Practice Partners Podcast

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Flu season is one of the highest-volume, highest-demand periods in general practice. Most clinics underestimate the level of planning and structure required to run it properly.

In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Ami and Zac walk through the full flu clinic setup and delivery process, from early planning through to execution and follow-up.

We cover:
• How to plan flu clinics in advance to avoid stock issues and workflow bottlenecks
• Structuring appointment books to maximise throughput without compromising care
• Setting up efficient patient flow across admin, nursing, and clinical teams
• Vaccine ordering, storage, and cold chain management fundamentals
• Using data to track uptake, identify gaps, and drive recalls
• Managing high-volume days without overwhelming your team
• Aligning flu clinics with broader preventative health strategies

We also speak honestly about:
• Clinics running out of stock due to poor forecasting
• Underutilised nurse capacity during flu season
• Missed revenue and patient engagement opportunities
• Lack of clear ownership across the team
• Compliance gaps that create clinical and business risk

If you are a practice owner, manager, nurse, or GP preparing for flu season, this episode provides a clear, practical framework to set your clinics up properly.

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We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Recurring problems are one of the biggest frustrations in healthcare practices.

In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Ami and Zac unpack why the same operational issues keep resurfacing in clinics and what practice owners and managers can actually do to stop the cycle.

From staffing gaps and rostering chaos to communication breakdowns and unclear processes, many practice problems are not caused by people. They are caused by systems that were never clearly defined, implemented, or followed through.

We cover:

• Why the same operational issues keep reappearing in healthcare practices
 • The real root causes behind staffing, scheduling, and workflow breakdowns
 • Why unclear processes create stress, confusion, and inconsistency for teams
 • The role of SOPs and systems in preventing recurring operational problems
 • Why follow-through is one of the most underrated leadership skills in healthcare
 • Building trust with teams through clarity, consistency, and accountability
 • How hands-on leadership helps identify issues before they become bigger problems

We also speak honestly about:

• The daily “spot fires” that practice managers constantly deal with
 • Staff disengagement and the warning signs leaders often miss
 • Ethical dilemmas and complaint handling in real clinic environments
 • Why many practices fix symptoms instead of solving the underlying issue

If you are a practice owner, manager, or healthcare leader, this episode provides practical insight into identifying recurring issues and putting the right structures in place to prevent them.

Running a healthcare practice will always involve challenges.

But when systems are clear and leaders follow through, problems stop repeating themselves.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Nurses are one of the most underleveraged assets in general practice.

In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Ami and Zac unpack what optimal nurse utilisation actually looks like in the real world and why it directly impacts patient care, workflow efficiency, and profitability.

We cover:

 • What the ideal GP to nurse ratio looks like and why it varies by practice size and service mix
 • How to structure nurse appointment books for flow, not chaos
 • The difference between busy nurses and productive nurses
 • Reducing care plan time using IT tools, templates, and process design
 • Balancing clinical tasks versus administrative creep
 • How confidence, training, and scope clarity change everything
 • Building proactive and opportunistic care into everyday consults

We also speak honestly about:

 • Underutilised nurses and the silent cost to your practice
 • Doctor hesitation and its downstream effect on workflow
 • Bringing nurses into clinical meetings and decision making
 • Structuring handovers to maximise appointment time

If you are a practice owner, manager, GP, or nurse wanting to tighten operations and improve patient outcomes, this episode gives you practical, implementable insights.

Optimising your nursing team is not about adding more people.
It is about using the people you have, properly.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Facility fees are one of the most misunderstood and debated topics in general practice. In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Ami Assigal and Zac Pandur unpack the legal, operational, and psychological realities behind charging facility fees, and why understanding them is critical for sustainable practice management.

We unpack:

• What facility fees actually are and when they can be charged alongside Medicare rebates
• How treatment room budgeting influences fee decisions
• The psychology behind charging patients and why staff confidence matters
• The compliance considerations every practice must understand
• How clear patient communication protects trust and reputation

We also talk honestly about:

• Why some teams hesitate to charge and how that impacts financial health
• The risks of inconsistent messaging across reception, nurses, and doctors
• The importance of structured billing processes to prevent revenue leakage
• Educating staff so fees are explained with clarity and confidence
• Adapting fee models to suit your practice environment and patient base

This episode is for practice owners, managers, and healthcare leaders who want to strengthen their billing systems, improve communication, and build financially sustainable clinics.

Facility fees are not just about revenue.
When implemented correctly, they support quality care, operational stability, and long term viability.

References: Medicare Explanatory Note GN 7.17

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

In this episode of the Practice Partners podcast, Zac and Ami are joined by James Gillespie, CEO & Founder of Cleanbill.  

