Med Monthly September 2016

PHYSICIAN SOLUTIONS PRESENTS

Med Monthly MAGAZINE

September 2016

Website Blogging:

An Affordable and Effective Way to Boost Google Rankings and Patient Traffic pg. 18 the

Social nd Media a ctice Your Pra issue

10 Ways

That Doctors Can Leverage Social Media pg. 26

Social Media and Your Dental or Medical Practice pg. 22

contents

features

18 WEBSITE BLOGGING: An Affordable and Effective Way to Boost Google Rankings and Patient Traffic 22 SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR DENTAL OR MEDICAL PRACTICE

8

26 10 WAYS THAT DOCTORS CAN LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA

22

SOCIAL MEDIA AND YOUR DENTAL OR MEDICAL PRACTICE

EIGHT STEP PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS FOR MEDICAL PRACTICES

practice tips 6

SEVERE OBESITY REVEALED AS A STANDALONE HIGH-RISK FACTOR FOR HEART FAILURE

8

EIGHT STEP PROBLEM SOLVING PROCESS FOR MEDICAL PRACTICES

10 SAVING PATIENTS FROM SEPSIS IS A RACE AGAINST TIME

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Med Monthly September 2016 Publisher Creative Director Contributors

Philip Driver Thomas Hibbard Naren Arulrajah Barbara Hales, M.D. Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE Amanda Kanaan Vikas Vij

contributors Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of Dentists and Physicians. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call Naren direct at 877-249-9666.

Barbara Hales, M.D. is a skilled expert in promoting your health services. As seen on NBC, CBS,ABC and FOX network affiliates as well as Newsweek, Dr. Hales writes all the content you need to promote your medical services.

Her latest book is on the best seller list and she can do the same for you. Check out her site at www.TheWriteTreatment.com

Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE

Med Monthly is a national monthly magazine committed to providing insights about the health care profession focusing on practical advice for physicians and practices. We are currently accepting articles to be considered for publication. For more information on writing for Med Monthly, please email us at medmedia9@gmail.com.

P.O. Box 99488 Raleigh, NC 27624 medmedia9@gmail.com

is the CEO and founder of ABISA, a consultancy specializing in solo and small group practice management. He has consulted with clients in multiple countries and has over 20 years of leadership and operations experience. Visit www. abisallc.com for more information.

Amanda Kanaan is the owner/founder of WhiteCoat Designs – an online marketing agency committed to growing doctors’ practices through cost-effective and powerful online marketing solutions. Amanda regularly speaks at medical association meetings and conventions and is a published expert in the field of medical marketing. To learn more or for a free website evaluation, contact her at Amanda@whitecoat-designs.com or http://www.whitecoat-designs.com.

Online 24/7 at medmonthly.com

MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE |5

practice tips

Severe Obesity Revealed as a Stand-Alone High-Risk Factor for Heart Failure

6

| SEPTEMBER 2016

A

study by Johns Hopkins researchers of more than 13,000 people has found that even after accounting for such risk factors as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, so-called morbid obesity appears to stand alone as a standout risk for heart failure, but not for other major types of heart disease.

In a report on the research, published online on July 28 in the Journal of the American Heart Association, the Johns Hopkins team says morbidly obese individuals were more than two times more likely to have heart failure than comparable people with a healthy body mass index, after accounting for high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. And yet, after accounting for these factors, people with morbid obesity weren’t any more likely to have a stroke or coronary heart disease — basically disease of the heart’s arteries,” due in part to inflammation and an accumulation of plaque in the heart and surrounding blood vessels.

The researchers caution that their study suggests a strong, independent link between severe obesity and heart failure but does not definitively determine cause and effect.

Nevertheless, they say, their findings suggest that while treating hypertension, diabetes and other conditions associated with obesity may be sufficient to prevent coronary heart disease and stroke, this approach may not be enough to prevent an increased risk of heart failure, for which weight loss may be the only foolproof, currently available preventive measure. The federal government estimates that one in three Americans is obese and more than 5 percent are morbidly obese — defined as a body mass index of greater than 35. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 6 million people in the United States are living with heart failure, a condition of aging marked by enlarged and/or weakened heart muscle and diminished blood-pumping efficiency,

resulting in shortness of breath, fatigue, weakness, trouble breathing when lying down, and swelling in the ankles and feet. Overall, there is a 50 percent mortality rate for people with heart failure five years after diagnosis.

“Obesity in our study has emerged as one of the least explained and likely most challenging risk factors for heart failure because there is no magic pill to treat it, no drugs that can easily address the problem like there are for high cholesterol and high blood pressure,” says Chiadi Ndumele, M.D., M.H.S., assistant professor of medicine and member of the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. “Even with diet and exercise, people struggle to lose weight and keep it off, and for the morbidly obese, the struggle is often insurmountable.”

Although it isn’t completely clear why obesity alone is linked to heart failure independent of risk factors and not to stroke or coronary heart disease, Ndumele says that there is evidence to suggest that extra body weight exerts a higher metabolic demand on the heart and that fat cells in the abdomen may even release molecules toxic to heart cells.

Obesity has long been known to increase the likelihood of high blood pressure, elevated blood cholesterol and diabetes — all established risk factors for heart and blood vessel diseases. Treating and controlling these conditions have formed the bedrock strategies for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, Ndumele says.

To learn if this was truly the case for all types of cardiovascular disease, Ndumele and his colleagues looked at the medical records of 13,730 participants in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study who had body mass indexes in healthy ranges or higher at the start of the study and no initial heart disease. The group was composed of 63.8 percent women and 16.9 percent African-Americans. The average age was 54, and body mass

index ranged from 18 to 50. All were followed for approximately 23 years to assess links between body mass index and heart failure, coronary heart disease or stroke.

The records also included data for participants’ height, weight, and levels of blood sugar, cholesterol and triglycerides, along with smoking status, alcohol use, professions and exercise levels.

After the final participant followup in 2012, there were 2,235 recorded cases of heart failure, 1,653 cases of coronary heart disease and 986 strokes.

In their initial assessment, the Johns Hopkins researchers controlled for differences that might be due to age, sex, race, education level, career, smoking history, exercise and alcohol consumption. Severe obesity was associated with a nearly fourfold higher risk of heart failure and about a twofold higher risk for both coronary heart disease and stroke compared with rates for those with a normal body mass index.

Next, the researchers controlled for other heart disease risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or high levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

After this adjustment, Ndumele’s team no longer saw an increase in risk for coronary heart disease or stroke in people with obesity. However, the increased risk for heart failure remained.

For every five-unit higher body mass index, there was an almost 30 percent higher risk of developing heart failure across all participants.

“Even if my patients have normal blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure levels, I believe I still have to worry that they may develop heart failure if they are severely obese,” says Ndumele. “If our data are confirmed, we need to improve our strategies for heart failure prevention in this population.”  Source: http://www.pressreleasepoint. com/severe-obesity-revealed-standalone-high-risk-factor-heart-failure

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practice tips

Eight Step Problem Solving Process for Medical Practices

By Nick Hernandez, MBA, FACHE CEO and Founder of ABISA

E

T AC

OODA Loop ID EC

22|| SEPTEMBER DECEMBER2016 2013 8

O

D

The question is, how do we do all this? I would suggest a proven technique known as the OODA Loop.

The OODA Loop consists of four overlapping and interacting processes. You must: Observe the current situation and form theories, Orient the picture by setting improvement targets and determining root causes, Decide by developing solutions, and Act by means of implementing and evaluating.

B

RV E E S

ENT RI

• To remove waste and inefficiencies • To increase productivity and asset availability • To improve response time and agility • To sustain safe and reliable operations

O

Physician owners know that there are four key objectives at the core of process improvement:

The OODA Loop can be subdivided further into an eight-step problem solving process.

you understand the cause of the problem, ask what caused the problem (continue to ask “why?”).

