📊 Know your numbers, grow your practice

Does it ever feel overwhelming to stay on top of the financial side of your practice? You’re not alone. Each week in Calm the Chaos, I share practical tools, real stories, and tech tips to help you strengthen your systems, support your team, and improve patient care.

This week, we’re focusing on knowing your numbers. Understanding a few key financial metrics can help you reduce stress, avoid costly mistakes, and make confident business decisions.

STORY TIME:

How a Primary Care Clinic Turned Its Finances Around

BEFORE THE FIX

A busy primary care clinic was struggling with cash flow. The providers were fully booked, but the practice still felt like it was barely breaking even. Leadership couldn’t see where the money was going, and staff spent hours chasing unpaid claims without a clear process.

THE FIX

The management team began tracking three essential metrics: average revenue per visit, claim denial rate, and days in accounts receivable. They built a simple monthly dashboard using data from their billing software and QuickBooks, which gave leadership a clear picture of the clinic’s financial health. Staff were trained to follow up on unpaid claims within 21 days, and the team kept a close watch on the accounts receivable numbers to ensure all unpaid claims had a status update noted.

THE RESULTS

Within six months, claim denials dropped by 20%, collections improved, and net revenue increased by $15,000 per month. Leadership finally had visibility into the numbers, and staff had clear goals to work toward.

TAKEAWAY

When you measure the right numbers consistently, you can spot issues early, make better adjustments, and build a more sustainable practice.

ACTIONABLE TIPS FOR THE WEEK:

How to Start Tracking Your Numbers

✅ Identify key metrics. Begin with revenue per visit, claim denial rate, and days in accounts receivable.

✅ Set up a dashboard. Use QuickBooks or a simple spreadsheet to track these numbers each month.

✅ Review regularly. Schedule time to review trends and discuss insights with your team.

Micro-Challenge:

Pick one financial metric this week and start tracking it. Even a basic dashboard can reveal where your money is really going.

TANIA'S TECH TIPS:

Use QuickBooks to Build Financial Visibility

If you want consistent tracking like the clinic in this week’s story, QuickBooks is a great tool to start with. It connects to your bank account, categorizes transactions, and generates reports that show where your money is going. You can even create a simple dashboard for your most important metrics so you always know where you stand.

💡  Pro Tip: Set automated monthly reports to email you and your office manager. Reviewing these alongside your billing metrics helps you make data-driven decisions before small issues turn into big problems.

WHAT I’M READING:

The Success Principles by Jack Canfield

A key takeaway from this book is taking 100 percent responsibility. When you take ownership of your numbers, you gain the power to change them. This mindset shift turns financial stress into financial confidence.

SMALL CHANGES, BIG RESULTS

Knowing your numbers gives you control, clarity, and confidence. With the right systems in place, you can guide your practice toward steady growth instead of guessing.

Looking for more ways to strengthen your team and culture?

Everyone’s a VIP: Mastering Patient Communications for Excellence helps your staff communicate clearly and consistently for a better patient experience.

TRAIN YOUR TEAM

P.S. Managing a practice is tough, but you don’t have to tackle every challenge alone. If you’re looking for clear solutions and a fresh perspective, my 90-minute Practice Clarity Call is for you. Together, we’ll find what’s holding your team back and create a simple, realistic plan that fits your practice. Ready for a change? Book your Clarity Call here