3 proven ways to prepare your practice for the winter patient surge

The winter wave is upon us. Colds, flu and respiratory illnesses spread as cold weather keeps people indoors, and large groups congregate for holiday celebrations. These issues, decorating injuries, hypothermia and other challenges also lead to a surge in emergency room visits.

That keeps physicians’ offices, clinics and hospitals awash in appointment requests and patient arrivals. The rush of patients and paperwork just as staff head out for the holidays, and call in sick with greater frequency, creates a perfect storm – often overwhelming staff with a flood of administrative tasks; intensifying already widespread scheduling gaps, slow claims processing and compliance issues; and forcing doctors to tread water for hours, days, weeks or months.

Here are three ways to stay afloat during the winter wave and optimize operations all year long.

1. Think about what’s at stake

Three-fourths of medical practices cite scheduling gaps, slow claims processing and compliance administration as their biggest operational pain points, according to our 2025 Medical Staffing Trends Unveiled report. These are the exact high-pressure zones that intensify during the winter wave – leading to appointment delays, overextended providers and ER bottlenecks.

This adds up to extra hours for administrative staff and costly overtime for the practice. Doctors often lend a hand with administrative tasks when they see that stretched staff are struggling to keep up. But that can extend doctors’ days by hours, adding stress that may make doctors themselves more likely to get sick. Ultimately, some doctors may even decide to look for career opportunities at properly staffed medical facilities that allow them to focus on treating patients.

Despite the group efforts that often go into addressing ballooning administrative tasks, many medical facilities are still unable to schedule patient appointments quickly and efficiently. As a result, patients may become frustrated and go elsewhere. The inability to schedule and bill in a timely manner can also make it challenging for practices to afford office overhead and grow.

2. Identify where your shortages are

Rather than assuming doctors and staff can pick up the slack if you are short by one or more team members during the winter wave, the reality is that it could be quite painful – for your administrative staff, your doctors, your practice’s health and the patients you keep waiting.

Assess staffing by polling your administrative team and managers to understand where they are. Think about the extent to which doctors are or will feel the need to help with such tasks at a time in which Stanford Medicine says U.S. physician burnout rates remain “worryingly high.”

Be open to new ways of addressing administrative tasks. Local hiring is not always the answer.

3. Rethink what remote really means

The solution to winter staffing challenges isn’t simply going remote, it’s going flexible. Today’s leading practices are adopting workforce platforms that connect them to certified, compliant administrative talent — supported by secure systems, continuous training, and real-time oversight.

It’s not about outsourcing tasks; it’s about integrating global, high-performing teams into your operations with the same compliance, technology, and accountability you’d expect in-house.

That means your practice can scale faster, maintain HIPAA standards, and keep patient experience seamless — even during the busiest months of the year. Now you can provide the best experiences for your patients, staff and doctors – and turn seasonal staffing pressure into a year-round operational advantage.

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Putting fun in the medical practice: Hire for attitude, train for skills

Incorporating humor in health care hiring can enhance workplace morale, creativity and patient care; creating a more enjoyable environment.


"Fun is taken seriously at Southwest Airlines. Life is too short and too hard and too serious not to be humorous about it." Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines

Healthcare is a stressful occupation. Most doctors and healthcare employees are having to work smarter, harder, and faster than ever before. Is it any wonder that burnout affects more than 50% of healthcare workers? As the pace and intensity of healthcare have increased, we often lose touch with the lighter side of life and question why we entered the profession in the first place. Many medical practices have become very serious and businesslike, and we are requested to leave our personal and emotional baggage at the door before entering the office. We have been told that humor in the workplace is unprofessional and that silliness is for children's play.

Southwest Airlines believes that failure to nourish and encourage a sense of humor in the workplace not only undermines productivity, creativity, adaptability, and morale, but also can drive employees to quit, resulting in costly turnover.

Southwest Airlines seeks employees, including baggage handlers and pilots, who can perform their jobs with humor and professionalism. A passenger on a Southwest Airlines plane hires employees who are uninhibited and empathetic, believing that serving customers, which includes a sense of humor, makes the lives of both employees and passengers more enjoyable. I think that healthcare must move beyond the traditional mold of a serious, stiff, and humorless atmosphere and incorporate appropriate levity when providing care to our patients. We need to shift gears and find ways to make work in healthcare fun despite the intensity and seriousness of our profession.

How to find those potential new hires that have a funny bone as well as a crazy bone. We need to follow the example of the hiring process at Southwest Airlines, which is hire for attitude and train for skills. Their HR department looks for employees who don't take themselves too seriously and then commits to training them on what they need to do for the passengers and the airline. They focus on hiring employees with the right spirit. They look for potential employees with other-oriented, outgoing personalities, individuals who are willing to work hard and have fun at the same time.

Perhaps when interviewing a potential employee for the first time, you might ask, "Tell me how you used your sense of humor in a work environment or tell me how you have used humor to defuse a difficult situation." Let's assume you are looking for a new associate with an impressive resume and skills that could be a valuable addition to the practice. If the potential employee is stiff, reserved, inhibited, and lacks good communication skills, that may be a red flag indicating that this employee might not be a good fit for the practice. This might be a difficult choice, but it would be far better to pass on such an employee and continue the search. Although such a candidate might be qualified on the technical side, they would be deficient on the attitude component.