OBSERVE

DECIDE

This is a critical step. You need to recognize the correct problem and be sure it is completely understood by all. It helps to state the problem by developing a “problem statement” in terms of what, where, when, and the significance. You also need to “lay eyes” on the situation, ensuring you have first-hand observation. This will then help in drafting a flowchart that diagrams the steps of the process. Lastly, you need to conduct surveys and interviews, talking with the “customer” or end user who determines the value of the process under review.

When selecting solutions, consider both quality and practicality. Be sure to also gain acceptance (or “buy in”) from those that must implement the solutions. Some key factors to consider when analyzing solutions include effectiveness, feasibility, and impact.

When developing your action plan, be sure that you have created a clear and detailed plan that everyone can understand. Most importantly, build consensus with others by involving all of your team appropriately to cultivate a sense of ownership in the solution and in its success. Effective communications can be a deciding element as to whether the plan succeeds.

Step 1: Clarify the Problem

Step 2: Break Down the Problem and Identify Performance Gaps

It is tempting to jump to action but you must refrain from doing so just yet. Gather and review the key data. Understand what data is necessary and what role it plays in problem solving. Are there gaps in your analysis? Are there bottlenecks in the process you are reviewing? Under this step, you must also look at waste in your practice as it relates to the problem.

There are generally eight types of waste: defects, over production, waiting, over processing, transportation, intellect, motion, and excess inventory. You should always look for waste in your processes.

ORIENT

Step 3: Set Improvement Targets

Where do you want to be? Determine your desired outcome for the practice. Be sure to look at both strategic and tactical targets. Strategic targets are visions of what your practice strives to become. Tactical targets define the performance level necessary to make your strategic vision a reality. Remember to keep your tactical targets challenging but achievable.

Step 4: Determine Root Causes

This is the most vital step in the problem solving process. All too often practice managers find themselves addressing problems that have been “solved” many times before. This is usually due to directing problem solving efforts at the symptoms of a problem rather than at the root cause of the problem. It often helps to do much brainstorming and when you think

Step 5: Select Solutions

ACT

Step 6: See the Plan Through

Collect data according to the action plan. Remember the old adage, “You can’t manage what you can’t measure.” You may need to implement a contingency plan as conditions change and you need to keep the project on focus. Continue to provide required training during this step as well.

Step 7: Confirm Results and Process

Ensure the plan is producing the intended results.

Monitor the project for performance relative to: a) the baseline developed in steps 1 and 2; b) the improvement targets established in step 3; c) where you thought you would be at this stage; and d) meeting targets by the established deadline. You should return to any step as necessary.

Step 8: Standardize Successful Processes

This is the most commonly skipped and under completed step of the entire problem solving process.

You can define this step by asking a series of questions: What is needed to standardize the improvements?

Is the appropriate documentation in place? Were other opportunities or problems identified by the problem solving process?

If the answer to this last question is yes, begin the process over ... that is why it is referred to as the OODA Loop. 

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practice tips

Saving Patients from Sepsis is a Race Against Time 10

| SEPTEMBER 2016

Sepsis is caused by the body’s overwhelming and life-threatening response to an infection and requires rapid intervention. It begins outside of the hospital for nearly 80 percent of patients. According to a new Vital Signs report released by CDC, about 7 in 10 patients with sepsis had used health care services recently or had chronic diseases that required frequent medical care. These represent opportunities for healthcare providers to prevent, recognize, and treat sepsis long before it can cause life-threatening illness or death.

“When sepsis occurs, it should be treated as a medical emergency,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. “Doctors and nurses can prevent sepsis and also the devastating effects of sepsis, and patients and families can watch for sepsis and ask, ‘could this be sepsis?’”

Certain people with an infection are more likely to get sepsis, including people age 65 years or older, infants less than 1 year old, people who have weakened immune systems, and people who have chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes). While much less common, even healthy children and adults can develop sepsis from an infection, especially when not recognized early. The signs and symptoms of sepsis include: shivering, fever, or feeling very cold; extreme pain or discomfort; clammy or sweaty skin; confusion or disorientation; shortness of breath and a high heart rate.

According to the Vital Signs report, infections of the lung, urinary tract, skin, and gut most often led to sepsis. In most cases, the germ that caused the infection leading to sepsis was not identified. When identified, the most common germs leading to sepsis were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli (E. coli), and some types of Streptococcus.

Health care providers, patients and their family members can work as a team to prevent sepsis.

Health care providers play a critical role in protecting patients from infections that can lead to sepsis and recognizing sepsis early. Health care providers can: • Prevent infections. Follow infection control requirements (such as handwashing) and ensure patients to get recommended vaccines (e.g., flu and pneumococcal).

• Educate patients and their families. Stress the need to prevent infections, manage chronic conditions, and, if an infection is not improving, promptly seek care. Don’t delay.

• Think sepsis. Know the signs and symptoms to identify and treat patients earlier.

• Act fast. If sepsis is suspected, order tests to help determine if an infection is present, where it is, and what caused it. Start antibiotics and other recommended medical care immediately.

• Reassess patient management. Check patient progress frequently. Reassess antibiotic therapy 24-48 hours or sooner to change therapy as needed. Determine whether the type of antibiotics, dose, and duration are correct.

CDC is working on five key areas related to sepsis: • Increasing sepsis awareness by engaging clinical professional organizations and patient advocates.

• Aligning infection prevention, chronic disease management, and appropriate antibiotic use to promote early recognition of sepsis.

• Studying risk factors for sepsis that can guide focused prevention and early recognition.

• Developing tracking for sepsis to measure impact of successful interventions.

• Preventing infections that may lead to sepsis by promoting vaccination programs, chronic disease management, infection prevention, and appropriate antibiotic use.

To read the entire Vital Signs report visit: www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/sepsis.

For more information on sepsis and CDC’s work visit: www.cdc.gov/sepsis.  Source: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0823-sepsis-patients.html

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U.S. OPTICAL BOARDS Alaska P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811 (907)465-5470 http://www.commerce.state.ak.us/dnn/ cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/DispensingOpticians.aspx Arizona 1400 W. Washington, Rm. 230 Phoenix, AZ 85007 (602)542-3095 http://www.do.az.gov Arkansas P.O. Box 627 Helena, AR 72342 (870)572-2847 California 2005 Evergreen St., Ste. 1200 Sacramento, CA 95815 (916)263-2382 http://www.optometry.ca.gov/ Colorado 1560 Broadway St. #1310 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7750 http://www.dora.state.co.us/optometry/ Connecticut 410 Capitol Ave., MS #12APP P.O. Box 340308 Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-7603 ext. 4 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3121&q=427586 Florida 4052 Bald Cypress Way, Bin C08 Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4474 http://www.pof.org/opticianry-board/ Georgia 237 Coliseum Dr. Macon, GA 31217 (478)207-1671 http://sos.ga.gov/index.php/licensing/ plb/20 Hawaii P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)586-2704 http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/programs/ dispensingoptician/

Idaho 450 W. State St., 10th Floor Boise , ID 83720 (208)334-5500 http://www.ironforidaho.net/

Oregon 3218 Pringle Rd. SE Ste. 270 Salem, OR 97302 (503)373-7721 http://www.oregonobo.org/optque.htm

Kentucky P.O. Box 1360 Frankfurt, KY 40602 (502)564-3296 http://www.opticiantraining.org/optician-training-kentucky/

Rhode Island 3 Capitol Hill, Rm 104 Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-7883 http://sos.ri.gov/govdirectory/index. php? page=DetailDeptAgency&eid=260

Massachusetts 239 Causeway St. Boston, MA 02114 (617)727-5339 http://1.usa.gov/zbJVt7

