Happy New Year! It's time again for ABC Speech Therapy's quarterly newsletter.

What's new at ABC

Our finance department is now fully equipped to bill Medicaid! Let us take the frustration of dealing with all that paperwork off your hands. Contact the finance department at ABC for more information on how we can help alleviate your workload at 919-946-3817.

First year Speech Language Pathologists (SLPs). ABC has recently undertaken a new program to help SLPs complete their clinical fellowship year.We are in contact with many recent graduates that are eager to jump right in and join your team.They are a great way to add new ideas to your team! Let us know if you are interested in helping a new SLP learn the ropes.

Don't forget...

We have therapists to meet all of your needs. Our diverse population of therapists is looking for not only full-time and part-time, but also short term/temporary work such as covering maternity leaves or medical absences.

ABC is continually expanding our Occupational Therapy (OT) and Physical Therapy (PT) practice. Keep us in mind when those needs arise in your facility.

Keeping & Retaining Employees

A survey of schools in 2000 indicated that the shortage of SLPs was 51%! A shortage of this magnitude is leading to an increase in caseload and decreased quality of service.The key aspect of working that SLPs were dissatisfied with was the paperwork.With such a shortage of SLPs, the more incentives offered, the better the chance of filling a vacancy.

Incentives proven successful:

• Financial incentives
• Relocation fees
• Stipends for Medicaid paperwork
• Certification reimbursement
• Increased salaries
• Clerical assistance
• Licensing reciprocity across all states
• Mentoring programs

Once the employee's needs are met and he or she begins working, whether or not they remain at your facility is still questionable. After obtaining a qualified professional, it is important to retain him or her for as long as possible. Retention allows for greater productivity and saves facilities money from having to start the hiring process all over again*.

Ways to facilitate a good relationship with your employees:

• Encourage them with written notes: "You're doing a great job!"
• Take them out to lunch periodically
• Get to know them and their families
• Make coming to work a pleasure for all parties involved!

Challenging but happy work environments, along with friendly co-workers are just a couple of the factors employees found important.

At ABC we pride ourselves on offering the best opportunities possible to our clients. They receive reimbursement for certifications, assistance in billing Medicaid and insurance, and relocation fees. We try to take as much of the hardship away from our clients as possible. That means the more satisfied your employees are, the less likely they are to leave. With such a great national shortage of SLPs, the threat of losing any of your qualified employees is scary and a very real risk. ABC will provide the perfect asset to your team.

* Information obtained from American Speech and Hearing Association, 11/2003

ABC Customer Testimonials

Here’s what people are saying about ABC...

Dear Matt,

"Kim is doing a great job! Thanks for your help in bringing Kim to our attention. It’s been a pleasure working with ABC for the last two years. Keep up the good work!"

Debra W.
Tennessee

Dear Matt,

"Please allow me to take a moment to thank you for having such great people at ABC Speech Therapy. Andrew Arlen’s timing when he contacted the district to inform us of your services was perfect. We had a vacancy, and like many special education directors in South Carolina, were having a difficult time finding a speech therapist. ABC Speech Therapy responded immediately to our need for a speech therapist.

Andrew listened to our needs, understood the urgency to provide appropriate services to our students, and immediately worked to identify and provide a therapist. Thanks to his efforts, we were able to provide the students with therapy by a certified speech therapist in a week and a half from our first conversation. Andrew kept me up to date on the status and facilitated the initial screening.

Skylar is doing a great job for us! She displays excellent organizational skills and record keeping, in addition to her skills in therapy and the rapport she has with the students. The school staff is pleased with the services. Thanks so much!"

Sincerely,
Susan K.
South Carolina

Keep Us Updated

Be sure to keep us updated on activities going on with your facility and community! At ABC we love to know what is going on with our clients.

Win a day at your favorite spa! Here’s how to enter. Every time you forward the ABC newsletter to another director you enter the drawing. ABC will draw from the entries each quarter. No limit on entries! Make sure you forward us a copy as well, info@abcslp.com, so we know how many emails you’ve sent!

ABC Children’s Fund: "Giving Kids a Chance"

ABC recently created a non-profit whose sole aim is to enhance the educational environment in less fortunate areas. We accomplish this by providing access to funds, computer equipment, and individual time. We pledge 1% of ABC’s annual revenues to making our communities stronger by providing tools to increase a less fortunate student’s chance at achieving.

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original design by Burt Aycock