Verden Viewpoint

03/07/2024

Check out these 5 leadership tips to implement into your medical practice for patient satisfaction and success! 🩺

"A comment we hear all the time now is that doctors just don’t have enough time with their patients. This, in turn, has led to a loss of trust in physicians. There’s no denying that appointment times are limited, almost have to be limited, to keep a P*P practice viable. All the more reason to make the very most of your time with your patients. You can do this with the skill of active listening, which is less about how long you listen to someone and far more about how well you listen to someone, the quality of your listening."

Integrate these five leadership skills to invigorate your patients, your staff, and your business.

02/07/2024

Getting patient testimonials can help attract new patients to your practice and boost your online reputation. They also give you insights into what's working well for your practice. Read on for more info!

"By highlighting the positive experiences of existing patients on your website or other online platforms, you can validate how your practice is unique and different from other practices in the area. In fact, 78% of new patients say a positive testimonial increased their likelihood of using your practice."

Patient testimonials play a crucial role in marketing as they allow past and current patients to share their experiences.

27/06/2024

Here are 5 major barriers to be aware of when moving to a value-based care model and tips for an effective approach.

‘Winging it’ is not the right approach when providers integrate social determinants of health into care models.

25/06/2024

Medical debt can interfere with patients taking care of their health. Here are some ways to address economic distress to achieve better outcomes for patients.

"People are often unaware of all the expenses associated with healthcare, until they are racking up their own medical bills.

With a disease diagnosis, for instance, medical expenses can include the doctor’s visits, prescriptions, diagnostic tests, surgery and devices. Health insurance can help, but even people with employer-provided insurance will likely need to pay several direct out-of-pocket costs for copayments, deductibles and coinsurance, in addition to their share of the premium."

Physicians, and employers, need to start taking financial toxicity seriously.

24/06/2024

Conflicts can come up at your pediatric practice, especially if a patient or parent is distressed or angry.

Having the right tools and techniques for de-escalation can help prevent and manage crises. Check out PCC's blog to learn more!

"De-escalation is a practice using communication and listening skills. So who is de-escalation for? It’s for everyone, including colleagues, employees, patients, and caregivers. Acknowledging that everyone is human and has the capacity to get upset, especially under stressful conditions, can help frame the situation in a manner that can help you de-escalate any tension to a level where constructive conversations can be achieved."

Great customer service means meeting caregivers and patients where they are, including when conflict arises. With deescalation skills, you can improve practice culture and customer service.

19/06/2024

Happy Juneteenth!

17/06/2024

Eid Mubarak!

16/06/2024

Happy Father's Day! 👨‍👧‍👦

13/06/2024

Looking to optimize patient experience at your practice? Watch this video for information on using helpful digital tools! 📱

A look at how digitalizing the patient experience can improve engagement and care.

12/06/2024

Happy Shavuot!

10/06/2024

Happy Pride Month! 🌈

06/06/2024

Satisfied patients are important for the health of every medical practice. Here are modern ways to enhance patient experience and achieve better outcomes!

"Stakeholders are analyzing the patient experience within organizations and brainstorming ways to improve this process. And there is good reason for this focus, as the modern patient is particularly consumer-driven and places an emphasis on a positive experience. According to the Beryl Institute, 96 percent of patients count the patient experience as either important or very important when they are selecting a provider."

Focusing on creating a pleasant and thorough patient experience is necessary for the health of a practice.

04/06/2024

Read more about AAP's new guidance on media use for families from PCC's recent blog! 📱

"The AAP’s model was formed based on what we currently know about social media use, childhood development milestones, emotional well-being, and family relationships. The model uses 5 helpful Cs to help parents identify key areas to consider when making parenting decisions for their family."

The AAP's updated media use model helps parents make better digital decisions at home. How can your practice help? Here are some tips.

03/06/2024

The AAP has updated guidance on medication administration in schools. 💊 🏫

"Consider risks and benefits of school medication administration before sending an order to school: ideal and feasible dosing intervals, the family's ability to administer required medications in the home before or after school, and potential adverse medication effects."

Keeping students healthy and in school is key to their successful development and growth. Toward that end, it's essential for students who rely on medication during the school day to receive it in a safe, private and easily accessible manner. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) provides recomme...

30/05/2024

Passing patient-centered policies like the Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act would help curb high healthcare costs and provide better access to primary care. Read further here.

"Rising health care costs have dangerous consequences for Americans and our health care system. A 2024 survey found that unexpected medical bills and increasing health care costs are top concerns for voters, with three out of four adults expressing concern about being able to afford potential medical expenses. Additionally, one in four adults say they have skipped or delayed getting necessary care in the last year due to costs."

Passing Primary and Virtual Care Affordability Act would help by ensuring better access to primary care services

28/05/2024

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) identifies stigma, lack of support, and workplace barriers as obstacles that hinder continued breastfeeding and shares updated recommendations for providing more support.

"Mothers who choose to breastfeed beyond the first year need support from their medical care providers, as well as protections against workplace barriers.

Policies that protect breastfeeding, including universal paid maternity leave; the right of a woman to breastfeed in public; insurance coverage for lactation support and breast pumps; on-site child care; universal workplace break time with a clean, private location for expressing milk; the right to feed expressed milk; and the right to breastfeed in child care centers and lactation rooms in schools are all essential to supporting families in sustaining breastfeeding."