South Carolina P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4665 www.llr.state.sc.us

Nevada P.O. Box 70503 Reno, NV 89570 (775)853-1421 http://nvbdo.state.nv.us/

Tennessee Heritage Place Metro Center 227 French Landing, Ste. 300 Nashville, TN 37243 (615)253-6061 http://tn.gov/health

New Hampshire 129 Pleasant St. Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-5590 www.state.nh.us New Jersey P.O. Box 45011 Newark, NJ 07101 (973)504-6435 http://www.njsop.org/aws/NJSOP/pt/sp/ home_page New York 89 Washington Ave., 2nd Floor W. Albany, NY 12234 (518)402-5944 http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/od/ North Carolina P.O. Box 25336 Raleigh, NC 27611 (919)733-9321 http://www.ncoptometry.org/ Ohio 77 S. High St. Columbus, OH 43266 (614)466-9707 http://optical.ohio.gov/

Texas P.O. Box 149347 Austin, TX 78714 (512)834-6661 http://www.tob.state.tx.us/ Vermont National Life Bldg N FL. 2 Montpelier, VT 05620 (802)828-2191 http://vtprofessionals.org/opr1/ opticians/ Virginia 3600 W. Broad St. Richmond, VA 23230 (804)367-8500 http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/ HAS-Opticians/ Washington 300 SE Quince P.O. Box 47870 Olympia, WA 98504 (360)236-4947 http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/MedicalCommission. aspx

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U.S. DENTAL BOARDS Alabama Alabama Board of Dental Examiners 5346 Stadium Trace Pkwy., Ste. 112 Hoover, AL 35244 (205) 985-7267 http://www.dentalboard.org/ Alaska P.O. Box 110806 Juneau, AK 99811-0806 (907)465-2542 https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/web/ cbpl/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardofDentalExaminers.aspx Arizona 4205 N. 7th Ave. Suite 300 Phoenix, AZ 85103 (602)242-1492 http://azdentalboard.us/ Arkansas 101 E. Capitol Ave., Suite 111 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501)682-2085 http://www.asbde.org/ California 2005 Evergreen Street, Suite 1550Â Sacramento, CA 95815 877-729-7789 http://www.dbc.ca.gov/

Hawaii DCCA-PVL Att: Dental P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)586-3000 http://cca.hawaii.gov/pvl/boards/dentist/ Idaho P.O. Box 83720 Boise, ID 83720 (208)334-2369 http://isbd.idaho.gov/ Illinois 320 W. Washington St. Springfield, IL 62786 (217)785-0820 http://www.isds.org/LawsLegislation/ boardOfDentistry.asp Indiana 402 W. Washington St., Room W072 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317)232-2980 http://www.in.gov/pla/dental.htm

Colorado 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7800 https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dora/ Dental_Board

Iowa 400 SW 8th St. Suite D Des Moines, IA 50309 (515)281-5157 http://www.state.ia.us/dentalboard/

Connecticut 410 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-8000 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3143&q=388884

Kansas 900 SW Jackson Room 564-S Topeka, KS 66612 (785)296-6400 http://www.dental.ks.gov/

Delaware Cannon Building, Suite 203 861 Solver Lake Blvd.

Dover, DE 19904 (302)744-4500 http://1.usa.gov/t0mbWZ

Kentucky 312 Whittington Parkway, Suite 101 Louisville, KY 40222 (502)429-7280 http://dentistry.ky.gov/

Florida 4052 Bald Cypress Way Bin C-08 Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4474 http://floridasdentistry.gov/ 14

Georgia 237 Coliseum Drive Macon, GA 31217 (478)207-2440 https://gbd.georgia.gov/

| SEPTEMBER 2016

Louisiana 365 Canal St., Suite 2680 New Orleans, LA 70130 (504)568-8574 http://dentistry.ky.gov/

Maine 143 State House Station 161 Capitol St. Augusta, ME 04333 (207)287-3333 http://www.mainedental.org/ Maryland 55 Wade Ave. Catonsville, Maryland 21228 (410)402-8500 http://dhmh.state.md.us/dental/ Massachusetts 1000 Washington St., Suite 710 Boston, MA 02118 (617)727-1944 http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/dph/programs/hcq/dhpl/ dentist/about/ Michigan P.O. Box 30664 Lansing, MI 48909 (517)241-2650 http://www.michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7154-72600_72603_27529_27533---,00. html Minnesota 2829 University Ave., SE. Suite 450 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612)617-2250 http://www.dentalboard.state.mn.us/ Mississippi 600 E. Amite St., Suite 100 Jackson, MS 39201 (601)944-9622 http://bit.ly/uuXKxl Missouri 3605 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 1367 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573)751-0040 http://pr.mo.gov/dental.asp Montana P.O. Box 200113 Helena, MT 59620 (406)444-2511 http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_ boards/den_board/board_page.asp

Nebraska 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE 68509 (402)471-3121 http://dhhs.ne.gov/publichealth/Pages/ crl_medical_dent_hygiene_board.aspx

Ohio Riffe Center 77 S. High St.,17th Floor Columbus, OH 43215 (614)466-2580 http://www.dental.ohio.gov/

Nevada 6010 S. Rainbow Blvd. Suite A-1 Las Vegas, NV 89118 (702)486-7044 http://www.nvdentalboard.nv.gov/

Oklahoma 201 N.E. 38th Terr., #2 Oklahoma City, OK 73105 (405)524-9037 http://www.ok.gov/dentistry/

New Hampshire 2 Industrial Park Dr. Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-4561 http://www.nh.gov/dental/

Oregon 1600 SW 4th Ave. Suite 770 Portland, OR 97201 (971)673-3200 http://www.oregon.gov/Dentistry/

New Jersey P.O Box 45005 Newark, NJ 07101 (973)504-6405 http://njpublicsafety.com/ca/dentistry/

Pennsylvania P.O. Box 2649 Harrisburg, PA 17105 (717)783-7162 http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Dentistry/ Pages/default.aspx#.VbkfjPlPVYU

New Mexico Toney Anaya Building 2550 Cerrillos Rd. Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505)476-4680 http://www.rld.state.nm.us/boards/Dental_Health_Care.aspx New York 89 Washington Ave. Albany, NY 12234 (518)474-3817 http://www.op.nysed.gov/prof/dent/ North Carolina 507 Airport Blvd., Suite 105 Morrisville, NC 27560 (919)678-8223 http://www.ncdentalboard.org/ North Dakota P.O. Box 7246 Bismark, ND 58507 (701)258-8600 http://www.nddentalboard.org/

Rhode Island Dept. of Health Three Capitol Hill, Room 104 Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-2828 http://1.usa.gov/u66MaB South Carolina P.O. Box 11329 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4599 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/POL/Dentistry/ South Dakota P.O. Box 1079 105. S. Euclid Ave. Suite C Pierre, SC 57501 (605)224-1282 https://www.sdboardofdentistry.com/ Tennessee 227 French Landing, Suite 300 Nashville, TN 37243 (615)532-3202 http://tn.gov/health

Texas 333 Guadeloupe St. Suite 3-800 Austin, TX 78701 (512)463-6400 http://www.tsbde.state.tx.us/ Utah 160 E. 300 South Salt Lake City, UT 84111 (801)530-6628 http://1.usa.gov/xMVXWm Vermont National Life Building North FL2 Montpelier, VT 05620 (802)828-1505 http://governor.vermont.gov/boards_ and_commissions/dental_examiners Virginia Perimeter Center 9960 Maryland Dr., Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233 (804)367-4538 http://www.dhp.virginia.gov/dentistry Washington 310 Israel Rd. SE P.O. Box 47865 Olympia, WA 98504 (360)236-4700 http://www.doh.wa.gov/LicensesPermitsandCertificates/ProfessionsNewReneworUpdate/Dentist.aspx West Virginia 1319 Robert C. Byrd Dr. P.O. Box 1447 Crab Orchard, WV 25827 1-877-914-8266 http://www.wvdentalboard.org/ Wisconsin P.O. Box 8935 Madison, WI 53708 1(877)617-1565 http://dsps.wi.gov/Default. aspx?Page=90c5523f-bab0-4a45-ab943d9f699d4eb5 Wyoming 1800 Carey Ave., 4th Floor Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307)777-6529 http://plboards.state.wy.us/dental/index.asp

