RE: Evening hours vs. cancellation rate

[Guest guest]

I have no specific data but anectodally can tell you the following observations.

Our outpt. dept. is open until 7:30 p.m. or " rush " is from 3:30 to 6:00. After

6:30 things pretty well die down from a census perspective. Though we have a

few patients that we see at 6:30 generally that's because they needed a late

appt. but we were so busy at 5:30 that we couldn't get them in and they had to

take the later opening. I'm finding that from a patient scheduling perspective

we are less efficient after 6:30 and the therapists are using this time for

non-direct patient care tasks like documentation and charging etc. Though these

tasks need to be done it's not what I scheduled them to work until 7:30 for.

If I had the option, and I don't, I would have more staff work until 5:30/6:00

and have the staff that are currently scheduled to work until 7:30 actually work

until 6:30 and start their day one hour earlier.

K. Benedict, P.T.

Manager, Physical Therapy

Meadville Medical Center

Meadville PA 16335

Fax:

MBenedict@...

Evening hours vs. cancellation rate

Hi! Inquiring if anyone has benchmark data or has done a study re: evening

appointment hours of service and cancellation rates. What are some of the

factors that impacted your decesion on service hours?

Our hospital based out-patient physical therapy department is considering

extending evening hours. Currently, we offer hours of 7:30am to 6:30pm.

Our primary population age ranges from adolescent to adult/senior adult with

ortho diagnoses (we do see some neuro and general deconditioning patient

types also). We are a multi-site, community based hospital in a suburban

environment approx 20-35 miles east of Cleveland, OH.

Thank you for your response. If you wish you can contact me directly at

numbers listed below.

DiMarino, PT

Operations Coordinator-Rehab Services

Lake Hospital System

36000 Euclid Ave.

Willoughby, OH 44094

(office)

(fax)

Looking to start your own Practice?

Visit www.InHomeRehab.com.

Bring PTManager to your organization or State Association with a professional

workshop or course - call us at 313 884-8920 to arrange

PTManager encourages participation in your professional association. Join and

participate now!

[Guest guest]

,

And my experience is very different that 's. We too have a " rush " after

3:00 and we 'close' at 7:30. We are always booked solid after 3:00 and take

the last patient at 6:30 or occasionally will allow a 7:00 pm appointment

depending on diagnosis and need. We are all busy right up and sometime past

7:30 pm. We even have patients that ask if we are open even later as those

6:30 times are such a hot commodity. People in our area generally get out

of work anywhere from 3:30-6:00 and so they need the 6:30 or later slot.

Occasionally we have someone who cancels the 6:30 appointment--but very

infrequently; as patients know the it a " hot " time and need to make sure

they come if they are scheduled as they will not be able to get in again

that week. We are open Monday -Thursday until 7:30 pm and used to close on

Friday at 4:30--but have had problems with people needing later on Friday's

and now we are open until 6:00. And it is always filled. I even have a

part-time employee who works only 3-7:30 or 4-7:30 pm. Morning are

typically our dead times. 60% of our population in our town is Medicare but

many of them work part-time on the side--we have an " active " Medicare

population.

You need to look at your market forces. Also, you may want to consider

having only part of the staff stay later on say Mon and Wed or Tues and

Thurs and they alternate. Everyone that works for me works at least 2

evenings per week. I just hired someone that will be working 4 ten hour

days 9-7:30 Monday- Thursday and will cover this rush on all days. Look for

creative ways to make it work for your staff members if you decide the

market demands are for later. Perhaps yours are not the same as mine and

you really need to close at 6:00 or 5:30. My market just won't handle that.

Good luck!

Peg

Peg Grey, PT, MA, ATC

Grey Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center

Integrated Rehabilitation Services, LLC

1379 Enfield Street

Enfield, CT 06082

Ph:

Fax:

E-mail: pgrey@...

Evening hours vs. cancellation rate

>

>

>

>

> Hi! Inquiring if anyone has benchmark data or has done a study re:

evening

> appointment hours of service and cancellation rates. What are some of the

> factors that impacted your decesion on service hours?

>

> Our hospital based out-patient physical therapy department is considering

> extending evening hours. Currently, we offer hours of 7:30am to 6:30pm.

> Our primary population age ranges from adolescent to adult/senior adult

with

> ortho diagnoses (we do see some neuro and general deconditioning patient

> types also). We are a multi-site, community based hospital in a suburban

> environment approx 20-35 miles east of Cleveland, OH.

>

> Thank you for your response. If you wish you can contact me directly at

> numbers listed below.

>

> DiMarino, PT

> Operations Coordinator-Rehab Services

> Lake Hospital System

> 36000 Euclid Ave.

