From plan to action.

A strategic plan is your organizational touchstone Given the rapid rate of change in health care, your practice's capacity to succeed is based on its ability to adapt quickly; this, in turn, relies on the level of detail in the operational plan. A well-devised and detailed plan will enable your practice to navigate the waters of industry change. An operational plan begins with the practice's vision, values and mission.

The many faces of QIOs, and what their latest incarnation means for your practice.

When state quality improvement organizations (QIOs) launch a federally mandated drive this month to help certain health care providers improve efficiency, reduce errors and deliver the right care to patients, the organizations will have come full circle. Long perceived as adversarial watchdogs by stakeholders in the health care system, QIOs have a new charge: provide assistance to medical groups to create patient-centered, quality care.

Front office: asset or liability?

Your front-office staff and your reception area represent the first and last impressions that patients will have of your practice on any given visit. These impressions endure, and in many cases they shape the patient's perception of the doctor. It's critical to your practice's success that these be good impressions.