As we close the door on 2011 and open doors to new opportunities in 2012, it's important to stop and consider where we've been, where we're at now and where we're going in the future. I'm extremely proud of the growth that I see each and every day from our clinics and Central Office.
And since the best way to predict your future is to create it, I wanted to show how we're creating a successful future by recapping some of our biggest accomplishments of 2011. While this list is not exhaustive, it shows everyone's efforts toward creating a crown jewel company in the industry, widely admired by its peers, and built on a core ideology and purpose.
Continuing Education
* Providers, Front Desk Coordinators and Central Office staff grew their clinical knowledge and expanded their training through consistent attendance of continuing education opportunities
* RMS and its clinical family were well represented at industry conferences this year - from the APTA's Coding Conference in April to the Private Practice Section Conference in November - offering the chance to network and share knowledge with other industry leaders
* A number of providers continued to promote the therapy discipline to consumers and other healthcare professionals by offering guest lectures and sharing their clinical knowledge
Clinic Growth
* Therapists contacted industries and used current workers' compensation patients as leads to establish new opportunities for rehabilitating the injured worker
* As a result of higher patient volumes and thriving businesses, a number of our practices expanded their site operations, as well as added more employees
* Numerous practices enhanced their patients' experience by implementing an electronic store for purchasing durable medical equipment and exercise supplies
* Multiple practices increased their patient volumes and set new all-time records for visits
Community Outreach
* All of our practices continued to utilize a multimedia approach for their marketing efforts, using multiple outlets to promote their brand in the communities they serve
* A number of our practices gave back to their neighborhoods and extended goodwill by expanding their scholarship offerings to local students
* Some practices also participated in donation drives and fundraising efforts to give back to the communities in which they operate
* Numerous practices also were featured on television programs and in print publications to raise awareness in their communities about the benefits of physical therapy
* Multiple practice locations expanded their education offerings to consumers on the benefits of physical therapy by hosting open houses and sponsoring community events
Referral Relationship Building
* A number of our providers expanded and enhanced their relationships with physicians by interviewing them and shadowing them to learn about the specifics of what the physician is looking for in a physical therapy practice
* Our providers also utilized methods like reverse currencies - where the therapist refers a patient to a doctor and the doctor in turn refers back - to grow their patient base
* Providers also developed their physician relationships by completing regular Human Progress Notes, giving them increased exposure to physicians
Practice Diversification
* Numerous practices expanded their markets for new patients by offering multilingual services
* Multiple practices expanded their specialty programming by offering athletic training and fitness programs
* A number of practice locations published articles about the therapy discipline in industry publications, educating peers and consumers
Practice Management
* Cash flow was improved as a result of our network of practices being compliant to submit claims in the ANSI 5010 format ahead of the Jan. 1, 2012 deadline
* Productivity was improved at all levels with the implementation of an electronic health record solution
* A substantial amount of claims were submitted electronically, allowing us to meet the needs of a modern day consumer and reducing paper costs
* The Central Office team demonstrated how to enhance efficiency in the clinic by training Front Desk Coordinators and Providers on the use of OptimisPT systems
* Practice Management professionals continued to expand their education by attending courses in the Medicare University curricula
* The Managed Care team continued to negotiate contracts for better terms of reimbursement, improving the bottom line of each practice
Human Resources
* Healthcare-related costs to our clinics and Central Office were contained and the bottom line protected with the addition of a new health insurance rider and the renewal of a group health insurance policy
* Clinical and Central Office assets were protected with the renewal of a workers' compensation, general liability and professional insurance policy
* Our clinics and Central Office attracted quality professionals dedicated to the mission of physical therapy by offering competitive salary and benefit packages
