Entrepreneur Pod bounces back

Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.

netizens

http://www.smh.com.au/small-busines...unced-back-from-the-brink-20111011-1li4w.html

toeslayer

 

didn't know you can make that kind of bucks as a Pod

 

Don't be surprised DMax, I actually thought his turnover would be a lot more..

It's quite simple, really. All one has to do is obtain aged care facility Podiatry contracts and then employ Podiatrists to undertake the work.

This has led to a disgraceful situation within our profession. These corporate companies have obtained the Podiatry contracts, and then employ Podiatrists on appalling pay conditions. The Podiatrist completes all of the back breaking work in the facility, then goes home and autoclaves instruments, whilst the company retains 50% of the Podiatrist's billings as a "management fee".

Many of the poor souls working for such companies are overseas trained Podiatrists seeking employment sponsorship to enter Australia. On my recent trip to the UK, I actually discovered advertisements from these so-called Australian Podiatry companies seeking UK graduates for nursing home employment.

 

Wouldn't that usually be the case also if a Pod works in someone's private practice? Getting 50% of the consult fee for each patient they see?

 

DMax,
The 50% pay rate is not the problem...The question is, "50% of What?"
The problem lies in these companies undercutting the profession to get the contracts. They quote the facility a very low amount (I've heard stories of as little as $12 per patient; which considering it costs that much to sterilize instruments you're basically paying them to work! I've also heard of these companies giving free TV's to get the contracts).
The poor pod who takes a job with these companies essentially has to push through the numbers - seeing anywhere up to 30+ patients a day...a quick snip snip and moving onto the next in order to make a decent amount for the day.
Problems come about with the quality of care that is provided. Spending a couple of minutes per patient means that things invariably get missed. Not many podiatrists can cope too long doing that kind of pace before the back pain and burnout occurs.

I have a contract with a facility that I have had for 3yrs. They recently rang me to say they had been approached by a pod company who were offering a much lower price ($8 per patient cheaper they were undercutting). They asked me if I was prepared to negotiate my fee down to match it...I said no and explained my reasons why not...
They recently did a full extension and the facility has grown from a 50 to a 90 bedder...the owners want to pay for that by cutting costs wherever they can...I suspect at some stage in the near future I will lose this contract...If that's the case, then so be it.
I picked up a different ACF contract 2yrs ago because they were desperate to have a regular service. They'd signed up with a cheap company and found that after a few visits, the return period got longer and longer. They called the company and were told they had no pod who could attend to them at that time...
These companies can't retain pods on staff for very long and therefore the contracts end up not being serviced properly. A few complaints from a resident's family member or an audit from the Govt and they soon start calling around to find a more reliable podiatry service again. More power to us then to go in and provide a professional service and demand a professional fee. It's just a shame that patients usually have to suffer shoddy treatment first before the ACF's realise they can't cut costs without compromising the level of care.

Nat

 

OK now for a bit from the other side...

I work for one of those Companies...probably a better one.

Now I have 25+ yrs experience , Masters degree etc and actually like working with the elderly.

I have to do approx 20 patients plus a little paperwork and handover time with the Clinical coordinator of the RACF then off home to as you say sterilise and set up for next day.

Most days I am home by 2pm.

I liase with the facilities on improving resident care , give inservice training to staff etc.

Oh Yes I get PAID very well thank you.

If your service that you deliver is just a commodity (How much for a toenail cut) then you will be treated like a commodity whether you work in RACF's or private practice.

I know where you are coming from...remember I had a large private practice for 25 yrs.

All I can say is that there are ways to defend your contracts against the "I'll do it for $2 less" approach and we can talk about it if you are interested.

Sorry no Burn out but a very nice way to do business if done the right way.

Cheers

 

@ Nat Smith

Maybe you were right....

I have had my contract terminated with the Company because I was not commercially viable.
Funny thing is that Facilities that I service don't look at me as a Commodity but an Asset so they are very very unhappy with Company.

Time will tell what comes of the Facility's realisation that they want a reliable quality service.
Anyway off to set up another Private practice in a tough economic time....feels like 1987 all over again when I set up 1st practice.

I feel more alive than I have for years:drinks

 

Colin

Sorry to read about your situation and have great sympathy with your argument. The very best with your new ventures.

The shift to "Corporatisation" (if I can refer to it as such ) does appear to reflect a global trend which (I feel) has the potential to change the face of podiatric practice to the determent of many practitioners and the advantage of a few.

The for’s and against "Corporatisation" sounds like a great debate for a national conference.

What say you ?

toeslayer

 

I'm for Corporatisation if:

Corporate means we develop the People (pods) that provide a reliable service with integrity.

Not...

We sacrifice the people (pods) to provide a service at any cost.

I deeply believe that we need to come in from the cold (isolated single Pod practices).

I'm in the process of joining a very progressive team of allied health professionals that definitely have a point of difference to present to the market place.

It is Time that I develop a business with integrity rather than a Job.:boxing:

 

Colin et al

It is perhaps of historic interest, back in the dark and dim Curtin past we were poised to start a double degree in podiatry and business just as the deparment was summarily closed down. The iniative came from an alumni survey.

toeslayer

 

I am very sorry to hear of your situation, Colin.

But this very well sums up the points that Nat Smith and I have raised in this post.

At the end of the day, residential care patients deserve the best Podiatric care. These 'corporate companies' simply CANNOT compete with individual practitioners such as myself and Nat Smith (and many others) operating in nursing homes providing a professional, reliable service. Sure, we may charge more, but the homes are assured of professional care.

I recently put up my fees again, across the five large homes that I visit. Before I came along, these homes were all using a "corporate company" to provide allied health services. However, the usual story arose whereby the Podiatrists eventually resigned, and the company had nobody to send to the homes for over 6 months.

Because I have been reliably attending for several years, there was no complaining whatsoever from management with respect to my memorandum of fees increase. In fact the response was "we think your fee increase is very fair".

If there ever is any squabbling about my fees in the future, my response will undoubtedly be along the lines of "take it or leave it".

 

20 patients, Paperwork, handover time, liaise, training, plus etcetera, and home by 2pm - Assuming you don't start at 2am and not wishing to cast aspersions but one might be tempted to ask the question what standard of care you could provide for 20 people in what appears to be such a short time?

Regards Dave