Blog For Noob Random thought of a Noob Blogger
With the growing number of private urgent care clinics springing up around the country, there has been a greater need for experienced medical administrators. Sometimes these are secretaries and other clerical staff that have gone on to get a degree in business administration but other times they are arriving via hospitals within the NHS, typically from HR departments.
Whilst the doctors will arrange all the legal aspects of starting a private Urgent Care practice, office administrators are typically charged with the logistics of setting up the practice. This can be broken down into several areas of concern, but here are the basics you may be charged with overseeing.
Order Major Medical Equipment Per Doctor Instructions
Actually, the doctor will be the one to tell you exactly what kind of major medical equipment to order. This could include x-ray machines and other diagnostics needed for the clinic. They would probably be the ones to tell you what kind of examination tables to order but you would probably be responsible for ordering such things as disposable medical curtains that give patients privacy when being examined by the doctors. Although that type of supply could be ordered at your discretion, major supplies would be ordered by physicians with you being the liaison with suppliers.
Stocking the Clinic with Office Supplies
Whilst you have been working with the physicians on ordering medical equipment, you can’t forget that there are several types of things you will need to stock the waiting room and office with. Happily, doctors’ offices no longer use those dusty, bulky paper files but you might be tasked with finding the best EHR software to keep those records as prescribed by law. From paperclips to cups for the water fountain (and even the water fountain itself!) you will be responsible for the logistics of stocking the clinic with everything necessary for patient care and administration.
Working with Marketing Agencies to Promote Your “Grand Opening”
Within a matter of weeks you will probably be scheduled to your limits with patients who are disenchanted with the NHS. It won’t take long to fill every appointment slot available but first you must make it known to the general public that you are there. It will be up to you to find a well-qualified marketing agency with experience in pre-launch advertising. They will know how best to reach your target audience of patients seeking reliable healthcare for times when they are in need of immediate (urgent) care.
It can be a fun time anticipating the future of the clinic, but it can be stressful as well. As long as everyone’s responsibilities are clearly defined, you can be assured that opening day will see dozens of patients checking you out. What more can you ask? You know the market is there so now it’s a matter of reaching them and giving them the kind of patient care they couldn’t get with the NHS. Once your clinic begins seeing traffic, it will never end and that’s exactly what you want.
