the price for taking their eye off the ball, and not paying attention to their medical marketing. It is devastating to find your numbers dropping because others around you are marketing more efficiently. Don’t let this happen to you.
Social Media Marketing And Your Practice.
Even if you are a technophobe, you can’t have missed the dramatic growth and use of social media to interact with online communities.
$20,000 Small Business write off
Many doctors are taking advantage of the $20,000 write off – getting Rooms with Style to upgrade the interior design of their rooms. The government recently incentivised small business by stating that $20,000 of assets purchased up until 30th June 2017 can be immediately written off.
This provides a great opportunity for you to upgrade the interior design of your rooms.
It is amazing how new furniture, art and accessories can transform your space.
Are you getting the most from your medical software?
The introduction of IT within the medical industry over the past 15 years has changed the way practices operate.