Neil H. Baum, MD, presented “Organizational Mission Statements for Medical Practices” for the Grand Rounds in Urology audience in February 2022.
How to cite: Baum, Neil H. “Organizational Mission Statements for Medical Practices.” February 2022. Accessed Jul 2024. https://grandroundsinurology.com/organizational-mission-statements-for-medical-practices/
Organizational Mission Statements for Medical Practices
Grand Rounds in Urology Contributing Editor Neil H. Baum, MD, Professor of Urology at Tulane Medical School, gives advice on how medical practices can formulate organizational mission statements, and explains why they are important in maintaining a motivated staff. He defines a mission statement as a truth told in advance that tells where a doctor and their practice are going. Dr. Baum then lists reasons why a practice should write a mission statement, explaining that mission statements help patients understand a doctor and their practice, separate a practice from the competition, and can bring patients closer to a practice. He also describes the essential elements of a mission statement, noting that it should contain the physician/practice’s philosophy of patient care and their principle beliefs, should state the practice’s ideals, and should inspire doctors, staff, and patients. Dr. Baum shares his own practice’s mission statement of “commitment to providing the best health care for our patients, to exceeding patients’ expectations regarding their health care, and to attention to the LITTLE details because they make a BIG difference.” He recommends that others do as he has done in his practice and make it so employees and patients regularly see the mission statement by displaying it in the reception area, exam room, and employee lounge, as well as on brochures, newsletters, stationary, websites, and blogs. Dr. Baum follows this with advice on how to craft a mission statement, suggesting that doctors look at mission statements from other businesses, review hospital mission statements, and involve all of the staff and doctors of the practice in the process. He concludes with an example of how his practice’s mission statement helped motivate his staff to pay attention to the little details and better maintain the cleanliness of the practice’s restrooms throughout the day.
For more commentary on practice management from Dr. Baum, visit his Improving Your Urology Practice page.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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.
