# of staff to doctor

**LadyDie** · 03-19-2007, 04:52 PM

We are a new quickly growing private practice. I was wondering how many support staff some of you have in ratio to the doctor during his hours. I think we need more and the doctor is content for now but I feel patients will soon be not well taken care of if we don't increase.
Currently during his hours (different if no exams are scheduled) we have two dispensing opticians and a manager who is also a dispensing optician.
thank in advance

**chip anderson** · 03-19-2007, 04:55 PM

You got plenty if they all work. Not enough if they sit around discussing recipes and where to have lunch.

**obxeyeguy** · 03-19-2007, 04:56 PM

First, how many routine refractions on a doc day,? how many outside rx's do you bring in? How many total patients does optical see on a normal day, dr or not???

mark

**Bev Heishman** · 03-19-2007, 05:18 PM

How much revenue is being generated by each of these opticians? How many RX's are done? What is your capture rate? Are they cross trained? Are you also finishing? What is your chairtime? There are many factors here. Without much of this information it is hard. From experience, I think one dispensing optician per refracting doctor would sum it up.

**fjpod** · 03-19-2007, 05:43 PM

In a traditional optometric private practice, you need one full time staff person for each $120k or so of gross (not counting OD). It's only a guideline and I am sure there are exceptions, but I have found it to be somewhat valid. I does not speak to the mix of staff, eg. how many opticians, secretarys, assistants, etc.

**Framebender** · 03-19-2007, 07:34 PM

We had one receptionist, one lab rat, that could cover the floor in a pinch, and one Optician for one OD. On 2 OD days we had two additional Opticians. We did all the pretest and loaded the neutralizations into the phoropter. For their part they were doing 3 full exams an hour.

We rarely lost one that we couldn't get too and we all made good money. Too bad they retired.

I hope you're all having fun and making money!!

:cheers:

Excalibur · 03-19-2007, 09:46 PM

Originally Posted by fjpod

In a traditional optometric private practice, you need one full time staff person for each $120k or so of gross (not counting OD). It's only a guideline and I am sure there are exceptions, but I have found it to be somewhat valid. I does not speak to the mix of staff, eg. how many opticians, secretarys, assistants, etc.

I would agree that $120k/annual gross is about right per traditional practice management opinion, although the ratio may favour less staff with automation of certain office tasks (eg. using computer medical record-keeping, etc.)

**cocoisland58** · 03-20-2007, 06:23 AM

I think it depends more on the ratio of patients to opticians on the floor. A good sales person should be able to handle two patients in different stages of purchasing. There should also be someone to man the front desk. If everyone is cross trained and able to multi-task that should be enough. We have all gone through a busy time where it seems like we need more employees but then it will slow down and all is well.

**Joann Raytar** · 03-20-2007, 07:08 AM

Like Framebender, we are three people to one OD. We all kind of do everything except for the edging but each one of us has our strengths; one stronger in the lab, one sales and one insurance and appointments.

**Happylady** · 03-20-2007, 10:53 AM

We have two doctors on three days and three days with one doctor. For staff we have
1) one receptionist who works five days and one who works just on Saturday
2) contact lens person who also helps at the front desk
3) finish lab person who works four days a week
4) one optician who works four days
5) one optician who works two days
6) two opticians who work five days
7) a bookkeeper who works three days.

The lab person can also work in the front and three of the other opticians can also work in the lab. The opticians also do pretests, visual fields, and photos.

**Grubendol** · 03-20-2007, 11:43 AM

we currently have 2-3 doctors a day, and we have
3 full-time opticians,
1 lab guy who can work the floor as well
2 exam/cl techs
2 reception/front desk
1 billing/front backup
1 office manager-jack of all trades

**mlm** · 03-22-2007, 01:18 AM

Wow, I'm starting to wonder if we're really understaffed...

We have 1 doctor Mondays, 2 doctors Tuesday through Friday and 1 doctor Saturday, then we have:
1 eyewear specialist/optometric assistant (FT)
1 licensed optician for lab work and dispensing (FT)
1 pre-test and contact lens assistant (FT)
1 general assistant (1 day/week)
1 general assistant and accounting (2.5 days/week)

**Fezz** · 03-22-2007, 05:23 AM

We have one OD 5 days a week. We add another OD for three days.

Staff:

1.) Yours truly doing all Opticianry duties!
2.) Two full time front office staff. (one full, + two part time=1 full)
3.) One full time insurance biller. (two part time=one full time)
4.) On two Dr. days we bring in a part time Optician who also does contact lens trainings and screenings for the Dr's, so it is not much help for me those days

:angry::angry:

!!!!!

I would rather run an office a little slim. I think people are more productive and energized when they are under a bit of pressure to get things done! It also makes the time go much faster. I like to call it "Jammin".

My name is Fezz.....and I like Jammin!!

**braheem24** · 03-22-2007, 11:34 PM

Originally Posted by Excalibur

I would agree that $120k/annual gross is about right per traditional practice management opinion, although the ratio may favour less staff with automation of certain office tasks (eg. using computer medical record-keeping, etc.)

I guess I better slow down, I do over 1 Million a year Gross with myelf and 1 other FT optician (this includes surfacing and edging 99% of the work ourself)

:drop:

**Bev Heishman** · 03-25-2007, 07:44 PM

Guess it depends on revenue, practice type and consultant. The last two days at VEE I heard 125K per person in an optometric office. In our ohthalmological practice, with just the optical as a profit center, the consulting group bench marks at 200-250K per FT optician.

**allanon** · 03-26-2007, 07:57 AM

Remind your doc that Jerry Hayes, Gerber, Neil Gailbard, etc recommend 1 employee per 125-175k in gross revenue.

**Bev Heishman** · 03-26-2007, 05:24 PM

Our source is BSM Consulting with Allergan Optical.

**braheem24** · 03-28-2007, 04:42 PM

The 125-250K per FT optician is with an outside lab doing the work also?

Good thing I'm my own slave-driver.

**allanon** · 03-28-2007, 09:57 PM

Originally Posted by braheem24

The 125-250K per FT optician is with an outside lab doing the work also?

Good thing I'm my own slave-driver.

If you're referencing my comment, I was referring to staff in general. Opticians to revenue would be much higher than that.. 1:300-400k according to Jerry Hayes, depending on average sale.