In honor of International Women’s Day Woman-Owned Consulting Firm: CEO of Emmanuel Consulting Agency

Health Care Entrepreneur Julia Akinyooye RN MSN and CEO of Emmanuel Consulting Agency -a Women-led Consulting Firm gives expert advice in honor of Women's Day to help other Women Scale Their Home Care Businesses.

Here are 3 Tips to Scale Your Agency in 2022

1. Automate and Outsource

Technology

In 2022, your business must be digital, whether you are big or small. The investment needs to be made. Automate paper processes, digitize records, and secure your data to prevent mistakes and reduce redundancy. Don’t forget to get trained on the technology you select. We see many companies that do not invest in full training or that do not use certain features of their software because of a lack of knowledge. It is important that your software technology tool allows you the opportunity to get re-trained or offers a “refresher” to fully implement the software and maximize the benefits. As the employer, it is your responsibility to make these trainings and refreshers mandatory throughout the year for all employees.

2 Outsource

Outsource ancillary claim processing and forms management, benefits administration, human resource functions, project management, and audits to allow your business to focus on patient care.

Software Solutions

Finding the solution or right vendor that helps your specific business needs takes time and dedication. All software companies may not be the right fit for your company. Write a checklist of specific problems that your company is having or things you would like to see streamlined more efficiently. That way, when assessing if a solution is right for your business, you can make an informed decision and not feel pressured. It is crucial to keep in mind that no solution is perfect; however, at the very least, having a software company that is flexible and authentic and willing to work with your team to get you the right assistance will help your business get to that sweet spot.

HR Solutions

Outsource companies that have extensive experience with human resources admin processes that can provide virtual, telephonic, onsite, on-call services. This will help smaller companies who may not have a Human Resource Manager or bigger companies that may need extra support or are at more risk for bigger liabilities due to their size. This is essential for organizations to get expert knowledge and get questions answered quickly. This is particularly helpful when you have many employees.

Benefits Administration

Use technology-based Benefit Administrators to implement solutions, ensure accurate employee data, give your company access to powerful reporting insights, and give autonomy to your employees. Having a one-stop-shop for benefits, payroll, eligibility & COBRA management creates efficiency. Include essential courses and educational webinars to help your employees learn their benefits, including stock options and retirement plans.

3. Maintain Compliance

Stay current on your state and federal guidelines by joining a professional organization or obtaining knowledge through a high-quality consulting firm. Networking with industry professionals will allow you the resources you need to fill compliance gaps and have a third eye on your internal processes.

Create a Value-Based team/ In- house Resolution Team

The number one issue in any business is customer complaints. Create an expert team to handle conflict resolutions. Unfortunately, we see many companies have ancillary administrative staff who are not well equipped trying to troubleshoot issues that often spin out of control or fail to get addressed properly.

3. Patient Experience

In-home care, we have been moving toward a value-based care model over the last few years, and reimbursements depend on patient satisfaction scores and quality care performed; therefore, focusing on patient experience/outcomes is integral.

A few questions to ask yourself and your team;

Be empathetic. Literally. Ask yourself:

Does my company make it easy for patients to receive services? (onboarding)

Does my company respond to calls, complaints, or inquiries regarding care timely?

Do patients receive care in a timely fashion? (delivery)

Are complaints handled swiftly?

On average, how long do patients stay on service and why?

Do we provide just personal care services or aim to improve overall patient wellness?

Are we effectively communicating with our patients even when there are no issues in care?

Source: www.consultwithanurse.com