Kevin Price, Host of the Price of Business on Business Talk 1110 AM KTEK (on Bloomberg’s home in Houston) recently interviewed Kelly Petersen.
About the interviewee
Gregory B. Dodell, M.D., Board Certified Physician in Endocrinology, Diabetes and Nutrition
Tell me about your firm (number of employees, location, type of companies you work with, etc.).
Our Endocrinology practice is located in New York, New York (on the Upper West Side of Manhattan). We have 2 Endocrinologists that specialize in treating diabetes, thyroid disorders, bone disorders, testosterone deficiency, pituitary disorders, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. We have 4 full time employees in the practice (an office manager, billing specialist, and 2 front desk medical assistants).
Tell us about what it means to you to “put customers first”?
The practice of medicine has been rapidly changed to a consumer driven business. Online reviews, social media, medical information via the Internet, and greater access to care has modified the patient-doctor relationship. We have always strived to put patients first; after all, that’s what practicing medicine is about. We aim to give patients ample appointment time to optimize their care, provide online access to their results, and we are completely electronic which facilitates communication with patients and other providers.
What mistake do businesses make when it comes to taking care of customers?
Medical practices have been impacted by higher management costs without, in many cases, higher reimbursement from the insurance companies. This has caused many practices to have to see more patients per day, thereby, decreasing appointment times or overbooking patients. We still give new patients at least 30 minutes for consultation, because we feel that is needed to establish a rapport and devise a medical assessment and plan. If patients do not feel that you are going to be able to help them, then they are not going to come back. The same is true if you keep them waiting long after their scheduled appointment time.
What is your firm doing to demonstrate your beliefs in this principle?
We try not to rush patients, we try to run on time, and perhaps most importantly, we try to establish a professional rapport with the patients to make them feel comfortable under our care. The medical business is an evolving, and challenging landscape, but in the end of the day it is taking good care of the patients that is the most important thing.
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