Working with Physician Extenders to increase efficiency and profitability

[Roger Steven]

A Physician Extender is one who is not a physician, but is of a lesser qualification, who helps physicians by carrying out many activities usually carried out by physicians. As the name suggests, Physician Extenders work to supplement the functions of a physician and could take a considerable load off her shoulders. In most cases, an advanced nurse practitioner or a physician assistant work as a Physician Extender.

A nurse practitioner is usually prepared and trained to impart the duties relating to nursing, consisting of but not limited to the following: preventive and acute healthcare service and taking down the patient’s case history and treating patients for a number of ailments, and in interpreting lab results. A physician assistant may conduct physical medical examinations, diagnose and treat diseases, and help in medical decision-making, among others.

Facilitating and assisting the physician’s work

The main purpose of employing these personnel in a healthcare setting is to ensure that they help the healthcare provider optimize treatments, bring in greater efficiency in delivery of healthcare, and increase profitability. They mainly help physicians increase their delivery of care by assisting them in their work, reducing their work load and preventing monotony and burnout.

How do healthcare providers decide on the ideal ways of selecting the Physician Extenders? What factors do they need to take in order to ensure that the Physician Extenders are suited for their healthcare organizations and help in carrying out all of the functions that they are expected to, and serve the purpose for which they are hired?

Understanding of the ways of selecting the right Physician Extenders

This is what a webinar from MentorHealth, a leading provider of professional trainings for the healthcare areas, will be offering. The speaker offering this learning is Debra Phairas, President of Practice & Liability Consultants, LLC., a nationally recognized firm specializing in practice management and malpractice prevention.

Please register for this very valuable learning.

The main intention of this webinar is to teach the managements of healthcare providers who employ Physician Extenders the ways of reducing costs, increasing efficiency, retaining patient satisfaction with services, and reducing malpractice exposure.

Medical professionals such as Physicians, Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners and Healthcare Managers will primarily benefit from this session. During the course of this hour-long session; Debra will cover the following areas:

• How to hire the right person
• Employee vs. independent contractor tests
• Compensation salary, benefits, incentives bonus plans as outlined in MEDICAL ECONOMICS article written by Debra Phairas
• How to assure Extender profitability, efficiency and productivity
• The importance of clinical protocols for NP/PA
• Legal and Supervision issues
• Developing the team approach
• Patient, staff and referral physician acceptance of extenders.

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