Lights mean action at this practice

Have you ever forgotten that there's a client in the exam room? Often you're busy when the receptionist comes to the treatment area and announces that your appointment has arrived. Fifteen minutes later, no one has gone in to see the client. The receptionist comes back and reminds the technician or doctor there's a client waiting. The response: “No one told me they were here!”

Quick and cheap solution: Night lights! I took a power strip and plugged in four night lights. I labeled each night light and have the receptionist turn on the light when someone is in the room. The technician turns off the light when the client has left the room. Voila! No more “I didn't know” responses because there's a constant visual reminder that someone is waiting!

Bonus: This system is easy to customize. You can use different colored bulbs per room or doctor, remote controls for the receptionist and as many different rooms as you need. Decide where your problem area is and this is a quick fix.

There are many patient management systems, but often times they have to be hard wired in and cost in the thousands. This simple and easy fix costs less than $50.

Lori Woods, MBA, has fifteen years of experience in the veterinary industry, including nine years as a practice manager. She obtained her MBA with a specialty in Human Resource Management.