Do It Right

If you want it done right, do it yourself!

If you run your home care company correctly, your task is to be its supervisor.

Your salaried employees all should be fully aware of their sphere of responsibility. I am sure that you have given each employee a job description that explains broadly your expectations.

The problem is that many employees look at that description as the limits for their job. When prepared correctly, the job description you provide should reflect your minimum expectation. Every employee should be aware that he or she is an important cog in your organization, and that all of their efforts must be for growth — both theirs and that of the company.

Over the year many HME proprietors have shared with me how they hire (and fire) employees, and how they give guidance. They use the job description as a starting point, then direct and monitor each employee so that they are able to expand their contributions to the success of the company.

Remember that an HME team consists of all the employees working to accomplish a goal: the success of the — or may I say, their — company.

HME entrepreneurs cannot do it all by themselves, but they can build a good staff, provide the tools that staff needs and then guide that staff to reach a goal. I am a firm believer that regularly scheduled meetings with your employees will develop a comfort level for all and help mesh them into a team.

Whenever I talk about this approach, I am always asked, “How much should I tell my employees?” That question is difficult to answer, but when your employees realize they are part of the company team, then you should share your ideas with them. When you do that, you might be very surprised at how much information they can provide to make reaching your company's goal much easier.

That is what I call “doing it right,” not “doing it yourself.”

Information Center

One of the best ways for HME providers to make their services better known in the community is by becoming an information center. All it takes is some time and imagination to set up the program. Once it is in place, it will bring in customers.

Which discipline is your strength? Is it respiratory service including oxygen, or mobility and rehab? Are you the first on your block to offer home telehealth? When you take the time to review all of the services your company performs, you can easily identify which one is producing the most volume and the best profits.