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BOOK REVIEWS
Rating: 
The Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health Care Practices
Reviewed by Jason Stein
Former Program Medical Director of Integrative Medicine
HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital, Albuquerque NM
-Former Instructor Practice Management and Ethics at IICM in Albuquerque,
NM.
"If I could only take one item to travel the Grand Canyon, then
an experienced guide would be my best choice. This guide would
give me insight, teach me about unfamiliar territories, and instruct
me on how to travel on my own. In the same way, if I were to choose
only one book to act as my ally in my acupuncture practice, The
Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health Care Practices
would be my guide. Cynthia Bestani, Dr. Peter Fernandez, and Neil
Gumenick, M.A. (U.K.) have created the perfect experiential learning
guide. It is an original creation, which combines the Yin of the East, of soul and spirit, with the Yang
of the West, of business and management.
The process of watching my students and myself learn from combining
Ancient Philosophies into Modern Business has been innovative,
fruitful, and exciting. This step-by-step book covers all areas of running a successful
practice while creating an inquiry about our patients, our communities,
and ourselves.
Whether you are a beginning student or an established practitioner,
this book can help you and your practice transcend to the next
level."
- Jason A. Stein D.O.M.
Rating:
The Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health Care Practices
Review by Jason A. Luban, L.Ac., Dipl. Ac. & Herbs (NCCAOM) Founder and chief developer of AcuBase practice management and
billing software.
Any well-intentioned search for practice management resources
for acupuncturists will eventually light upon the work of Cynthia
Flint Bestani and her company, From Tao To Earth. A former instructor
of practice management at the Santa Barbara College of Oriental
Medicine and a consultant for more than 15 years, Bestani has
assembled a large catalog of valuable practice management aids.
These include many volumes of books, audio and video tapes, software,
pamphlets, forms, educational materials, and other resources all
aimed at the growth and maintenance of a successful acupuncture
practice. The Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health
Care Practices is one of her latest efforts. Co-authored by one
of chiropractic’s top management consultant-chiropractor, Peter
G. Fernandez and acupuncturist Neil R. Gumenick, The Art of Practice
Management’s intent is obvious from the start. Bestani, Fernandez,
and Gumenick are well aware that acupuncturists aren’t known for
their business acumen, and these ones are out to change this sorry
state of affairs.
Just as our Chinese medical training usually starts with the big
picture (the Tao, yin and yang, etc.) before moving into the details
of diseases, channels, and specific points, this book begins with spiritual inspiration–everything from "The Three Treasures" in practice management
to inspirational quotes, and even a timeline of the history of
eastern medicine–before settling in to the real nitty-gritty of practicing.
About 500 pages in length, this book is chock full of a holistic
approach to practice management. Visualizing your office space.
The qi of profitability and growth. The Ba Gua of practice management.
I’m not going to judge this approach as good or bad. Perhaps it
works for some people, and it may just be a brilliant way of making business-challenged
acupuncturists more comfortable with the real business of creating
and maintaining a successful practice. For my part, I was just
looking for the most pragmatic information, and I was not disappointed.
Whether or not one approaches their practice and its success from
a spiritual place, this book has a lot to offer. While it has
been designed to be used by anyone just starting a practice or
someone with an already established business, I believe it is
best for the latter. Perhaps the most salient effect that I felt
throughout my review of the text was an overwhelming sense of
focus. The more one reads, the more one considers all the different
ways to improve one’s practice, whether it be through new or improved
means of marketing, billing, or planning. I don’t believe there is a practitioner or office manager out
there, no matter how successful their practice, who could not
benefit in some way from the focus of thought and action that
the practical suggestions in this book may provide.
The scope of potential subjects related to starting, building,
and maintaining a practice are beyond comprehension, but this
book covers more than any other single resource I know. Everything from the positives and negatives of all kinds of advertising,
to state and local licensing, permits, insurance, the many different
kinds of potential legal entities (corporations, S-corps, partnerships,
etc.), fees, report writing, court preparation, financial systems,
insurance billing, and even a detailed section on tax planning.
