5 tips for keeping your new practice organized

For a new dental practice, it is important to start off with good habits. Good practice habits lead to success and profitability -- two things you want. One good habit every dental practice needs is organization.

With organization, you can run a smooth and productive practice. Organization can minimize the stress in your office by making your day-to-day operations easier to manage. It also allows you to maximize your time and more effectively take care of your patients.

If you start off being organized, it will be easier to stay organized. Here are some tips to help your staff develop and maintain good organizational skills.

Cindy Day Hauk is the founder of CKD Practice Management.

Hold daily staff meetings

To be organized, it is crucial for everyone on your staff to be on the same page. This can be accomplished by communicating the day's schedule and job responsibilities to each staff member during daily team meetings.

It is recommended that you hold your staff meetings first thing in the morning to review the day ahead or at the end of the day to review the next day's schedule. Creating personalized calendars can keep everyone organized and focused on that day's tasks.

Label cabinets and drawers

By using labels and a color-coded system you can keep your numerous office supplies organized. You can color-code cabinets and drawers by procedure. It might seem basic, but label each cabinet and drawer so everyone knows where supplies are stored. Inserting tubs and trays in each drawer can help keep them even more organized. With cabinets and drawers organized and clearly marked, you can minimize time by avoiding trying to find needed supplies.

Make effective use of your office space

No matter the size of your office, it is important to make effective use of the space available. This will improve productivity and efficiency.

Here are some ways to ensure you effectively use all your office space:

• Place materials in easily accessible locations.
• Where possible, replace files and filing cabinets with a digital system that allows you to attach scanned files, x-rays, or other digital images directly to patient records.
• Eliminate the excess of unnecessary decorations or other items that make your office seem smaller and impede traffic flow.

Automate any processes you can

Automating processes will decrease the time spent organizing your practice. Think about how time-consuming it is to go through patient billing statements, send those statements to patients, call and remind patients about their upcoming appointments, and deal with insurance eligibilities. Why have your employees waste hours each day doing those mundane tasks when they can be automated and your employees can focus more time and energy on your patients?

Clean up at the end of each workday

Starting your day off with an organized office will help you remain organization throughout the rest of the day. So at the end of each day, double check that your office is neat and tidy. Give each employee the responsibility of cleaning, restocking, and preparing for the next morning. This will help you start your next day off on the right foot.

Cindy Day Hauk, is an experienced Easy Dental trainer and the founder of CKD Practice Management, a practice management consulting firm specializing in customizing offices' special needs, including security, moving to a paperless office, staff management, and productivity.

The comments and observations expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of DrBicuspid.com, nor should they be construed as an endorsement or admonishment of any particular idea, vendor, or organization.