​The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first six months of life before introducing nutritious complementary foods, while encouraging social and systemic changes to support mothers who choose to breastfeed.​

27/05/2024

Happy Memorial Day! 🇺🇸

23/05/2024

Drowning deaths among children have increased in recent years with persisting disparities. Check out the CDC and AAP recommendations on protecting children.

"The AAP recommends layers of protection for children, including constant adult supervision, swim lessons, life jackets, pool fencing and CPR training. Parents also should be aware that alcohol is a significant risk factor for drowning in teens and young adults. The CDC recommends people of any age avoid alcohol before and during swimming and boating."

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages 1-4 years, and 461 deaths were reported in 2022.

21/05/2024

The CDC released new guidance on preventing infections in schools. Learn more via the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"The guidance details when students with these symptoms have improved sufficiently to return to school. Schools also should account for guidance from state and local health departments. It should work with these experts to develop an emergency operations plan that includes infectious disease outbreaks and to craft school policies for common illnesses like strep throat and hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The new guidance links to detailed recommendations for some of these illnesses."

Decisions about staying home when sick should balance the risk of spreading a disease with children’s educational, social and mental health needs.

20/05/2024

Care management services are important in a pediatric medical home to provide ongoing care, especially for children who need to see other specialists or clinical visits. PCC shares information on the different types of care services and how to optimize care management.

"Care management services are required when a patient is receiving ongoing care, whether that care is received via a hospital, assisted living facility, or at home. Care management services carry plenty of benefits for both practices and families: when the supervising pediatrician coordinates care between multiple providers or clinical staff, it can reduce avoidable expenses for families, improve engagement with the patient, and reduce care fragmentation. A win for patients and pediatricians!"

Care management for patients with complex or chronic conditions can be... complex! Learn how to handle these patients with the care they need for lifelong success.

16/05/2024

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released several videos of pediatricians advocating for the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act.

You can watch them on the AAP's YouTube channel at

Hear from Dr Molly O'Shea and Dr Ben Spitalnick about why they agree that it's time to pass the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA). Learn more about this importan...

14/05/2024

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has weighed in on several key Supreme Court cases that impact children's health. Read about them here.

"The U.S. Supreme Court has taken on a growing role in deciding consequential issues that impact child health. This summer, the court is expected to make key decisions on several cases, including those related to vaccine misinformation, gun violence prevention and reproductive rights.

The Academy participates in judicial advocacy to ensure that scientific evidence and pediatric professionals’ clinical expertise are heard in the courtroom. This year was no exception, as the Academy lent its expertise to key Supreme Court cases."

12/05/2024

Happy Mother's Day! 🌸

09/05/2024

Happy !

07/05/2024

Mutual respect and a just culture at your practice can improve your reputation, patient gain, and patient retention. It's also important for patient safety and to mitigate practice risks. Check out the tips here on how you can cultivate a positive environment at your practice.

"Imagine that a staff member can’t find a crucial test result but also can’t get anyone’s attention to discuss it, given competing pressing concerns. Even if your practice is small enough that a formal communication system feels excessive, consider implementing some systematic elements. This will help you in case of staffing disruption, emergency, safety issue, or potential interpersonal conflict. When practices formalize certain interactions, everyone does less improvising, and the practice moves closer to becoming a high-performance team."

Mutual respect is the cornerstone of a culture of patient safety.

05/05/2024

Happy Cinco de Mayo!! 🎊

02/05/2024

A safe and healthy community for children is important for their health outcomes and well-being. The AAP has recommendations for pediatricians on how they can improve community design for their patients. Click the link to read more.

"For pediatricians counseling patients, this begins with an understanding of how their recommendations are achievable within the context of the communities where they reside," Dr. White said. "For instance, a pediatrician counseling a family on providing nutritious meals might share information about a local food pantry or other community resources."

In an updated policy statement, "The Built Environment and Pediatric Health," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes the impact of community design on child health, and how pediatricians and policy makers can advocate and partner with communities to improve it.​

30/04/2024

Seeing patients on time helps ensure patient satisfaction and retention. Here are 10 tips to follow to become an on-time physician, be more productive, see more patients, and avoid the erosion of your income.

"Develop a time management philosophy and make staff and patients aware of your desire to maximize your time during the office. It all starts with a commitment to being an on-time physician. The doctor must commit first to this concept and then obtain the commitment of the staff that being on time, becoming efficient, and being more productive is vital to the success of the practice. You can’t have a staff trying to be on time if the doctor(s) don’t embrace the same philosophy."

There are opportunities for doctors to become more productive, to see more patients, and to avoid the erosion of their incomes.

29/04/2024

Make the most of value-based care and ensure success for your medical practice with these 7 tips!

"Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law in 2010, CMS has been encouraging physician practices to move from a fee-for-service payment model to one that rewards value. It has been testing models that incentivize clinicians to provide preventive, proactive, and appropriate care that improves patient outcomes and experience and decreases unnecessary healthcare spending. Most recently, it has focused on ensuring health equity across all patient populations."

Key strategies for profitability with new payment models.

25/04/2024

Happy Arab American Heritage Month!