Gerard Johnson, M.S.
Gerard is a writer, trainer, and leader who has worked in healthcare since 2003. He has managed and trained teams in Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Family Medicine. Gerard currently works as a practice manager for a family practice in Atlanta, GA.
May 05 8 min read
Covid-19 has changed the way in which patients access healthcare forever. The medical industry has fought a valiant fight against the Neflixization of patient care but we are now at a crossroads. My practice, like many others, were forced to deal with the question of how we bring the best care possible for our patients to the comfort and safety of their homes. We knew this was something we had to meet head on much sooner than we had planned or ho (...) Read more
August 03 8 min read
The patient has answered COVID-19 screening questions TWICE, checked in for the visit from his/her car, had a temperature check, and finally saw the optometrist for an eye exam. The doctor completed the transfer of care to you perfectly by clearly describing the patient's eye care needs to you in front of the patient. Now what? We spent the past 4 months frozen in fear of touching door handles at the supermarket. How are you going to convince a p (...) Read more
September 23 8 min read
You walk into the office and it feels like the world is crashing around you. You received an early morning text that your front desk is calling out because their childcare fell through, you are down to one optician due to COVID furloughs, and you are looking at your desk and you can’t even find your mouse because of all the invoices and sticky notes from the day before. You just want to scream. What do you do? Below are 5 strategies t (...) Read more
December 07 8 min read
What does employee engagement mean to you? Is it having “satisfied” employees who clock in on time every day and work 9 to 5 every day without complaint? Is it making your staff happy at all costs and avoiding conflict? Forbes.com defines employee engagement as “the emotional commitment the employee has to the organization and its goals.” Creating this emotional connection with your team is not easy and will not be achieve (...) Read more
December 23 8 min read
The holiday season can be the most stressful time of the year for many people. Then 2020 arrived; stressors multiplied tenfold. If we add up all the stress and increased workload from Covid, plus patients rushing in to use their insurance benefits by the end of the year, our teams can suffer breakdowns in communication and team camaraderie. Have you ever considered introducing games to help combat this breakdown? Yes, they might seem a little cor (...) Read more
February 25 8 min read
We were forced to make some tough choices in 2020 and our employees endured everything from fear of losing their jobs to fear of losing their lives. In response, practice leaders focused employee engagement to retain talent and boost overall morale in our offices. Employee performance and accountability often became less important. However, employee accountability is employee engagement. Everyone wants to know that their actions matter and that y (...) Read more
May 14 8 min read
Definition of joy: to experience great pleasure or delight Take a second to read the definition of Joy. Would you describe your workday as a great pleasure or delight? Is “delightful” how your team describes their workday? Creating a joyful work environment is the key to employee retention, engagement, and exceptional performance. There is no more important task for great leaders than to create an environment that cultivates joy in t (...) Read more
July 06 8 min read
You looked at the landscape of your organization and you have come to the realization that there is work that needs to be done to make your office a truly diverse and inclusive environment. You have seen the studies showing how diversity and inclusion stimulate innovation and productivity while creating a world-class culture that can outperform the competition. After long hours and tough discussions, you have nailed down the framework of y (...) Read more
September 07 8 min read
First, let me start by saying that like many of you, I hate wearing face masks. Any given day my team and I will spend about 8 hours in a mask. However, the fact is that masking is going to be the new normal at this point in the medical field for the near future and most likely beyond. They are a critical component of keeping patients and our staff safe. Face masks hamper communication, both verbal (e.g., attenuates speech signals produced by the (...) Read more
November 09 8 min read
For most of us, 2020 was a tough year. We had great hopes that 2021 would be our return to normalcy. Unfortunately, the Delta Strain had a different plan for us. The situation brings to mind a great line from the Clint Eastwood blockbuster movie Heartbreak Ridge, “Marine’s Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome”. We may not be Marines, but practice leaders can learn a lot from this Marine motto. We need to adapt to our new reality (...) Read more