> Willoughby, OH 44094

>

> (office)

> (fax)

>

>

>

>

>

> Looking to start your own Practice?

> Visit www.InHomeRehab.com.

> Bring PTManager to your organization or State Association with a

> professional workshop or course - call us at 313 884-8920 to arrange

> PTManager encourages participation in your professional association. Join

> and participate now!

>

[Guest guest]

My situation is the same as Peg's. We are a hospital outpatient dept in a

suburban area 30 miles north of Chicago. Our hours are 7 am to 8:30 pm

M-Th, and 7 am to 5:30 pm on Fri. (We did find a lot of cancellations with

later Friday appointments. We also have Saturday hours 8 am - noon).

There is a huge demand for evening hours up until the 8 pm slot. Just

like Peg, the cancellation rate tends to be low as patient's know that

those are prime spots and if they cancel it will be difficult to

reschedule. Very often patient's are working in Chicago and may not get

home until 6 or 6:30, can have dinner with the family and then come to

therapy. Or wait until their spouse gets home from work so they don't

need to get a sitter for the kids. Most of my staff has either early

hours or late hours as part of their schedule. I have several who work a

10-8:30 shift, 10 hours a day for 4 days. The 4 10's work well to get

both ends of the day covered eg 7-5:30 gets early and some after school

times.

You may need to increase your hours just a bit and see what the demand is,

then a bit more to continue to assess the need.

Good Luck!

Laurie DeSort, PT, SCS

Rehab Services

Lake Forest Hospital

Lake Forest, Illinois

(fax)

ldesort@...

" Peg Grey "

10/20/04 08:30 PM

Please respond to PTManager

To: <PTManager >

cc:

Subject: Re: Evening hours vs. cancellation rate

,

And my experience is very different that 's. We too have a " rush "

after

3:00 and we 'close' at 7:30. We are always booked solid after 3:00 and

take

the last patient at 6:30 or occasionally will allow a 7:00 pm appointment

depending on diagnosis and need. We are all busy right up and sometime

past

7:30 pm. We even have patients that ask if we are open even later as

those

6:30 times are such a hot commodity. People in our area generally get out

of work anywhere from 3:30-6:00 and so they need the 6:30 or later slot.

Occasionally we have someone who cancels the 6:30 appointment--but very

infrequently; as patients know the it a " hot " time and need to make sure

they come if they are scheduled as they will not be able to get in again

that week. We are open Monday -Thursday until 7:30 pm and used to close

on

Friday at 4:30--but have had problems with people needing later on

Friday's

and now we are open until 6:00. And it is always filled. I even have a

part-time employee who works only 3-7:30 or 4-7:30 pm. Morning are

typically our dead times. 60% of our population in our town is Medicare

but

many of them work part-time on the side--we have an " active " Medicare

population.

You need to look at your market forces. Also, you may want to consider

having only part of the staff stay later on say Mon and Wed or Tues and

Thurs and they alternate. Everyone that works for me works at least 2

evenings per week. I just hired someone that will be working 4 ten hour

days 9-7:30 Monday- Thursday and will cover this rush on all days. Look

for

creative ways to make it work for your staff members if you decide the

market demands are for later. Perhaps yours are not the same as mine and

you really need to close at 6:00 or 5:30. My market just won't handle

that.

Good luck!

Peg

Peg Grey, PT, MA, ATC

Grey Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine Center

Integrated Rehabilitation Services, LLC

1379 Enfield Street

Enfield, CT 06082

Ph:

Fax:

E-mail: pgrey@...

Evening hours vs. cancellation rate

>

>

>

>

> Hi! Inquiring if anyone has benchmark data or has done a study re:

evening

> appointment hours of service and cancellation rates. What are some of

the

> factors that impacted your decesion on service hours?

>

> Our hospital based out-patient physical therapy department is

considering

> extending evening hours. Currently, we offer hours of 7:30am to 6:30pm.

> Our primary population age ranges from adolescent to adult/senior adult

with

> ortho diagnoses (we do see some neuro and general deconditioning patient

> types also). We are a multi-site, community based hospital in a

suburban

> environment approx 20-35 miles east of Cleveland, OH.

>

> Thank you for your response. If you wish you can contact me directly at

> numbers listed below.

>

> DiMarino, PT

> Operations Coordinator-Rehab Services

> Lake Hospital System

> 36000 Euclid Ave.

> Willoughby, OH 44094

>

> (office)

> (fax)

>

>

>

>

>

> Looking to start your own Practice?

> Visit www.InHomeRehab.com.

> Bring PTManager to your organization or State Association with a

> professional workshop or course - call us at 313 884-8920 to arrange

> PTManager encourages participation in your professional association.

Join

> and participate now!

>