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U.S. MEDICAL BOARDS Alabama P.O. Box 946 Montgomery, AL 36101 (334)242-4116 http://www.albme.org/ Alaska 550 West 7th Ave., Suite 1500 Anchorage, AK 99501 (907)269-8163 http://www.medlicense.com/alaskamedical-license.html Arizona 9545 E. Doubletree Ranch Rd. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 (480)551-2700 http://www.azmd.gov Arkansas 1401 West Capitol Ave., Suite 340 Little Rock, AR 72201 (501)296-1802 http://www.armedicalboard.org/ California 2005 Evergreen St., Suite 1200 Sacramento, CA 95815 (916)263-2382 http://www.mbc.ca.gov/ Colorado 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350 Denver, CO 80202 (303)894-7690 http://www.dora.state.co.us/medical/ Connecticut 401 Capitol Ave. Hartford, CT 06134 (860)509-8000 http://www.ct.gov/dph/cwp/view. asp?a=3143&q=388902 Delaware Division of Professional Regulation Cannon Building 861 Silver Lake Blvd., Suite 203 Dover, DE 19904 (302)744-4500 http://dpr.delaware.gov/ District of Columbia 899 North Capitol St., NE Washington, DC 20002 (202)442-5955 http://doh.dc.gov/bomed 16

| SEPTEMBER 2016

Florida 2585 Merchants Row Blvd.

Tallahassee, FL 32399 (850)245-4444 http://www.stateofflorida.com/Portal/ DesktopDefault.aspx?tabid=115

Louisiana LSBME P.O. Box 30250 New Orleans, LA 70190 (504)568-6820 http://www.lsbme.la.gov/

Georgia 2 Peachtree Street NW, 36th Floor Atlanta, GA 30303 (404)656-3913 http://bit.ly/vPJQyG

Maine 161 Capitol Street 137 State House Station Augusta, ME 04333 (207)287-3601 http://www.maine.gov/md/

Hawaii DCCA-PVL P.O. Box 3469 Honolulu, HI 96801 (808)587-3295 http://hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/boards/medical/

Maryland 4201 Patterson Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215 (410)764-4777 http://www.mbp.state.md.us/

Idaho Idaho Board of Medicine P.O. Box 83720 Boise, Idaho 83720 (208)327-7000 http://bit.ly/orPmFU

Massachusetts 200 Harvard Mill Sq., Suite 330 Wakefield, MA 01880 (781)876-8200 http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/gov/departments/borim/

Illinois 320 West Washington St. Springfield, IL 62786 (217)785 -0820 http://www.idfpr.com/

Michigan Bureau of Health Professions P.O. Box 30670 Lansing, MI 48909 (517)335-0918 http://michigan.gov/lara/0,4601,7-15472600_72603_27529_27541-58914--,00. html

Indiana 402 W. Washington St. #W072 Indianapolis, IN 46204 (317)233-0800 http://www.in.gov/pla/ Iowa 400 SW 8th St., Suite C Des Moines, IA 50309 (515)281-6641 http://medicalboard.iowa.gov/ Kansas 800 SW Jackson, Lower Level, Suite A Topeka, KS 66612 (785)296-7413 http://www.ksbha.org/ Kentucky 310 Whittington Pkwy., Suite 1B Louisville, KY 40222 (502)429-7150 http://kbml.ky.gov/Pages/default.aspx

Minnesota University Park Plaza 2829 University Ave. SE, Suite 500 Minneapolis, MN 55414 (612)617-2130 http://bit.ly/pAFXGq Mississippi 1867 Crane Ridge Drive, Suite 200-B Jackson, MS 39216 (601)987-3079 http://www.msbml.state.ms.us/ Missouri Missouri Division of Professional Registration 3605 Missouri Blvd.

P.O. Box 1335 Jefferson City, MO 65102 (573)751-0293 http://pr.mo.gov/healingarts.asp

Montana 301 S. Park Ave. #430 Helena, MT 59601 (406)841-2300 http://bsd.dli.mt.gov/license/bsd_ boards/med_board/board_page.asp Nebraska Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services P.O. Box 95026 Lincoln, NE 68509 (402)471-3121 https://www.nebraska.gov/LISSearch/ search.cgi Nevada Board of Medical Examiners P.O. Box 7238 Reno, NV 89510 (775)688-2559 http://www.medboard.nv.gov/ New Hampshire New Hampshire State Board of Medicine 2 Industrial Park Dr. #8 Concord, NH 03301 (603)271-1203 http://www.nh.gov/medicine/ New Jersey P. O. Box 360 Trenton, NJ 08625 (609)292-7837 http://www.medlicense.com/new-jerseymedical-license.html New Mexico 2055 S. Pacheco St. Building 400 Santa Fe, NM 87505 (505)476-7220 http://www.nmmb.state.nm.us/ New York Office of the Professions State Education Building, 2nd Floor Albany, NY 12234 (518)474-3817 http://www.op.nysed.gov/ North Carolina P.O. Box 20007 Raleigh, NC 27619 (919)326-1100 http://www.ncmedboard.org/

North Dakota 418 E. Broadway Ave., Suite 12 Bismarck, ND 58501 (701)328-6500 http://www.ndbomex.com/

Texas P.O. Box 2018 Austin, TX 78768 (512)305-7010 http://www.tmb.state.tx.us/

Ohio 30 E. Broad St., 3rd Floor Columbus, OH 43215 (614)466-3934 http://med.ohio.gov/

Utah P.O. Box 146741 Salt Lake City, UT 84114 (801)530-6628 http://www.dopl.utah.gov/licensing/physician_surgeon.html

Oklahoma P.O. Box 18256 Oklahoma City, OK 73154 (405)962-1400 http://www.okmedicalboard.org/ Oregon 1500 SW 1st Ave., Suite 620 Portland, OR 97201 (971)673-2700 http://www.oregon.gov/OMB/ Pennsylvania P.O. Box 2649 Harrisburg, PA 17105 (717)787-8503 http://www.dos.pa.gov/ProfessionalLicensing/BoardsCommissions/Medicine/ Pages/default.aspx#.Vbkgf_lPVYU Rhode Island 3 Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908 (401)222-5960 http://1.usa.gov/xgocXV South Carolina P.O. Box 11289 Columbia, SC 29211 (803)896-4500 http://www.llr.state.sc.us/pol/medical/ South Dakota 101 N. Main Ave. Suite 301 Sioux Falls, SD 57104 (605)367-7781 http://www.sdbmoe.gov/ Tennessee 425 5th Ave. North Cordell Hull Bldg. 3rd Floor Nashville, TN 37243 (615)741-3111 http://tn.gov/health

Vermont P.O. Box 70 Burlington, VT 05402 (802)657-4220 http://1.usa.gov/wMdnxh Virginia Virginia Dept. of Health Professions Perimeter Center 9960 Maryland Dr., Suite 300 Henrico, VA 23233 (804)367-4400 http://1.usa.gov/xjfJXK Washington Public Health Systems Development Washington State Department of Health 101 Israel Rd. SE, MS 47890 Tumwater, WA 98501 (360)236-4085 http://www.medlicense.com/washingtonmedicallicense.html West Virginia 101 Dee Dr., Suite 103 Charleston, WV 25311 (304)558-2921 http://www.wvbom.wv.gov/ Wisconsin P.O. Box 8935 Madison, WI 53708 (877)617-1565 http://dsps.wi.gov/Boards-Councils/ Board-Pages/Medical-Examining-BoardMain-Page/ Wyoming 320 W. 25th St., Suite 200 Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307)778-7053 http://wyomedboard.state.wy.us/

MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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features

Website Blogging:

An Affordable and Effective Way to Boost Google Rankings and Patient Traffic

By Amanda Kanaan President, WhiteCoat Designs

When I mention the word “blog” to most medical practices, I see practice managers and physicians alike begin to cringe. Don’t worry, blogging doesn’t mean taking an hour out of your day to share life lessons. Instead, I’m referring to writing short patient education articles and announcements on practice news and events. Sounds reasonable right? Below is a guide to blogging and why it’s so important.

