Health-care executives, also known as health care administrators and medical managers, specifically trained to oversee a clinical department, a small group of physicians or entire facilities or systems. Their duties include planning, directing, coordinating and supervising the delivery of health care.

They are crucial staff members and must be a jack-of-all-trades, possessing both clinical and business training. They interact with physicians, clinical staff, drug company representatives and patients. They provide customer service, manage patient complaints, and oversee finances and bookkeeping. They often take charge of staff recruitment, hiring and training.

They help streamline routine processes for a more efficient work environment and must stay abreast of all changes in health-care technology, laws and regulations. Health-care executives are a key factor in the success of a practice and keep it running smoothly. No wonder they are masters of time management and experts in productivity.

Usually, the biggest contributor to productivity is remaining focused. So here are a few tricks health care executives use to stay on point and improve productivity. 

1. Get in an Exercise Routine

Health-care providers, perhaps above most other professionals, know that staying healthy improves productivity. So they do their best to take care of their bodies. Because they tend to work long hours, many medical managers opt to exercise first thing in the morning. They prioritize this time just as they would an important meeting or business call.

Morning exercise gives them an extra boost and keeps them going throughout the day. It also improves their quality of sleep, reduces stress, and helps them be more creative. But getting into a regular exercise routine is not easy. To help make exercise a priority keep your gym clothes right on or close to your alarm clock, log your miles/steps/calories and start small. All you need is about 20 minutes of focused exercise a day to start seeing the natural benefits.

2. Choose a Healthy Diet

Even day-to-day changes in your diet can impact productivity. Why? Because various ingredients enter your brain through the bloodstream to either help or hinder your focus. Researcher Leigh Gibson says that your brain works best with approximately 25 grams of glucose circulating in the bloodstream.

You can get it from a donut, a banana or a bowl of oats. However, the donut will give you about a 20-minute boost of alertness whereas the bowl of oats releases glucose more slowly and you have a steady glucose level for longer.

Being too hungry or too full makes you tired and decreases productivity. So don’t skip any meals and introduce at least one snack time into your daily routine. You can focus on brain-healthy foods like nuts, seeds, fish and even dark chocolate to improve your productivity.

3. Drink More Water

Some people go straight for the coffee or cola when their focus starts to lag, but what your body needs is water. Health-care executives understand how the body loses water through breath, perspiration, urine and bowel movements every single day. Drinking more water not only hydrates but also keeps them energized throughout the day. Most medical executives try to drink as much as two to three liters per day, which is more than the usual eight eight-ounce glasses of water most people know. Try this by keeping water within arm’s reach. It will fire up your metabolism, help you retain focus, cause you to eat less and help flush harmful toxins from your system.  

4. Start on Time

Health-care administrators are punctual. They understand if they arrive late, then they will be behind schedule for the rest of the day. This doesn’t mean arriving right on time to take their first appointment. It means arriving early so they can prepare before their appointment arrives. To implement this productivity trick you must continually plan and think ahead. Always arrive before or on time, with no exceptions. 

5. Organize the Day

Did you know most medical administrators avoid the ever-looming to-do list? Instead, they schedule. That way no items are permanently stuck on the bottom of the list. Everything gets done! To accomplish this they are realistic about what they can do and never guess at how long tasks or procedures take. Instead, they time everything out and make a reference sheet of tasks or services with accurate time allotments, even allowing room for emergencies. The best health-care managers even schedule their free time and breaks.

6. Establish Micro-Routines

Medical executives have a lot to accomplish, so they break items down into smaller and simpler tasks. For example, they respond to voicemail for 15 minutes, check their email for 15 minutes and spend 30 minutes on a larger task of high priority. These digestible circuits keep them moving and help them establish a long-term habit.

Also, health-care administrators take full advantage of peak production times. They plot out when they are at their best and schedule the most important micro-routines for those times. Most peak times usually take place first thing in the morning, right after lunch and right after a break. Give this a try and see just how easy it is to pound out a larger task for 45 minutes without losing focus or momentum.

7. Clean House, or at Least the Desk

Clutter leads to disorganization, stress, and distraction. A messy desk also makes people feel overwhelmed and overburdened. This is why, when it comes to the medical field, there is no such thing as organized chaos. Lobbies are clean, reception areas are tidy and treatment rooms are sterile and organized. The same goes for the desks of health-care executives and the same should go for you. 

8. Silence Mobile Devices

Some medical administrators turn off the alerts on their phones during certain times of day, becoming purposefully unreachable. This helps them get larger projects done without losing focus or being forced to multitask. A simple method they use is switching mobile phones to airplane mode. If you give this trick try, just make sure those who are most important know how to reach you for an emergency. Otherwise, most emails, instant messages, and texts can wait until you have wrapped up your priority.

9. Get Some Sleep

Medical managers know the average eight hours of sleep you often hear about is actually a myth. Acclaimed sleep researcher Daniel Kripke found those who sleep between 6.5 and 7.5 hours per night live the longest, are the happiest and the most productive. And sleeping longer than that at night could do more harm than good.

Research also shows you should take a 20-minute nap every day to restore alertness. Usually, you should nap when your productivity takes a dive — say 2 p.m. or 3 p.m. Granted, not every sleep time or napping schedule will work for every person. What is important is you develop the best sleep rituals for your body.

10. Make Time for Passions

It is good to be a work-a-holic while on the job, and many health-care executives are exactly that. However, they also make time to work on personal passion projects like novel-writing, landscape-painting or portrait photography. Carving out time for these important activities acts as a valuable outlet and keeps even the strictest medical managers feeling like humans. 

11. Quality Experiences with Family and Friends

Many successful medical executives invest in family time. They read stories to their children, cook a nice dinner or go on an outdoor adventure together. These connections bring you the most fulfillment and are your main drive for staying focused and productive at work. Don’t let work drive you away from what is important. Instead, work should be a catalyst for better connections with family and friends. 

As family dentists in Huntington beach we do our best. we implement several of these items to improve productivity in our own lives, and encourage our patients to do the same.