Knowing the Medical Equipment Essentials When Opening Your Clinic
After years of education, training, and hands-on medical experience, it is finally time to open your medical clinic. This is an essential step in any medical professional’s career. It is really important to do it right the first time. Take the time to learn the basics needed for a new medical clinic, then get professional advice and guidance. Every clinic needs a collection of basic medical equipment to meet patient needs. A well-equipped, well-run medical clinic is the key to success.
Finding a Good Source for Medical Equipment
One of the first steps in planning a new medical clinic should be finding a good source for the needed medical equipment. Medical equipment suppliers often offer the help of experts on their staff to set up the clinic. Seeking help from Kemper Medical could be a good start. This company is one of the premier suppliers of name-brand medical equipment and supplies.
It is important to purchase products that are dependable and come with guarantees and warranties. A company with a good reputation for quality and customer service is a must. Supplies include more than basic equipment. Supplies are needed to run the clinic and manage billing and office administration.
Planning to Open a Medical clinic
Some initial steps to open a medical clinic include getting the needed financing to open a clinic. Furnishing a medical clinic can be a major investment, and it can take time to recoup this initial investment. Part of obtaining financing might include creating a business plan for the clinic.
Once this financing is in order, the clinic location must be researched and decided on. Once the general location is found, a specific building must be rented or purchased to house the clinic. Following is a list of services, medical supplies, and equipment needed for a medical clinic:
The clinic office and administration needs must be met at the start of the process.
- Get a lawyer for the practice to help with needed leases, safety inspections, city inspections, fire inspections, and all the legalities involved in opening and running a medical clinic.
- Staff must be hired for the front office and nurses.
- The clinic must be furnished and interior decoration chosen.
Basic supplies for the clinic include:
- Office supplies and filing cabinets
- Magazines in the waiting room, medical reference magazines, and newsletters for the doctors
- Telephones, computers, and other communication and record-keeping equipment
Patient care requires basic supplies such as:
- Patient room furniture, procedure tables, stools, and specialized equipment
- Supplies for general wound care, infection prevention, and sterilization
- Gloves, syringes, needles, stethoscopes, electrodes, and more
- A collection of vaccines to meet patient needs.
There are more suppliers and vendors needed than the medical equipment company, including:
- Staffing service;
- A law firm;
- Accounting and billing services or software and a collection service;
- Medical waste management and janitorial services;
- Marketing services to handle advertising;
- Contracts with labs for X-rays, MRI, blood testing, and other testing services.
Modern clinics need technological supplies and services like:
- Internet access along with patient portal software, practice management software, and internet security services;
- Computers, printers, copiers, intercom systems, and more;
- Then, the clinic needs all the proper digital and other forms.
Forms, forms, forms for:
- New patient registration, patient history, and release of medical records forms
- Prescription forms
- Hospital round record forms
- Other forms as needed
Every clinic needs good insurance, including:
- Business Insurance;
- Health insurance and life insurance;
- Disability insurance and worker’s compensation insurance;
- Malpractice and medical liability insurance.
Human resources and staffing requirements such as:
- Research staff requirements for different clinic roles and job descriptions;
- Research norms for medical staff salaries;
- Research the best ways to find and hire staff;
- Find payroll software.
Remember that the clinic owner is responsible for ensuring each patient has their needs met in a well-equipped environment. Patient safety is very important. The clinic equipment must be dependable and regularly inspected and maintained. The latest patient record system is needed to support patient care and clinic management.
Hire a Practice Manager
Hire a practice manager or other chosen staff to run the clinic and order and manage the needed medical supplies. Having a management staff frees the clinic owner to see patients and oversee the medical practice. It is important to work with the practice manager to decide the clinic’s supplies and services requirements. Establish a budget and ways to control costs while offering the best patient care and solidifying the practice’s financial health.
The practice manager should be one of the first people hired so that they can help furnish the new clinic and take care of ordering details and even staffing while the clinic owner makes major decisions and oversees the overall clinic opening.
Administrative Decisions
When planning to open a new clinic it is essential to plan every aspect. What will the clinic charge for each service? What services will the clinic offer, and what will the clinic hours be? How many doctors will the practice employ, and what will their specialties be? What size will the clinic be? When deciding to open and run a new medical clinic, make sure to avoid these mistakes.
- Not getting professional advice and help. Covering all the planning bases is essential if a doctor has not owned a clinic before. Ask for guidelines from experts.
- Forgetting to check for competition in the area where the new clinic will be. Check out what clinics are nearby and what their specialties are.
- Taxes can not be ignored. An accountant experienced in dealing with the IRS would greatly help in filing taxes.
- Starting a new clinic without having the supplies and equipment that are needed. Find reliable equipment suppliers and other clinic owners to get advice on what supplies to order.
- Trying to do too much too soon. Create that business plan and ask for advice from experts to perfect it. Take the time to find and hire the right qualified professionals to assist in the running of the clinic and the care of patients. Avoid trying to start too big or grow too fast.
Starting a new medical clinic can be challenging. But, if a person gets the professional planning help they need and follows the steps they need to succeed, it can be very rewarding.
