Berkshire Mobile Medicine Update

[ventana]

So still chugging along in opening my own practice and figured it was time to update the forum

 

 

Got a Doc hired - made him 1% owner

Got incorporated with the state (did not need to get permission from the Board of Medical Assistants... - see earlier posts)

Got told I needed to pay $1300 for workers comp not the previously quoted $300 as I was a home health agency - told the insurance agent I am not a home health agency but instead a primary care practice - took over a week of them fighting the Ins Co to get them to understand.... helps to have a good local agent!

 

Got my web site up and running wwww.berkshiremobilemedicine.com

 

Got all the patient intake forms done - see them on the site

 

Now the 'tough' part

 

 

Marketing - everyone wants your money to advertise but in watching Mike J I have decided to pass on the paid advertising as I just don't have the $$$ and none of them are cheap - all in the $1000's....

 

So now I have spent the morning looking up local agencies that serve seniors and I have been cold calling them and explaining myself.

 

Has been great reception - to the point that one town Senior Advisor stopped the mailing she had going out today and asked for an electronic flyer that she would print and include in the mailer!! WOW that just blew my mind - this is a small town agency that has pretty much no budget but is so excited with the practice she was going to do it for free!

 

Local senior center in the big local town is excited to get me in - although they sell advertising to pay for their newsletter so it won't be free... BUT I am going to try to talk them into doing a story on my practice in the next flyer - again thinking free! but might have to advertise to them......

 

Medicare is the only insurance I am taking and I am really leary of the credentialing - I have hired a billing company to do it, but my doc is in private practice for himself and he is paranoid of them screwing something up that would effect the billings for his own company - and I am even likely more paranoid them him!! I just hate everything to do with insurance......

 

 

 

looking back on this process I have so far learned a few tidbits...

1) go slow and think things out - let them bounce around your head

2) go to where the pateints are - don't fight the establishment but instead go to where you are needed

3) get a good lawyer - mine was great and only cost a couple grand - money well spent

4) figure out when the battle needs fighting - ie - I am not caring that someone asks what Doc I am working with because they are the same people that are going to get me patients, but I am clear in that I am the only one doing house calls

5) be proud of your experience and history - I point out that I have 10+ years in medicine, ran the local urgent care/primary care clinic for 5+ years blah blah blah.... pump yourself up but

6) don't promise more then you can deliver - disappointment is not good

7) know what your target it - a couple times people have brought up the idea of calling me instead of sending to the ER - have to kill that idea quick as I only have a stethoscope and script pad - would be easy to say yes but would likely be unable to manage and would end up sending them to the ER - see above dissapointment....

 

 

so in the next few weeks hope to get seeing some patients -

 

hope to have medicare credentials in the next 90 days - but certainly in 4-6 months - gotta keep working my full time job till then as I have to have an income and health insurance - I decided earlyl on to do this with out loans to I am restricted to waiting for the money to come in before I can quit.....

 

 

 

 

still going forward and although there has been a few sleepless nights I am convinced it will be great!