©Techvisionary
The future appears to be brightest for the optometrists working in a team environment. After all, navigating the minefield of “meaningful use” and HIPAA regulations is best not done alone. With the massive changes that await health care today, a “divide and conquer” strategy employed by a strong team of ODs seems to have the best chance of surviving and thriving.
So as many eye doctors look to team up in a partnership environment, careful consideration must be given to those potential partners. Here are seven questions to ask yourself before agreeing to become one of the team members in an optometry practice.
- If you have been working as an associate, has there been clear communication from the beginning regarding your roles and expectations for success in the practice?
- Do the partners show integrity in their professional and personal lives? Character does not change.
- Even though you are an associate, are you treated like a partner/doctor?
- Do the current owner/owners make you feel valuable?
- Does the potential partner work to make you successful?
- Have you been reminded how much you cost the practice to bring you in?
- Is the practice current? (level of medicine, diagnostic equipment, ophthalmic products)
©Dana Rothstein
If you can answer a strong “yes” to all but #6, you are on the right track to joining a great team. The decision to become a partner in an optometry practice will set the course for your career. Only a fool would not count the cost of partnering with someone whose character and integrity is in question. If you are an associate considering a partnership, it is wise to take a couple of steps back and consider the motives of potential partners. Asking these simple questions may reveal that your future partners may not be team players, but are only looking out for themselves. And as any successful football coach knows, it takes skilled players working together as a team to win a championship.