Do I really need to blog?

Yes, if you want to attract more new patients online; 80% of internet users search online for health information and 44% of those are looking for treatment and/or a provider. If your practice doesn’t have a great website that is easily found online then you are missing out on patients. Blogs are a very effective Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tactic since they add relevant content to your site and keep it fresh with new information.

How many words do the blog articles have to be?

Google does not give a black and white answer to this one, however most SEO agencies will tell you to shoot for around 400-600 words (there’s been more recent arguments for longer articles if the topic warrants it). Google has made a shift over the last couple years away from stand-alone keywords and towards quality content. That means it’s more important that you write a quality article about something relevant to the topic of your website rather than write a poor, short article stuffed with keywords.

How often should we be blog?

In a perfect world, we would all blog a couple times a week but that’s just not feasible for most small businesses, especially medical practices. Most practices realistically aim for one blog a week or one blog a month 18

| SEPTEMBER 2016

at minimum. Any less frequent than one blog a month and your efforts will be futile.

What should I write about?

You want to try and strike a balance between relevant practice news/information and good quality educational content (one serves Google’s purposes and the other serves patients’ needs).

Sure, every once in a while you’ll need to just write a short announcement about how your hours have changed or an event you’re hosting but it’s good to mix that in with longer, keywordrich articles. If you have the luxury of an SEO agency who can perform keyword research for you then you know exactly what keywords to write about. Let’s say one of those keywords is “robotic surgery”. Knowing that is a popular search term, it would behoove you to write various blog articles about robotic surgery to help Google understand that your website is a relevant source of information for this topic.

How do I optimize the blog for SEO purposes?

First of all, you want to make sure that your blog is a part of your practice’s website and on the same domain. If your practice’s website is www.mypractice.com but your blog is located somewhere else (such as www.myblog.com) then Google will recognize these as two separate domain names and you will not get the SEO benefit you are looking for. You’ve probably noticed that many practice websites have a “News & Education” section on their homepage (here’s an example: www. cornerstonepediatrics.org – see the “What’s New” section in the middle of the homepage). This is how most practices present their blog on their website (rather than calling it “blog”).

Hopefully your website is built on some sort of Content Management System (CMS) such as Wordpress; Wordpress is one of the best if not the best CMS for SEO purposes. This allows you to easily login to your website and add content/blogs as you please. If not then you’ll need to have your IT person or web host (whoever manages your website) add these blog articles for you.

As we discussed in the previous question, ideally you’ll want to focus your educational blogs on specific keywords for SEO purposes. Attempt to use the keyword in the title of your blog as well as at least 3-4 times in the body of the article. You certainly don’t want to keyword stuff but you do want to help Google understand what the blog is about.

If you do have Wordpress (by the way, your current site can be converted to Wordpress if not), then there’s a free plugin you can download called Wordpress SEO by Yoast. The plugin forces you to select a focus keyword for your blog article and then essentially tells you exactly where to use the keyword throughout the article to optimize it for SEO. It’s basically a super easy, DIY way to optimize your own blogs for SEO. continued on page 20

continued from page 19

Can I recycle content from other websites or medical societies?

No. Google’s goal is to fill the internet with unique, quality content. Therefore, recycling old content that already exists on the web will not get you the credibility you need to rank well in Google.

How do I get the most exposure for my blog?

If you participate in social media then the first step is to share a link to your blog on your social media channels. This will not only increase exposure for your blog but the link back to your website is good for SEO. You can also include social media share buttons on the blog itself so patients can easily share the blog on their social channels if they like.

If you don’t participate in social media, then other ideas include adding a link to your blogs in your practice e-newsletter or asking other websites to share the blog (medical societies, etc.)

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No time to write blogs?

One idea to share the demands of blog writing is to ask each provider in your group to write a blog; many times providers have articles on hand they’ve already written anyway that just needed to be edited for patient purposes. If you have several providers in your group then that significantly cuts down on writing responsibilities.

If your practice has no desire to write blogs I would consider hiring a freelance medical writer (one that has experience in SEO if possible so they can optimize the blogs for you). There are plenty of affordable freelance writers out there that charge anywhere from $50-$200 a blog depending on how long the article is.

They will usually give you a quantity discount as well if you commit to ongoing articles.

Website blogging is an affordable and effective SEO tactic to boost your rankings in Google and is also a great way to maintain ongoing communications with patients. Whether you do it yourself or hire a medical writer, I would highly suggest blogging to any medical practice that wants to increase their online footprint and attract more new patients online. 

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Contact us:

October - Income Resources to Consider November - Doctor-Patient Relationship; Boundary Crossings December - Practice Management

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features

Social Media and Your Dental or Medical Practice

By Naren Arulrajah with Vikas Vij Ekwa Marketing

22

| SEPTEMBER 2016

The ubiquitous nature of social has made it an important place for consumer and brand interactions. People want quick access to the brands they like and they want those brands to engage with them in a way that makes them feel special and unique. This expectation is increasingly spilling into the healthcare space as well.

Your patients are using different social platforms to not only look for healthcare brands, but they are also using social to look for healthcare specific information.

Even a single, one-time social interaction can open up a patient to a variety of social influences such as opinions of other patients, reviews about a practice, and treatment options among others.

So if you are on social, then chances are potential patients will come across your brand at some point. The big question however is this – how do you want patients to view your dental or medical brand on social?

How can Healthcare Brands Connect with “Social Patients?”

A large majority of all patients use social for various reasons, such as asking for advice, to look up a healthcare practice/professional, to read patient reviews, etc., both before and after a healthcare consultation. This behavior provides healthcare providers and brands with an opportunity to use social platforms to build brand presence.

Some of the ways of building a social presence for your dental or medical brand is by sharing unique attributes of your practice, talking about the different services that you offer, providing advice on service/treatment outcomes, or even to introduce or talk about specific or new services. However, when talking about any new treatment or service options, it is always prudent to mention that the service meets all the guidelines as laid down by a healthcare authority such as FDA or ADA. This adds credibility to what you are saying; and if there is one thing that moves social folks, it is brand credibility.

You can also share other aspects of your dental or medical brand that make you unique – talk about your staff and their role in ensuring optimized patient experiences, mention any philanthropic activities, and highlight your best patient testimonials.

How Social Media can Impact Patient Outcome?

Social is a powerful tool for communicating and interacting with patients and other physicians, for educating your patients and for sharing ideas. You can use social to involve your patients in managing and monitoring their oral and physical health. Healthcare monitoring and management is particularly important for patients with other underlying conditions such as hypertension, coronary disease and diabetes, etc.

Engaging with patients through social media can help in building a better sense of responsibility on their part. A dental practice can provide regular oral health updates to their patients, talk about preventive care, educate them about important aspects of oral care such as gum disease - symptoms, treatment, diet, etc.

