How to Learn from a Crisis
COVID-19 has almost definitely changed how your practice does business. Virtually overnight, the pandemic transformed the U.S. as we know it. Hopefully, your behavioral health team was able to transition to a remote setting, and if so, you’ve done a lot of learning over the past few months.
No doubt, you’re eager to return to some semblance of normal, but that’s probably not happening anytime soon. However, there’s no guarantee that another pandemic won’t turn the world upside down again.
It’s important to update your crisis plan with the lessons you’ve learned over the past few months, so you’re more prepared in the event of something similar in the future.
Here are a few areas to get you started.
Adaptability
Some companies were better able to adjust to a remote setup than others. With any luck, your practice was able to transition with relative ease, but if not, consider it a valuable lesson learned. Take note of key roadblocks and strategies that ultimately helped your team achieve success, so you don’t have to make the same mistakes twice.
This is very important because patients depend on your team to provide them with crucial care. The faster you’re able to adapt to new circumstances, the better you’re able to serve patients.
Technology
Remote work isn’t possible without the right software. If you didn’t have designated video conferencing software for your practice before the pandemic, it might’ve taken a bit of trial and error to find the right fit. Take the time to write down the different programs you used and the pros and cons associated with each. If the need arises in the future, you’ll have a guide to help you decide which program is right for your team at the time.
Finances
Hopefully, the pandemic didn’t cause your practice to realize any major financial losses. However, many healthcare providers aren’t seeing as many patients as they were pre-COVID-19. If this is your current situation, now is the time to start thinking about how to adequately prepare your practice finances for a similar situation. This might include placing more cash in the emergency fund and taking note of non-essential expenses that are easy to cut.
Communication
Before the pandemic, your employees were used to seeing each other in person every day. This made for much easier communication, which has likely been at least a bit of a struggle since everyone began working remotely.
Take the time to write down specific internal communication challenges your team faced, and how you worked to overcome them. For example, if some people were slow to reply to emails, you might’ve instituted a policy where all messages need to be returned within 24 hours.
If another crisis occurs in the future, you might not have the exact same team intact, so writing this down for future reference is crucial.
Running a business in the pandemic isn’t easy, so don’t try to do it all yourself. To learn more about how we can help you find top behavioral health talent, contact us today at (513) 651-9500 or by email at [email protected].
