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Resources : Practice-Based Team Care

Leadership and Shared Vision

TransforMED Workingpaper: Leadership Tips for Physicians
Strong leadership is a skill that almost anyone can learn. The best leaders cultivate their internal environment by knowing their strengths and the areas they need to continue developing. They are aware of the effect their actions have on others. Exemplary leaders first lead themselves, then they lead others.

TransforMED Workingpaper: Leadership Sets Office Attitude
Have you ever wondered to yourself, "What happened today that made the office run so well?" or "Today was such a light day, why did everything seem to go wrong?" Often times, you need look no further than the mirror...

Mission Possible
Crafting a durable, meaningful mission statement is the first step in your practice's strategic planning process. TransforMED Executive Director Marly McMillen explores what it takes to set the vision for your practice in this TransforMED workingpaper.

Interdisciplinary Care Team

» Interdisciplinary Collaborative Teams in Primary Care: A Model Curriculum and Resource Guide.
Pew Health Professions Commission and the California Primary Care Consortium; January 1995.

» Medical Teamwork and Patient Safety: The Evidence-based Relation.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) report prepared by American Institutes for Research, University of Central Florida, University of Miami Center for Patient Safety

Collaborative Staff Relationships

» FPM Toolbox : Work Relationship Assessment Form
Assess your practice's performance in 7 areas of work relationships, from an article in Family Practice Management.

» Teamwork Is Crucial to New Model of Care
This article from AAFP News Now is also accompanied by a list of "real world" tips entitled Team-building 101.

Staffing

» Staffing Benchmark Tool
From Physicians Practice : "The best performing practices in the country tend to have more staff than practices doing less well. Why? More support staff means physicians can focus on seeing patients -- and bringing in money. Find out how your staff per physician ratio compares to national benchmarks."

» How Many Staff Members Do You Need?
"So what is the secret to successful staffing? Although the answer depends greatly on hiring people whose work ethic, experience and expertise make them well suited for the job, physicians can attain a general idea of their staffing requirements by comparing their practices to industry benchmarks..." This useful "how-to" article from Family Practice Management includes links and prices for benchmarking resources form the AMA, MGMA, AMGA, etc.

Effective Communication

Effective Meetings
Staff meetings, planning meetings, problem solving meetings. Organizing and overseeing effective meetings is a must-have in everyone's tool kit. Effective meetings are crucial to decision-making, communication, and management— all necessary components of a transformed practice. A TranforMED workingpaper.

Huddles - Increased Efficiency in Mere Minutes a Day
The most natural response to a busy schedule is to start seeing patients. However, jumping right into the day can result in a string of surprises, all of which contribute to bottlenecks, interruptions, and misunderstandings later on. This TranforMED workingpaper will introduce you to Huddles – daily, short, focused meetings – are the fast and easy-to-implement solution for busy practices to increase efficiency and enhance teamwork.

6-Step Method for Creative Resolution of Conflicts
Read this TranforMED workingpaper to learn a simple and effective six-step process for resolving team conflicts by engaging both the heart and the mind.