There are so many resources out there on healthcare; but sadly a large majority of those resources provide incomplete or even worse wrong advice/information about health conditions. And while not all healthcare advice is appropriate for every kind of patient, knowledge about a health condition can help encourage continued on page 24 MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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continued from page 23

patients to consult with their own healthcare professional to see if it’s right for them.

So while there are multiple ways in which you can use social to impact patient outcome, the most effective way of doing so is by increasing awareness as it sets a positive precedence of building a social audience that is more informed and aware.

Use Social to Improve your Digital Footprint

The thing about a digital footprint is that once it is there, you just have to continuously build it to reflect a positive brand. Again, social can be a great platform for achieving this goal. Social makes it easy for healthcare brands to proactively improve patient experience by carefully monitoring their social behavior and activity; following social conversations can give you an idea of what patients are thinking, the kind of advice they are interested in, and what you can do better to meet their needs and expectations.

Health support groups on social for specific disease(s) or Twitter chats for example can provide insight into what is urgently attracting patient attention. While a majority of people engaging in these conversations might already have the condition that the conversation is centered around, a substantial section of this audience will also include people who want to be educated about the condition so they know what to watch out for or how to prevent it, or are in contact with someone who might be suffering from the disease. So right there you have different audience sections with different interests about the

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same health condition. Appealing to these people with content in the form of articles, blogs, videos and conversations that are specific to their needs is a great way of building social footprint. If you can position yourself as an authority, then social audiences will naturally come to you for advice or to be better educated.

Dealing with Negative Feedback on Social

Social is the last place where you want to get into an argument with anyone. You can always engage in a healthy debate, or a mildly opinioned conversation; just don’t give people the opportunity to speak negatively about your brand. When you encounter negative comments, thank the person for their comment, acknowledge their right to an opinion, politely provide your

side of the story/opinion, and ask them if there is any way for you to remedy the situation. If you receive a positive response then go ahead.

But if not, then it is best to not engage further.

Lastly remember that any communication between patients and healthcare professionals are highly regulated. Consult and coordinate with your legal counsel and compliance experts before engaging with patients on any digital platform, social included to reduce/avoid any risk of liability.

Conclusion

Social is a fantastic place for building a positive and interactive channel of communication with your patients. Engagement via social can be highly rewarding if you understand what your audience needs and what you can do to

deliver on their expectations. You can use social to build authority, attract a highly engaged audience base, and to expand your brand presence using quality-based and highly relevant content.  About the Author: Naren Arulrajah is President and CEO of Ekwa Marketing, a complete Internet marketing company which focuses on SEO, social media, marketing education and the online reputations of Dentists and Physicians. With a team of 140+ full time marketers, www.ekwa.com helps doctors who know where they want to go get there by dominating their market and growing their business significantly year after year. If you have questions about marketing your practice online, call 855 598-3320 to speak one-on-one with Naren.

features

10 Ways That Doctors Can Leverage Social Media

By Barbara Hales, M.D. www.thewritetreatment.com

Hopefully at this point, you are using social media to interact with your viewers and learn more about the interests of your patients and potential patients. After all, social media is clearly where your market hangs out.

According to the Pew Research Center: • 85% of Americans are using the Internet 26

| SEPTEMBER 2016

• 63% of cell phone owners use mobile internet • 71% of adults are on Facebook, followed by LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube/Vimeo and Instagram • 43% of seniors over 65 use social networking sites • Additional social tools to consider include Google+, Vine, Reddit, Foursquare

• 82% search engines like Google, Bing and Yahoo for their health conditions, even before speaking to a healthcare provider. Of those searching online, only 35% sought medical opinions from a professional The number of active users has increased since these numbers were published. So, clearly, you can touch people’s lives and influence their health by going to where the patients are. Social media gives you access to a much wider audience than anywhere else.

Taking an active role is great for patients, but can you, the doctor, benefit from this as well?

The short answer is YES. Take advantage of the tremendous access to the world (and community) that you are granted. It comes in the form of: • Higher search engine ranking • Increased visibility • Positioning you as an authority • Increase in DATA!!

Expansion and Benefits of Data Collection 1. Email Marketing Campaign According to research by McKinsey & Company, email is almost 40 times better than Facebook and Twitter at acquiring clients.

The top three most emails involved mobile opt-ins (76%), birthday emails (75%) and transactional emails (74%). I like to add thank you emails for referrals here as well.

When a set of forms that new patients fill out or old patients are updating is given, add a space for patient’s email and ask them to check whether they are willing to get emails from you. Only a small minority will say no.

2. Ongoing Conversation Just like forums and chat rooms in social media sites, by responding and continuing to ask questions, people will naturally continue to interact, attracting more participants to engage. This not only increases your community, but also helps grow your practice by prospective patients.

3. Ask for Feedback and Questions Feedback is critical (but the key is implementing the feedback that you find valid!). This only improves

your services and your engagement with others. Fostering questions enables you to touch upon issues that are of importance to your followers.

4. Flip the Office Appointment Provide data and information to patients and caregivers prior to the appointment so that they can prepare their concerns and questions, allowing them to help set the agenda and course of the doctor’s visit.

Flipping the power dynamic of typical communications to a more engaged approach, empowers the patient and by validating patient concerns, increases satisfaction exponentially.

5. Run a Contest Contests are a fun way to attract viewers and have them respond to you. Consider presenting a set of symptoms and have them guess what the mystery diagnosis would be. Show a funny picture or cartoon, which is medically related, and reward the winner for the best caption. Just like MadLibs® that used to be a fad; this contest is always a big hit.

6. Increase Your Fan Base Irrespective of whether you call them subscribers, friends, fans, viewers, or followers, the truth is that you need an audience to implement your social media strategy. Fortunately, by attracting a few faithful followers, you can boost your potential audience exponentially. Great content makes you go viral, spreading the word to networks of other patients along with their family and friends.

So just how do you increase your fan base? Follow these 5 simple steps.

Strategy Steps:

• Contact- the most important step is putting your social media contacts on your general contact information. This will be located on your website, your business cards, blogs and each one of your social media channels.

• Add value- enter posts and entries that are worthwhile and relevant to your target audience.

• Ask for likes- have your staff, family and friends like your Facebook page, twitter site and other channels. Ask your patients to like your pages and enter comments. People are more likely to continued on page 28

MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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continued from page 27

like your site if there are other followers already there.

• Post to Like-Minded Sites- valuable content on forums and chat rooms in sync with your mission and message will more likely get people to come to your site and see what other posts you have or other information that you are offering • Interaction- social media sites are geared to be social. Posting and then letting it lie ignored, will not help. You need to engage your followers and interact with them, having timely and interesting responses. If you do not respond, people will not comment or view your site again. There are too many other competitive sites where they can derive satisfaction and validation.

Too, algorithms on social media sites are taking engagements into consideration with the amount of social likes and comments in a set period of time.

7. Offer an Exclusive Gift While it may be exciting to win a contest, or helpful to sign for medical newsletters, it is infinitely more enticing to participate by receiving something that is not accessible to everyone else. For no cost, you can create a Tip Sheet made from the ten FAQs from your office. Better yet, for a few dollars, you can create a Tee shirt for the winner that has your name and logo on the front or back of the shirt. This serves to further advertise your services.

8. Educate Physicians and healthcare providers really shine in this category. Tell your viewers about the latest medical breakthroughs, the latest medical devices or health apps (which seem to come out daily). Let them know about the technical services that you provide, who is a candidate and the benefits as well as the possible risks.

Getting email address, life stories, location, preferred activities, enables you to branch out and educate your followers further about your field, and your unique services.

Illustrations and photos really attract viewers. Create Infographics and videos with your information.

9. Development of New Project or Service Ask your fans what they would like you to provide or expand upon. Their ideas can ignite a new project 28

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for yourself- a way to stay unique.