We discuss the evolution of healthcare data tracking and the significance of transparency in the industry. We explore the origins of Cleanbill, the importance of data in understanding bulk billing practices, and the future of healthcare analytics.

The conversation highlights the role of Cleanbill in providing comprehensive data to both patients and clinics, emphasising the need for accurate information in making informed healthcare decisions.

• Cleanbill originated from a need for better healthcare data tracking.
• The importance of transparency in healthcare billing practices is crucial.
• Bulk billing rates are not always indicative of patient access.
• Data collection methodologies have evolved significantly over the years.
• The Cleanbill portal allows clinics to update their information easily.
• Patients benefit from having access to comprehensive healthcare data.

Useful Links:

1. Cleanbill Portal - https://cleanbill.com.au
2. Cleanbill Clinic Portal - https://cleanbill.com.au/clinic-portal/login  

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Leadership avoidance is rarely loud.
It is quiet. Subtle. And often disguised as being “too busy”, “too nice”, or “waiting for the right time”.

In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Ami and Zac unpack the uncomfortable but common reality of leadership avoidance in general practice.

We explore:

• What leadership avoidance actually looks like in day-to-day clinic operations
• Why even experienced practice owners and leaders fall into avoidance patterns
• How avoiding difficult conversations, decisions, and accountability quietly stalls growth
• How leadership avoidance impacts team culture, performance, and retention

Along the way, we draw on real-world scenarios from inside clinics and, yes, have a bit of a rant about how leadership avoidance ultimately costs practices time, money, and peace of mind.

If you are a Practice Owner, Practice Manager, GP Lead, or Senior Team Member who knows something is being avoided but has not quite named it yet, this episode will hit close to home.

Leadership does not get easier when it is delayed.
It just gets more expensive.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Leadership is not a title.
It is what happens between the phone ringing, the appointment book filling, the team asking questions, and the quiet decisions no one sees.

In this episode of the Practice Partners Podcast, Josie takes our listeners inside a real day in the life of an Admin Leader in general practice and we officially welcome Josie into her new role.

We unpack:

• What the Admin Leader role actually looks like day to day
• The balance between front desk leadership and operational accountability
• How admin leaders influence flow, culture, and patient experience
• The difference between being busy at reception and leading a team
• Common challenges admin leaders face and how to manage them effectively

We also talk honestly about:

• Stepping up into leadership from within the admin team
• Setting expectations without losing approachability
• Supporting the practice manager and clinical team
• Why strong admin leadership is critical to a well-run clinic

This episode is for receptionists considering their next step, admin leaders finding their feet, and practice owners who want to better understand the role that keeps everything moving.

Admin leadership is not glamorous.
But when done well, it changes everything.

Welcome to the role, Josie.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

Part 2 of our IT Overhaul series focuses on the future of the industry — not fear, not hype, just practical foresight.

We unpack:
 • Where healthcare IT is heading
 • What practices need to future-proof now
 • How leaders should be thinking about security, systems, and scale
 • Why proactive planning beats reactive fixes every time

If you want guidance beyond the episode, Jeff and the team at Your IT Desk are more than happy to jump on a call and talk it through. Your IT Desk - Your Workspace, Securely Managed
 

🎙 Listen Now.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

IT in general practice isn’t just “having a server that works.” It’s compliance. It’s disaster recovery. It’s planning for the worst before the worst happens.

In Part 1 of our IT Overhaul series, we unpack:
 • IT compliance in general practice
 • Disaster recovery & business continuity
 • On-site vs off-site servers
 • Server ownership & infrastructure decisions
 • Why “set and forget” IT is a myth

If you’re a practice owner or PM, this is essential listening.

Stay tuned for episode 68, part two of the IT overhaul for more information. 

Jeff and his team are happy to take a call or chat with you for advice and insight: Your IT Desk - Your Workspace, Securely Managed

🎧 Available now.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!

A new year does not mean a clean slate. It means another opportunity to lead better, plan smarter, and run stronger healthcare businesses.

In this episode, we step into 2026 with intention (and with hype). Not with unrealistic resolutions. But with practical focus on what clinics actually need to prioritise this year.

We unpack:

• Why Quality Improvement must move from “tick-box” to meaningful change
• Using QI data to drive real practice improvements, not just accreditation compliance
• The role of structured staff appraisals in retention, accountability, and growth
• Financial forecasting and how small operational and financial changes compound into major business outcomes

This is not about doing more.
It is about doing the right things, consistently.

If you are a Practice Manager, Owner, GP, Nurse Lead, or Operations Leader, this episode is your reminder that improvement does not start with software, funding, or policy changes. It starts with leadership decisions.

Welcome to 2026.
Let’s run practices with purpose.

Support the show

We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/