Team management is a crucial and multifaceted component of running a private practice. From hiring the right people and offering competitive compensation to ensuring office safety and staying current with evolving legislation, setting up and managing solid Human Resources (HR) processes is key. When practices prioritize HR, as well as patient care, it leads to happy employees, satisfied patients, and smooth, long-term operations.
To support PECAA Max members seeking guidance on optometry-related employment activities, PECAA has long partnered with Sharon Jutila, JD. Previously with AmeriBen, Jutila has transitioned her services to her new firm, SMJ Consulting, where she continues to offer a variety of resources as a no-cost benefit included with PECAA Max membership. The same team of HR professionals that worked with Jutila at AmeriBen has joined her at SMJ Consulting to continue the high-quality HR support that PECAA Max members have come to rely on to mitigate risk and enhance their practice culture.
“It has been a pleasure working with PECAA all these years to provide their members with HR services and we are looking forward to continuing that relationship in the future,” said Jutila. “We are available to provide guidance to members struggling with employee relations issues or any other employment concerns.”
Members can access PECAA’s Human Resources Support Center in partnership with SMJ Consulting for a variety of tools:
- Unlimited calls to SMJ Consulting’s Resource Center Hotline: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.PST receive practical and actionable advice regarding your employee relations issues.
- Free editable employee handbook template: Use SMJ Consulting’s template to review your existing handbook or create a new one. SMJ can also review existing practice tools for a discounted fee.
- Semi-monthly newsletter: This carefully curated newsletter includes the latest HR best practices to ensure practices stay up to date on regulations, trends and strategies.
- Monthly webinars: Webinars provide in-depth knowledge on key HR topics. Each webinar is also recorded for on-demand access.
- Salary Survey Database: Access personalized salary survey information and job descriptions for over 7,400 positions in metro areas across the U.S. to stay competitive and attract quality candidates.
Additional customized services are available at a 10% discount to PECAA Max members.
“We have utilized Sharon’s services for several years to work through a variety of employment activities, from how to thoughtfully handle terminations to understanding unemployment claims before and after the claims come in. She also helped us navigate all of the uncertainty that sprang up during COVID,” said Co-owner and Office Manager Susan McNeel of McNeel Eye Center in Boise, ID. “It’s the PECAA service we use the most and is truly invaluable to small businesses like us that don’t have the resources to create a Legal or HR department.”
Hiring a new employee? Measuring team performance? Click here to help decide on potential candidates, evaluate your current team or request an Employee Assessment.
To learn more about the services offered by SMJ Consulting and prepare your practice for today’s employment landscape, click here.