10. Analyze and Modify Look at your data through objective eyes. These emanate from your email campaigns and will help shape future campaigns. If you didn’t get the responses that you expected, alter the wording or drop the topic completely. Registering with Google Analytics, which is a free tool, will help you see what your followers liked and pored over. Concentrate on these in the future. The ideas that got ignored- drop them!

Send out surveys (Survey Monkey is free and easy to use). This will additionally help you see where you need to concentrate your efforts.

Unless you are strictly a researcher in a lab or library, the successful practice of medicine is a social effort. Your patients have been trying to tell you this for years! It’s now time to jump in and be social with them!

Don’t have time for this? No worries- outsource it!

Look for a social media specialist who is up on your medical field. Call 516-647-3002 and we can discuss your needs. 

The Write Treatment

Ezines and NewslettersCost Effective Powerful Tools • Drive traffic to your business website • Build relationships between yourself and patients • Get new patients • Announce a new service or product • Give great impact Have you got a newsletter yet or want to spread a message?

Contact Barbara Hales, M.D. for a free consultation.

Barbara@TheWriteTreatment.com 516-647-3002

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Practices for Sale Medical Practices Pediatric Practice Near Raleigh, NC

Location: Minutes South of Raleigh, North Carolina List Price: $145,000 Gross Yearly Income: $350,000 Year Established: 1980(s) Average Patients per Day: 16-22 Total Exam Rooms: 5 Building Owned/Leased: Owned. Will sell or lease.

Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Urology Practice near Lake Norman, NC Location: Minutes from Charlotte, NC List Price: $165,000 Gross Yearly Income: $275,000 Year Established: 1980 Average Patients per Day: 12 to 15 Building Owned/Leased: Leased Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Primary Care specializing in Women’s Practice

Family Practice/Primary Care

Location: Hickory, North Carolina List Price: $425,000 Gross Yearly Income: $1,5000,000 Year Established: 2007 Average Patients Per Day: 24-35 Total Exam Rooms: 5 Building Owned/Leased: Lease or Purchase Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Location: Morehead City, N.C. List Price: Just reduced to $20,000 or Best Offer Gross Yearly Income: $540,000 average for past 3 years Year Established: 2005 Average Patients per Day: 12 to 22 Building Owned/Leased: MD owned and can be leased or purchased Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Med Spa

Family Primary Care Practice

Practice Type: Mental Health, Neuropsychological and Psychological

Location: Minutes East of Raleigh, North Carolina List Price: $15,000 or Best Offer Gross Yearly Income: $235,000 Average Patients per Day: 8 to 12 Total Exam Rooms: 6 Physician retiring, Beautiful practice Building Owned/Leased: Owned (For Sale or Lease) Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Location: Coastal North Carolina List Price: $550,000 Gross Yearly Income: $1,600,000.00 Year Established: 2005 Average Patients Per Day: 25 to 30 Total Exam Rooms: 4 Building Owned/Leased: Leased Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

Location: Wilmington, NC List Price: $110,000 Gross Yearly Income: $144,000 Year Established: 2000 Average Patients Per Day: 8 Building Owned/Leased/Price: Owned Contact: Philip or Wendy at (919) 848-4202

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| SEPTEMBER 2016

Primary Care Practice For Sale in Wilmington, NC

Pediatric Practice Available Near Raleigh, NC

Established primary care on the coast of North Carolina’s beautiful beaches. Fully staffed with MD’s and PA’s to treat both appointment and walk-in patients. Excellent exam room layout, equipment and visibility.

Contact Medical Practice Listings for more information.

Pediatric practice located minutes south of Raleigh, North Carolina is now listed for sale. Located in an excellent area convenient to Raleigh, Cary, and Durham, it is surrounded by a strong health care community. This is a well established practice with a very solid patient base. The building is equipped with a private doctor’s office, five exam rooms, and an in-house lab.

Established: 1980s l Gross Yearly Income: $350,000 Average Patients per Day: 16 to 22 l List Price: $145,000

Medical Practice Listings

919.848.4202 | medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

| 31

Practice for Sale in Raleigh, NC Primary care practice specializing in women’s care Raleigh, North Carolina The owning physician is willing to continue with the practice for a reasonable time to assist with smooth ownership transfer. The patient load is 35 to 40 patients per day, however, that could double with a second provider. Exceptional cash flow and profit will surprise even the most optimistic practice seeker. This is a remarkable opportunity to purchase a well-established woman’s practice. Spacious practice with several well-appointed exam rooms and beautifully decorated throughout. New computers and medical management software add to this modern front desk environment.

List price: $435,000

Call Medical Practice Listings at (919) 848-4202 for details and to view our other listings visit www.medicalpracticelistings.com

Internal Medicine Practice for Sale Located in the heart of the medical community in Cary, North Carolina, this Internal Medicine practice is accepting most private and government insurance payments.

The average patients per day is 20-25+, and the gross yearly income is $555,000.

Listing Price: $430,000

Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

Eastern North Carolina Family Practice Available Well-appointed Eastern North Carolina Family Practice established in 2000 is for sale in Williamston, NC. This organized practice boasts a wide array of diagnostic equipment including a GE DEXA scanner with a new tube, GE case 8000 stress testing treadmill and controller and back up treadmill, Autoclave and full set of operating equipment, EKG-Ez EKG and much more. The average number of patients seen daily is between 12 to 22. The building is owned

by MD and can be purchased or leased.

The owning physician is relocating and will assist as needed during the transition period. The gross receipts for the past three years average $650,000 and the list price was just reduced to $185,000. If you are looking to purchase a well equipped primary care practice, please contact us today.

919-848-4202 medlisting@gmail.com medicalpracticelistings.com

32 | SEPTEMBER 2016

PHYSICIANS NEEDED: Mental health facility in Eastern North Carolina seeks: PA/FT ongoing, start immediately Physician Assistant needed to work with physicians to provide primary care for resident patients. FT ongoing 8a-5p. Limited inpatient call is required. The position is responsible for performing history and physicals of patients on admission, annual physicals, dictate discharge summaries, sick call on unit assigned, suture minor lacerations, prescribe medications and order lab work. Works 8 hour shifts Monday through Friday with some extended work on rotating basis required. It is a 24 hour in-patient facility that serves adolescent, adult and geriatric patients.

FT ongoing Medical Director, start immediately The Director of Medical Services is responsible for ensuring all patients receive quality medical care. The director supervises medical physicians and physician extenders. The Director of Medical Services also provides guidance to the following service areas: Dental Clinic, X-Ray Department, Laboratory Services, Infection Control, Speech/Language Services, Employee Health,

Pharmacy Department, Physical Therapy and Telemedicine. The Medical Director reports directly to the Clinical Director. The position will manage and participate in direct patient care as required; maintain and participate in an on-call schedule ensuring that a physician is always available to hospitalized patients; and maintain privileges of medical staff.

Permanent Psychiatrist needed FT, start immediately An accredited State Psychiatric Hospital serving the eastern region of North Carolina, is recruiting for permanent full-time Psychiatrist. The 24 hour in-patient facility serves adolescent, adult and geriatric patients. The psychiatrist will serve as a team leader for multi-disciplinary team to ensure quality patient care/treatment. Responsibilities include:

evaluation of patient on admission and development of a comprehensive treatment plan, serve on medical staff committees, complete court papers, documentation of patient progress in medical record, education of patients/families, provision of educational groups for patients.

