Meet Practice Manager Alyssia Vaughn
Discover how an Air Force reservist led her practice through a successful expansion and won team loyalty
The ModMedⓇ HERO Award recognizes leaders in practice operations who harness our solutions to help improve their practices. Award finalist Alyssia Vaughn’s practice successfully expanded to three locations under her leadership. Meet Alyssia and learn how she translated her military leadership skills to become a successful healthcare entrepreneur and practice manager.
Alyssia’s Story
My role in the military is in public health, and I also run my own healthcare consulting business, teaching staff the differences between a co-pay, deductible and coinsurance, how to verify insurance, and how to manage a practice more efficiently in general. I joined Niagara Dermatology in 2016 after meeting Dr. Craig Miller in the Air Force Reserve. I volunteered to help him open a second practice location. I was the only administrative employee when we opened. After about three years, I was promoted to practice manager and have been in that role since 2019.
Leading a Team Through Expansion
As soon as I became practice manager, I made it my mission to create team unity and champion that we’re one practice. When you’re managing multiple locations, it’s important to establish and maintain a sense of teamwork and cohesion. It makes people feel supported and sets them up to do their best work.
The results of that effort have led to my single greatest accomplishment — a staff that trusts me. Even if they make a mistake, they’re not afraid to come to me. That’s the power of using a leadership position to serve others; the staff understands that helping them be successful is my main priority, so they’re willing to implement my feedback and make changes that benefit the practice as a whole.
Improving Office Flow and Collections
ModMed Patient Collaboration tools, like our Patient Portal, have been game changers for our jam-packed Lewiston office. With email, text and online check-in capabilities, patients already have their info complete and don’t have to come in 20 minutes prior. They arrive at their appointment time and are taken right into the exam room. It’s a well-oiled machine.
I would estimate our RCM efficiency has improved by about 85%.
Patients don’t have to come in 20 minutes prior. They arrive at their appointment time and are taken right into the exam room. Convincing my team to adopt text-to-pay has improved patient collections exponentially. I would estimate our RCM efficiency has improved by about 85%. Previously, we dealt with a lot of headaches trying to run down payments and contacting credit card companies. Now, the patient receives a text once their insurance is processed, and we’ve noticed decreasing outstanding patient balances.
Advice for Future Practice Innovators
First, daily involvement is key to successful leadership. Understanding your business from the inside out is critical. You need to know what it’s like to be in the trenches of each role. I fill in as a medical assistant, and I’m certified in MOHs as well. You don’t need to be proficient in everything, but you do need to be familiar with responsibilities beyond your own.
Second, I took the time to really learn the software programs and features that I suggested we implement. You have a responsibility to learn as much as you can to lead your staff and help your providers. The productivity and flow of the practice started to really turn around after implementation because I took that responsibility seriously.
Third, tap into the mission of your practice to help drive your career. I really love what I do, and I’m looking forward to taking it on the road and sharing my expertise with my own healthcare consulting business.
Learn more about our ModMed HEROs.
The statements and conclusions contained herein reflect the opinions of Alyssia Vaughn and not those of ModMed. ModMed makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy of any such information. Results may vary depending on medical practice size, product usage and other variables.
