Medical Colleagues of Texas, a multispecialty group in Katy, is focusing on two key areas to reduce costs during a high inflation period, according to Ethan Bing, the practice's administrator:
1. Staffing. Medical Colleagues of Texas has made the most out of its office space by implementing a variable staffing model, which focuses on hiring part-time remote support staff.
"We've always tried to stay slightly overstaffed so that we are able to operate effectively" in the event of employee sick days, vacations or emergencies, Mr. Bing said in the Medical Group Management Association's Performance and Practices of Successful Medical Groups report, published in September. "Having hybrid and part-time employees has allowed us to reduce our overall staffing capacity while still being able to pull on it by asking part-time employees to come in an extra day or two that week when they weren't on schedule."
2. Telehealth. The medical group's clinic supply costs have decreased 25 percent to 30 percent because of an uptick in telehealth appointments, which has also helped its providers see more patients while reducing staffing levels for the triage team, according to Mr. Bring.
"Everything from less paper to less table paper sanitizer — it’s small stuff, but it adds up," he said.
Click here to read the MGMA report.