And that’s just a partial review of the larger subject matter,
with most subjects dissected down to the bone using checklists,
recaps, and summaries. Considering working within a managed care
structure? Perhaps you should get comfortable with terms such
as "co-pays," "gatekeepers," and "capitation," not to mention
the difference between an IPA, an HMO, and a PPO. It’s all here.
Would you like to bill insurance for your services? Don’t be scared–just
learn some more about ICD-9 and CPT codes, and get ready to make
friends with the HCFA 1500 form. This book can help. It even has
a section on hiring good staff, complete with a list of questions
you might like to ask your potential hire when you interview them.
While I do believe that this relatively comprehensive book is
great for those already in practice, I should not fail to mention
that it does intend to serve those just starting out, as well.
None of the previously mentioned subject matter means anything
if you don’t have any patients to see, and this book goes into
great detail (in both "holistic" and practical language) about
how to attract and retain patients. Sections such as "The First
Year in Practice," as well as a comprehensive marketing chapter,
will be of great assistance to anyone entertaining the thought
of beginning from scratch.
In the final analysis, Bestani and her co-authors have done an
admirable job getting their arms around this tricky and often
terrifying subject. I believe that this book may benefit anyone who wants to start
or maintain a successful practice, however comfortable they may
(or may not) be with the business side of things. I would recommend that practitioners, students, and teachers of
practice management courses take a look at this book, as well
as taking a gander at the many other resources available in the
From Tao To Earth catalog, available online at http://www.taotoearthpmpubs.com,
or by calling 1-800-800-3139.
Rating:
Reviewed by Ryan Heath Less DiplAc, DiplCH, , Maintains a private practice in Pittsfield, MA. Acupuncturist
on staff at Kripalu Center in Lenox, MA. Former faculty member
at Wisconsin Institute of Chinese Herbology, . Former assistant
clinic supervisor at Midwest College of Oriental Medicine.
As Oriental Medicine continues to grow here in the United States,
so do our practices and therefore our need for practice management.
The Art of Practice Management for Acupuncture Health Care Practices
is one text which successfully seeks to address this need. In
fact, at the time of this writing, the book is already being used
by numerous acupuncture schools as recommended and required reading.
Some of these include New England School of Acupuncture, SAMRA,
IICM in Albuquerque, NM, American College of Acupuncture and Oriental
Medicine, as well as Bastyr University.
The one word which could best describe this book is thorough.
Just about every aspect of practice management that one could
think of is covered: from risk management and attracting referrals to feng shui for
the clinic. This allows an acupuncturist, or student, to find
helpful information specific to the stage he/she is at. For instance,
pages 10-16 to 10-30 discuss the pros and cons of sole proprietorship,
working as an associate at a healthcare practice, buying a practice,
and other possible employment situations. This may be particularly
valuable for students fresh out of school. Conversely, the section
on hiring staff for the clinic is likely to be needed by practitioners
at almost any stage of practice.
Some of the particularly useful sections contained in this book
address managed care and insurance billing. Explanations of HMOs,
PPOs, and factors to consider when deciding whether to become
a provider for such organizations is becoming increasingly important.
For instance, the authors explain that the contracts for providers
will often limit the practitioner to only referring to certain
doctors, and that these may not be who you usually refer out to.
The obvious question then becomes, Do I feel comfortable referring
to these individuals? An important point to consider since we
must always maintain focus on what will be best for our patients.
By guiding us to ask important questions related to being a provider
(and in other areas), the authors help us to make better informed
decisions which will undoubtedly impact our practice.
Of course, a good portion of The Art of PracticeManagement for
Acupuncture Health Care Practices is dedicated to areas related
more directly to the human side of the practice. On pages 5-14
to 5-16 there are nicely laid out tables which describe various
styles of patients and guide lines on how to handle each one.
These include analyzing, controlling, and talkative types of patients
among others. Whether one agrees with the method of how to handle
each type of patient, the simple fact of becoming more aware of
the various situations is indeed very helpful.
In summary, The Art of Practice Management is a good investment
for practitioners and students who wish to improve their skills
in this area, or who need to build such skills from scratch. It
touches upon a wide array of important topics and does so with
a compassionate and balanced voice. The reader should also note that the text is only the first volume
of a four volume set of texts designed to enhance practice management.
The others delve into more specific areas such as insurance and
front office procedures.
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