Treatment centers track all sorts of metrics – census numbers, reimbursement rates, acquisition costs, AMAs, no shows, cash flow, readmission rates, etc. And there’s no question that each of these metrics matter. Simply put, if you don’t stay in business, you can’t help anyone.
But as important as these metrics are to owners and investors, they aren’t motivational to the people upon which your center’s success ultimately hinges – your clinical team, the program staff, and everyone else who works with your patients day in and day out.
These staff members are overwhelmingly “people people” who chose their profession due to a deep desire to help their patients feel better. Many staff are in recovery themselves, and they deeply, fervently want to help their patients permanently escape from the life-destroying horror of addiction.
Yet, despite the critical urgency of keeping these team members motivated and inspired*, very few treatment centers bother to measure the one thing that matters most to their staff:
How many of our patients are recovering?
This one-minute video describes the benefits Enlightened Solutions receives from tracking how many of their patients are doing well after discharge:
In addition to your staff, how effectively you help patients recover is also of overwhelming importance to individuals considering attending your center. In fact, because they are agreeing to attend treatment for the sole purpose of achieving recovery, it’s the only metric (besides cost, of course) that really matters to prospective patients and their families.
So why aren’t you tracking how many of your patients recover? It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and scientifically measuring your success rate pays tremendous dividends by motivating your staff, attracting more patients and getting more days approved. What are you waiting for?
Joanna
* I’m pretty sure you’ve seen the same frightening statistics I have about the current shortage of skilled clinicians and how the gap is going to get even worse in coming years. Prior to COVID, the federal Health Resources & Services Administration predicted a shortage of 11,500 addiction counselors by 2030; I suspect an updated projection would be even worse today.