When posting a job opening, you might include in the job description that "if you are looking for those who are outgoing, even a bit off-center, and like to color outside lines, then you will enjoy working in this practice." You might continue your new-hire post by stating, "Consider Acme Healthcare if you want a future without boundaries, the opportunity to be original, and a chance to work your tail off!" This kind of post emphasizes that your practice is a serious medical practice that is committed to providing outstanding care to patients, while also prioritizing fun, financial responsibility, and a down-to-earth atmosphere. With this kind of word-of-mouth plus social media, the message is clear, and you are likely to have the right type of applicant flocking to your practice. I am not suggesting that you are looking for stand-up comedians or those who can dole out one-liners. However, the message is clear that behind all the fun, there's a lot of hard work.

Bottom line:

Consider looking for future employees with a sense of humor. I want to emphasize that you hire for spirit, spunk, and enthusiasm, and you can follow up and train for skills. When you have such an employee, treat them as family members or best friends. Don't ever take them for granted. Finally, treat everyone — patients and employees — with kindness and respect. They will appreciate the kindness and pass it on to your patients. As a result, you will have an enjoyable practice that is both productive and efficient, and fun.

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ACA premiums signal new pressures on providers: How to prepare

Providers certainly do not need any new financial pressures. Unfortunately, they are coming.

Insurance provided through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace is expected to increase by 26% for 2026 plans—the largest rate hike since its launch. That’s the average. In the 32 states using Healthcare.gov, those premiums are expected to rise upwards of 30%. Even worse, some enrollees could see their premium payments more than double if the enhanced premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025.

Bottom line: the cost of care is going to dramatically increase for many, and patients will be taking on more payment responsibility. At a time when copays account for the highest percentage of bad debt for healthcare organizations, providers must get out in front of the patient collection challenge by implementing five key strategies for their ACA-insured patients.

1. Map the new patient journey early

Traditional billing practices lack patient empathy and are notorious for creating confusion and frustration. In contrast, a patient-centric approach ensures financial clarity and transparency at every stage of the patient journey.

The changes coming for those insured in the ACA marketplace will likely result in unwanted financial surprises. Providers should acknowledge this up front and treat these enrollees as a distinct group that needs special attention. Then they can implement proactive strategies that prioritize clear communication around coverage limits and cost expectations.

2. Segment and communicate proactively

With higher out-of-pocket costs coming, price transparency and the ability to provide accurate estimates upfront will be more important than ever. Providers need tools that will support segmentation of those currently insured in the ACA marketplace and those newly insured, as well as timely means of communicating financial responsibility and payment options.

Automation plays a key role in the effectiveness of these strategies as manual processes are often a non-starter in today’s leanly staffed provider organizations. Any communication method should meet patients where they are, addressing both education level and native language, as well as making information available in a variety of formats, whether text-based, email or phone.

Once patients receive notification of copay estimates, staff readiness is essential. Patients will look to them to discuss payment options including payment plans or financial assistance that may be available. The reality is that patients are much more likely to follow through with payment if they understand their financial obligations and options.

3. Go digital with payments and billing

Digital payment innovation is one of the most effective ways to improve collection rates and speed revenue cycle because it helps eliminate confusion. Given that the majority of consumers prefer digital billing and payment options, providers should invest in tools such as mobile statements, text reminders and online payment plans to improve both collection rates and patient satisfaction. The good news is that when patients opt for digital communications, providers win on the operations front, both in terms of more efficient use of staff time and the costs associated with generating and mailing paper bills.

While digital offerings are important, patient preference should remain at the forefront of strategy. Consequently, digital tools may need to coexist with paper statements and payment. They key is to incorporate patients’ preferences into communications by asking them early in their financial journey how they would like to be notified about their balance.

4. Automate to protect cash flow

Shoring up reconciliation processes will be critical to staying ahead of increased patient financial responsibility. Deploying reconciliation and payment-acceleration tools to reduce days in A/R and streamline back-office work is an important step forward. When payment reconciliation is automated, providers can match incoming electronic payments to invoices to improve accuracy and speed processes.

Equally important are advanced platforms that reconcile both payer-collected and direct patient payments. While patients are increasingly looking to easy payment options such as insurance portals and health savings accounts (HSAs) to make their copays, provider organizations often have to wait weeks to receive funds. Automation ensures these payments are transferred immediately to a provider’s bank and reconciled within existing provider systems, as opposed to receiving a check or virtual card outside of the EHR.

5. Reevaluate collection policies

Rising out-of-pocket costs demand new approaches to outdated, manual billing processes that lack patient empathy and engagement. Sustainable financial health now depends on meeting patients where they are via flexible payment options, early-out strategies and clearer financial education. When patients have clarity at every step of their financial journey, providers can foster trust, improve outcomes and build loyalty.

Many patients may be caught off guard by coming increases associated with ACA premiums. Providers who acknowledge that increased financial pain and take action will be best positioned to help patients navigate changes as well as collect balances owed. From transparency into pricing and copays to personalized communications and flexible payment options, the future of patient-centric billing will prioritize educating, engaging and empowering patients.

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