Send copies of your CV, NC medical license, DEA certificate and NPI certificate with number to Physician Solutions for immediate consideration. Physician Solutions, P.O. Box 98313, Raleigh, NC 27624 PH: (919) 845-0054 | email: physiciansolutions@gmail.com

Women’s Health Practice in Morehead City,

NC MedSpa For Sale MedSpa Located in North Carolina We have recently listed a MedSpa in NC

Newly listed Primary Care specializing in Women’s care located in the beautiful coastal city of Morehead City. This spacious practice has 5 exam rooms with one electronic tilting exam table and 4 other Ritter exam tables. Excellent visibility and parking make this an ideal location to market and expand. This practice is fully equipped and is ready for a new owner that is ready to hit the ground running. The owning MD is retiring and will be accommodating during the transition period. This medical building is owned and is offered for sale, lease or lease to own. The gross receipts for the past 3 years exceed $540,000 per year. If you are looking to purchase an excellent practice located in a picturesque setting, please contact us today.

This established practice has staff MDs, PAs and nurses to assist patients. Some of the procedures performed include: Botox, Dysport, Restylane, Perian, Juvederm, Radiesse, IPL Photoreju Venation, fractional laser resurfacing as well as customized facials. There are too many procedures to mention in this very upscale practice. The qualified buyer will be impressed with the $900,000 gross revenue. This is a new listing, and we are in the valuation process.

Contact Medical Practice Listings today to discuss the practice details.

For more information call Medical Practice Listings at 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com

Call 919-848-4202 or email medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

www.medicalpracticelistings.com MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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Located on NC’s Beautiful Coast,

Morehead City

Primary Care Specializing in Women’s Health Practice established in 2005, averaging over $540,000 the past 3 years. Free standing practice building for sale or lease. This practice has 5 well equipped exam rooms and is offered for $20,000.

919.848.4202 medlisting@gmail.com medicalpracticelistings.com

Discounts as big as a house.

Or condo.

Or apartment.

Lindsay Gianni, Agent 12333 Strickland Road Suite 106 Raleigh, NC 27613 Bus: 919-329-2913 lindsay.gianni.f23o@statefarm.com

See just how big your savings could be.

Your savings could add up to hundreds of dollars when you put all your policies together under our State Farm roof.

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Med Spa in the Raleigh-Durham, NC Area Beautiful Med Spa located in the Raleigh-Durham is among our newest listings.

This very upscale facility is established and boosts consistent gross revenues of a million plus. Some of the procedures performed are: Botox, Dermal Fillers, Minimal light based treatments, laser hair removal, cool sculpting (external cooling treatment that freezes the hair and the body metabolizes the fat). This practice is ideal for the Plastic Surgeon or Dermatologist.

Established: 2010 l Annual Revenue: $1,000,000 Average Patients per Day: 15 to 25

1103155.1

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, State Farm Indemnity Company, Bloomington, IL

34 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Call 919-848-4202 or email medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

MD STAFFING AGENCY FOR SALE IN NORTH CAROLINA

Pediatrics Practice Wanted

The perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to purchase an established business.

Pediatrics Practice Wanted in NC Considering your options regarding your pediatric practice? We can help. Medical Practice Listings has a well qualified buyer for a pediatric practice anywhere in central North Carolina.

l One

of the oldest Locums companies l Large client list l Dozens of MDs under contract l Executive office setting l Modern computers and equipment l Revenue over a million per year l Retiring owner

Please direct all correspondence to driverphilip@gmail.com.

Only serious, qualified inquirers.

Contact us today to discuss your options confidentially.

Medical Practice Listings Call 919-848-4202 or e-mail medlistings@gmail.com www.medicalpracticelistings.com

PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE East of Raleigh, North Carolina We are offering a well established primary care practice only minutes east of Raleigh North Carolina. The retiring physician maintains a 5 day work week and has a solid base of patients that can easily be expanded. There are 6 fully equipped exam rooms, a large private doctor’s office, spacious business office, and patient friendly check in and out while the patient waiting room is generous overlooking manicured flowered grounds. This family practice is open Monday through Friday and treats 8 to a dozen patients per day.

Currently operating on paper charts, there is no EMR in place. The Gross revenue is about $235,000 yearly.

We are offering this practice for $50,000 which includes all the medical equipment and furniture. The building is free standing and can be leased or purchased.

Contact Philip at 919-848-4202 to receive details and reasonable offers will be presented to the selling physician.

MedicalPracticeListings.com | medlisting@gmail.com | 919-848-4202 MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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PEDIATRICIAN

or family medicine doctor needed in

Urology Practice minutes from Lake Norman, North Carolina

FAYETTEVILLE, NC

Comfortable seeing children. Needed immediately.

Urology Practice minutes from Lake Norman is now listed for sale. This excellent located practice is convenient to Charlotte, Gastonia, Lincolnton and Hickory. With a solid patient base, procedures currently include; Adult & Pediatric Urology, Kidney Stones, Bladder Problems, Incontinence, Prostate Issues, Urinary Tract Infections, Wetting Problems, Erectile Dysfunction and related issues. Three exam rooms with two electronic tables and one flat exam table.

Established: 1980 l Gross Yearly Income: $275,000 Average Patients per Day: 12 to 15 l List Price: $165,000

Call 919- 845-0054 or email: physiciansolutions@gmail.com www.physiciansolutions.com

PRIMARY CARE PRACTICE - Hickory, North Carolina This is an outstanding opportunity to acquire one of the most organized and profitable primary care practices in the area. Grossing a million and a half yearly, the principal physician enjoys ordinary practice income of over $300,000 annually.

Hickory is located in the foot-hills of North Carolina and is surrounded by picturesque mountains, lakes, upscale shopping malls and the school systems are excellent. If you are looking for an established practice that runs like a well oiled machine, request more information.

The free standing building that houses this practice is available to purchase or rent with an option. There are 4 exam rooms with a well appointed procedure room. The owning physician works 4 to 5 days per week and there is a full time physician assistant staffed as well.

For the well qualified purchasing physician, the owner may consider some owner-financing. Call us today.

List price: $425,000 | Year Established: 2007 | Gross Yearly Income: $1,500,000

MedicalPracticeListings.com | medlisting@gmail.com | 919-848-4202 36 | SEPTEMBER 2016

Contact Philip or Danielle at 919-848-4202 or email medlistings@gmail.com

Modern Med Spa Available

Located in beautiful coastal North Carolina Modern, well-appointed med spa is available in the eastern part of the state. This Spa specializes in BOTOX, facial therapy and treatments, laser hair removal, eye lash extensions and body waxing as well as a menu of anti-aging options. This impressive practice is perfect as-is and can accommodate additional services like primary health or dermatology.

The Gross revenue is over $1,500.000 with consistent high revenue numbers for the past several years. The average number of patients seen daily is between 26 and 32 with room for improvement. You will find this Med Spa to be in a highly visible location with upscale amenities. The building is leased and the lease can be assigned or restructured. Highly profitable and organized, this spa is POISED FOR SUCCESS. 919.848.4202 medlisting@gmail.com medicalpracticelistings.com

We have several qualified MDs seeking established Urgent Care Practices in North Carolina.

North Carolina Dentist Opportunities

Urgent Care Practices Wanted If you have an urgent care practice and would like to explore your selling options, please contact us. Your call will be handled confidentially and we always put together win-win solutions for the seller and buyer.

Physician Solutions has immediate opportunities for dentists throughout NC. Top wages, professional liability insurance and accommodations provided.

Call Medical Practice Listings today and ask for Philip Driver 919-848-4202.

Call us today if you are available for a few days a month, on-going or for permanent placement. Please contact Physican Solutions at 919-845-0054 or physiciansolutions@gmail.com MED MONTHLY MAGAZINE

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is now hiring primary care MD’s, PA’s, NP’s and DDS’s in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina

Ongoing and intermittent shifts are available for physicians, mid-levels and DDS, as well as permanent placement. Find out why providers choose Physician Solutions.

P.O. Box 98313, Raleigh, NC 27624 Scan this QR code with your smartphone to learn more.

phone: 919.845.0054 fax: 919.845.1947 e-mail: physiciansolutions@gmail.com www.physiciansolutions.com