Posts tagged: News + Insights

1. Slow Down to Speed Up 

• When planning for what’s ahead, it’s easy to get excited and want to get started as soon as possible. To clear the road ahead, you have to take the time to really review the last year. Outside of an Annual Report and Financials, ask yourself and your team where they need the most support, what process can be improved, and find the information to make the proper changes. 

2. Assess Metrics

• The best data you can use to review the past year in your business is Canned Reports. When reviewing you should assess revenue, client cancellations, highest billed service, highest treatment areas and programs, and productivity. From These reports, you will be able to answer what your pain points are and make informed decisions on where to invest more resources or development within your business. 

3. Measure with Milestones

• As you map out what you want and how to make it happen, be sure to include milestones in your planning too. These can be dates, company-wide meetings, or high-level check-ins. Make sure to involve everyone necessary and have a measurement for success. If one of your goals is to improve a process, how often are you reviewing efficiency? Define and schedule milestones now to ensure you remain on track throughout the year. 

4. Take Care of Yourself 

• Planning for the year can be overwhelming. It’s a critical time in your business, give yourself grace and make time for self-care. Take walks outside at least daily, meditate, set alarms to step away from your computer, and don’t forget to blink. Taking these small moments for yourself not only helps your mind and body, but it requires intention. Be conscious of the world around you to help you focus when it matters most.

1. Plan for Rest

• It seems counterintuitive because it is. When given any spare moment or day out of the office, many of us naturally fill it with all the other things we would be doing if we didn’t have to work. One of the most productive things you can do for your future self is intentional rest. This holiday season, in between all the obligations and future planning, give yourself an hour, a day, or even a week, if you can, of total rest. 

2. Move Your Body 

• After a year on the go, it’s important to take an extended time to move your body. With fewer excuses and more calories coming in during the holidays, small intentional changes to your daily happens will guarantee you start the new year with your best foot forward. If you aren’t into rigorous routines, just more often. Twice a day for 30 minutes each makes all the difference.

3. Screens Down

• All of the time you spend answering emails, on calls, and video chatting can now be spent offline. Take advantage of the time that you have to do nothing. That includes screen time. Your eyes, your head, and the people around you will all appreciate it. You can ensure as little screentime as possible by creating a unique Do Not Disturb setting on your iOS devices, setting your email accounts with an Out of Office autoresponse, and adding screentime allowance or timers to your social apps and devices. 

4. Reconnect 

• Think of the last interaction that left you feeling warm, loved, and seen. Schedule a time to see, call or reconnect with that person while you have some downtime. Not only is it important to foster healthy relationships, but the mind and body respond to meaningful interactions as well. You might learn something new or discover an opportunity that you wouldn't have otherwise! 

5. Eat Well 

• When we’re constantly working and caring for others it can be hard to properly nourish our bodies. Your energy and overall well-being are determined by what you eat. You don’t have to diet or restrict yourself either, just make space to cook intentionally and eat more of the foods that your body needs. You can choose to be mindful of just one aspect of healthy eating including timing, not eating fast food or takeout, and incorporating more whole foods.

A recent article from Behavioral Health Business listed some of the ways EHRs will shape the future of Behavioral Healthcare. As of 2022, only 6% of Behavioral Health agencies have implemented an EHR System. A major gap between the 80% of hospitals that currently utilize EHR with success. In response, providers spoke on their reservations around implementation - ones we have heard from clients and answered through our EHR Implementation process. Proper EHR implementation might be the 

Most of our work requires us to rebuild processes from scratch, With many agencies operating on outdated systems or outgrowing their existing ones, we see firsthand the importance of ongoing management. This is most prevalent with revenue cycle management. We have successfully recovered tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands of dollars for our clients through effective EHR Implementation and Management. Agencies big and small are focused on providing the highest quality care to their clients while facing a constant growing demand for services. The right systems and processes make all the difference and we’re here to help. See some ways that agencies can be proactive with their revenue cycle management systems now:

• Review Workflow Documentation

• Ensure everyone within your organization has thoroughly reviewed your internal workflows for day-to-day operations across departments. Make sure there is a clear understanding of how they are executed in your new EHR. Walk through each critical workflow in your certification system to identify any potential gaps. 

• Provide End-User Refresher Training

• Software implementations can range anywhere from 6 months to a year. During that time organizations absorb a tremendous amount of information that is not always easily retained. It’s important to revisit training for each department. You can also request additional training from your implementation team prior to your go-live transition.

• Complete Chart Audits

• Triple checking your work is never a bad idea! One of the number one issues organizations encounter during implementation is incomplete or inaccurate data in their client charts. Whether it's the date of birth, a missing digit in a social security number or an incorrect mailing address, simple errors can have a big impact on the billing, clinical, and administrative operations of an organization.

• Hire an Expert

• Implementations can be taxing on your team and many organizations simply lack the manpower needed to successfully operate the new features of their EHR during the early stages. A steep learning curve, processing claims, completing assessments, accurately scheduling appointments, and resolving errors can quickly accumulate to a heavy workload. Hiring expert support in the initial months of implementation alleviates the pressure from your team while easing the process and giving you the additional advocate you need. 

Fortunately, there is a way to manage necessary changes without the need to hire a new position or spend extensive time training and overwhelming your employees. By outsourcing highly specialized external support, you’re guaranteed to keep your best asset, your employees, happy and on the team. In the age of the Great Resignation, companies are beginning to see the value in outsourcing experts for internal challenges. Our focus is specific because it’s what we know best. The TLock team brings clinician, healthcare informatics and business experience to our clients for a holistic solution tailored to your specific needs. We are dedicated to using our proven processes to get you results that can’t be replicated through a training program or new position. Find the experts that do exactly what you need for the return you want. Some of the benefits of outsourcing include:

Strong relationships are one of the best assets you can have. Just ask our Founder, Tracel Lockhart. Throughout her career as a software vendor and then a clinician, she made sure to make every interaction count. Her philosophy is simple, “Always make a point to go above and beyond for your clients. At the end of the day, business is about more than just providing a service.” Her strong connections helped her gain opportunities to build expertise including speaking at conferences and growing as a thought leader in Behavioral Health and EHR Management. Even now, our clientele at TLock Solutions is built on 100% referral from networking, strong relationships and quality service. When you treat each business relationship as a partnership that benefits both parties for long term results, you will find long term success. Partnerships must start somewhere, luckily networking is a skill anyone can learn. Here are a few of Tracel’s best tips for creating new and lasting connections: