Scandals & Betrayals....    

The professional practice industry has been targeted by many State Unemployment Agencies for years.

WHY?  Unfortunately, it's always the few dishonest, unethical businesses that have given them reason to not trust returns, to scrutinize further.

I'm certainly not minimizing what's happening.  We never want any specific groups to be the target of any investigations  However, why are we surprised?

What is the best defense during an IRS audit? 

By doing the right thing before the audit.    

I'm amazed at what practices consider valid business expenses.  If it smells of being personal, it is a personal expense, not a business expense.  If you question whether the expense can be written off, IRS.gov has a ton of information to search.  You can ask your CPA but, ultimately, IRS.gov is the most reliable source - the buck stops with both of you.  

If many of you were to be audited today, it would be a nightmare because of the lack accounting organization.  Maybe it's time to start paying attention.  Get your affairs in order.  Audits won't decrease or go away.   

What should you do if you receive an audit notice?  Take a deep breath and contact your CPA.  Make sure your records are thorough, in detail, easy to understand and complete.  

Again, being proactive is easier than being reactive. 

Baseball and Practices

Most know I'm a pretty passionate Texas Ranger's baseball fan.   I have season tickets and the games are my mini-vacations, my vice.  

From my seats, I see everything on the field and in the dugout, and I love watching the players themselves.

Last season, my team fell apart in June - it was downhill for the rest of the season, losing the division title the very last day. The players no longer congratulated or encouraged each other. I watched a frustrated coach not respond or react. The players sat on the bench, heads down, not at the rail watching. It was heart wrenching to watch my talented team completely fail.

I witnessed a fatal hemorrhage, unable to do anything except support the life-saving attempts, with a heavy heart knowing the outcome of such a "blood loss."

This year is different. We have a few new fresh players in our dugout. They get frustrated when they lose but they are still having fun in the dugout, yelling for each other, laughing, and enjoying the game like little leaguers.

What's my point?

• One person in your dugout can poison the team.
• Sometimes talent isn't a good enough reason to keep a negative team influence.
• Your patients "see" the attitudes of your employees
• A coach (leader) sets the tone.

Negative players. All it takes is one person to ruin a day, to pollute other employee's attitudes, to make other employees wished they worked elsewhere. Not everyone can be cheery all the time but attitude makes or breaks the tone in the dugout.

Baseball legend Tommy Lasorda said, "There are three types of baseball players: Those who make it happen, those who watch it happen and those who wonder what happens."

Having a negative team player can cause your team to be completely unsuccessful - one player is all you need.  Have one?  Deal with it now.  Are you one?  Deal with it now. 

Talented but negative. Did you know that one bad apple can really spoil the bunch? A gaseous hormone called ethylene causes the apples in the bunch to speed up their ripening process.

A recent embezzlement investigation featured a practice manager pointing the finger at a front desk employee, continuously restating to the owners what she had allegedly been told by the employee. It was truly accusatory, but, I wasn't seeing anything. I combed through all the financial records and found nothing. Yet the practice manager was tenacious with the doctors. At her insistence, they were ready to fire the employee until I convinced them to wait and watch.

Sure enough, the practice manager was calling in prescriptions for herself using the doctor's DEA number. This is a much larger problem than most realize and because it is, each state now has a prescription drug monitoring program (see below) which makes it easy to validate prescriptions by DEA number.

Patients see. Don't you wonder what your patients say about your practice after they have left?  I read a FaceBook blast the other day from a friend about a local dental practice. "They have such bad attitudes there. The gal sitting at the desk was texting on her phone and didn't even look up at me when I was standing there.  There was no "friendly" interaction with anyone. They don't seem to like working there much. Well, guess what?  I don't like going there either and I've decided it will be my last visit."

I was mortified but the reality is it is more than this one patient, more than this one practice. What do your patients see?  Do they see your team standing at the rail, cheering for their team's successes and supporting each other during the busy times?  The Container Store says one great employee = three good employees.  Are your employees great or are they just filing a spot on the roster?

A leader sets the tone. 1940's MLB catcher, Al Lopez said, "Do what you love to do and give it your very best. Whether it's business or baseball, or the theater, or any field. If you don't love what you're doing and can't give it your best, get out of it. Life is too short."

Lopez was right. Owning a practice is much more beyond clinical skills. It's being determined to be the very best in every aspect of the practice. If you don't know, learn. You set that tone in your practice - the positive, upbeat tone. Develop a sense of curiosity - who is where, who does what and what is it this month?   Be intentionally involved in every the aspect of the practice, not oblivious. 

Texas Rangers's CEO and former major league pitcher, Nolan Ryan said, "One of the beautiful things about baseball is that every once in a while, you come into a situation where you want to, and where you have to, reach down and prove something."   Digging deep to become and do what you need to be can be one of the most rewarding achievements in life.  

Never be satisfied with status quo. Asking "how can we make this team better" produces winning teams. Are you a fan of your own practice?  Are you your team's biggest supporter?

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go change and get ready for the game tonight! Play ball.  

Prescription Monitoring   

Online prescription monitoring has made accessing reports, regarding prescriptions filled under your DEA number, easy to gain.  

Is your state's program operational?  Click here to check the map and here for your state's specific site. 

Why checking monthly is important?   Several of my embezzlement investigations have included prescription drug abuse by an employee(s).  It is now a regular routine of an investigation. 

If you prescribe often, please check this routinely for any unqualified prescriptions.  If you determine there have been unqualified prescriptions, call me and let's talk.