Physical Therapy Practice Management | Referrals and Patient Flow
“If I haven’t had a patient from this doctor in a while, I’ll hit him with a text message, “Hey do you want to go out and have dinner, haven’t seen you in a while.†Keep that relationship strong, that’s the key.”
– Mike Walsh, PT
Dover, Delaware
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Michael Walsh, PT: I know who’s sending me patients.
Jason Barnes: Is it important to know, in terms of physical therapy practice management?
Michael Walsh: Absolutely, my network of providers. I have a network of 17 doctors and p.a.’s and nurse practitioners sending me patients. I have the benefit of having all of their cell phone numbers on my phone and I can communicate with them. So if I have a question with a post-op and I think a knee is infected, I can call the doctor. If I have a post-op back patient, and I think the patient is being non compliant, I can call him, right then and there. If I haven’t had a patient from this doctor in a while, I’ll hit him with a text message, “Hey do you want to go out and have dinner, haven’t seen you in a while.†Keep that relationship strong, that’s the key. They all trust me, they all know I’m good but they all trust me, and I can call them. They give me their cell phone number.
Jason Barnes: How do you know who is your biggest referral source?
Michael Walsh: I can look at the system and roll my cursor over and see who is there. I just know ahead of time who is my first. I would say right now at this moment, Dr. Hamblin is probably up there, Dr. Spangler is there. You know right now I have such and such from this guy and I haven’t seen any from this guy, I need to go knock on his door and see how he’s doing. We need to go out for dinner and find out whats going on and go fishing, you know. Keep that relationship strong. Because if I’m not doing it somebody else is.
