Neil H. Baum, MD

Neil H. Baum, MD

Tulane University School of Medicine, Louisiana State University Medical School, Vanguard Communications Group

New Orleans, Louisiana

Neil H. Baum, MD, is a Clinical Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. He is also a retired urologic surgeon. Additionally, Dr. Baum serves as the Medical Advisor to Vanguard Communications Group. Dr. Baum is the author of Marketing Your Clinical Practice - Ethically, Effectively, and Economically, which is in its 4th edition, has sold over 175,000 copies, and has been translated into Spanish. He also wrote The Complete Business Guide to a Successful Medical Practice, which was published in 2015. Dr. Baum was the columnist for American Medical News for more than 25 years. Dr. Baum also wrote the popular column, “The Bottom Line,” for Urology Times for more than 20 years. He is a requested speaker each year to the Practice Management Seminar for the American Urological Association (AUA), where he discusses techniques for making urology practices more efficient and more productive. He has written more than 9 books on practice management and over 250 peer-reviewed articles on various urologic topics. Dr. Baum is also the medical advisor to Vanguard Communications Group.

Disclosures:

Talks by Neil H. Baum, MD

Painless Urology Using Nitrous Oxide for Office-Based Procedures

Painless Urology Using Nitrous Oxide for Office-Based Procedures

Posted by | Dec 2020

In this eight-minute commentary, Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses the use of nitrous oxide for office-based urologic procedures. First, he covers the difference between nitrous and nitric oxide, as well as the safety protocols one needs to be aware of when using nitrous oxide. Next, he goes over the important contraindications for using nitrous oxide before discussing the required training. Dr. Baum talks about how to get started using it in a practice and emphasizes the importance of having consent for use. He then discusses all the costs involved and highlights that despite the fact that most insurance companies do not not actually cover nitrous oxide’s use, it is still a very useful tool for minimally-invasive procedures like vasectomies. Overall, he highly recommends that urologists add nitrous oxide to their armamentarium as more and more urologic procedures are being done as out-patient procedures and it significantly adds to patient comfort.

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Solving Problems the ‘5 Whys’ Way

Solving Problems the ‘5 Whys’ Way

Posted by | Dec 2020

In this nine-minute commentary, Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses a problem-solving solution that he uses in his practice called “the 5 whys” as an alternative to stopgap solutions. He suggests identifying the root cause of the problem, which can easily prevent future occurrences, especially if the solution is inexpensive to implement. Dr. Baum then looks at the implementation of the 5 whys in a urologic setting, using the common issue of scheduling as an example, emphasizing that the purpose of drilling down on causes to a problem is to find the root cause and therefore a solution, rather than placing blame. Dr. Baum then discusses how to implement this approach to solving problem in a urologic practice, emphasizing the need to include all staff in the solution and to focus on long-term success rather than short-term, quick-fix solutions. Finally, he goes over the steps involved in effective problem solving, in particular the need to evaluate the improvements to see if the solution was effective or not.

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Telephone Techniques to Generate New Patients

Telephone Techniques to Generate New Patients

Posted by | Dec 2020

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, offers advice on improving clinic telephone protocols, which in turn can help generate new patients for a practice. He discusses the importance of telephone etiquette, as well as specific techniques that are important to do correctly. Dr. Baum urges consistency when answering the phone, and stresses the importance of giving top priority to new patients. He covers different ways to improve the new patient telephone experience, and emphasizes the importance of avoiding gaps in phone coverage during office hours. Overall, he urges practices to get rid of phone trees and highlights the importance of talking to a human. Dr Baum also offers some advice on how to handle after hours telephone calls that will help maintain a good patient experience.

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Time Saving Tips #1: Getting a Handle on Prior Authorizations

Time Saving Tips #1: Getting a Handle on Prior Authorizations

Posted by | Nov 2020

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, discusses how getting a handle on prior authorizations can help doctors deal with loss of income. At present, many doctors are facing lost revenue due to decreasing reimbursements and rising overhead costs, and one of the best ways to deal with this problem is to increase efficiency and productivity by learning how to make the most of prior authorizations. Dr. Baum explains why prior authorization is important, as well as how the process has changed in the last five years. He then advises that it is a good idea to have one person on staff who is a prior authorization expert as this will make the process more efficient and decrease the number of denials. He emphasizes the importance of the expert having deep knowledge of various red flag features of prior authorizations, which can result in huge delays and even denials. The bottom line according to Dr. Baum is that these specialists can do a great deal to improve productivity, efficiency, and even staff morale.

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The Science Behind Burnout

The Science Behind Burnout

Posted by | Nov 2020

Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, looks at the science behind burnout, which is extremely prevalent among doctors, and particularly among urology residents and fellows. He lists the telltale signs of burnout and discusses its relationship to telomeres, the caps on the ends of chromosomes which prevent them from “fraying.” Most people have long telomeres but, as Dr. Baum explains, in instances of stress or burnout they shorten, resulting in DNA breakage and cellular dysfunction. He then discusses the effect these shortened telomeres can have on emotions and immune function, and explores the relationship between various diseases and shorter telomeres. Finally, Dr. Baum offers some advice about how one can determine if they are suffering from burnout and points to where people can find more information on the subject of burnout and telomeres.

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