Simple changes to billing procedures, hiring policies, purchasing, patient relations, and other daily activities can have a positive impact on your practice's bottom line. Here are 21 ways you can quickly boost practice profitability. 1. Name a reimbursement coordinator To get all the reimbursement possible, hire or appoint someone to be a reimbursement coordinator. It … [Read more...] about 21 easy ways to boost practice profitability fast
General
Employee retention: An important art for every office
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen I write so much about widespread employee issues, lawsuits, and "mess management" that I sometimes sound as if I don't value employees. The reality is that good employees are a treasure. That's often especially true in a medical office. But it's also worth noting that reports by a national management company found that more than 60 percent of … [Read more...] about Employee retention: An important art for every office
“Why are you leaving us?” 5 key questions to ask staffers who resign
There's good information to be had from a staffer who's leaving. Here are a few rules to follow and a few questions to ask. Two minutes before the exit Do the interviewing just as the staffer is ready to walk out the door. That means late afternoon of the last day. The 11th-hour timing ensures that whatever negative remarks the staffer makes won't carry repercussion. … [Read more...] about “Why are you leaving us?” 5 key questions to ask staffers who resign
What to do when your doctor becomes a patient
Their role as healers makes it easy to forget physicians are subject to the same illnesses that befall other humans. They are not invincible, even though their silence about their own health might lead staff and patients to believe otherwise. Physician illness is a topic that's not often discussed, even within the physician community. When physicians do broach the subject, … [Read more...] about What to do when your doctor becomes a patient
8 proven ways to totally destroy your credibility as a manager
A manager can have great knowledge and great skills, but without credibility with both doctors and staff, don't expect success. What is credibility? It can be defined as "what we do and how we do it that causes others to respect and believe us." The "what-we-do" is the tangible things – the work and its results. The "how-we-do-it" is the behavior that demonstrates a person's … [Read more...] about 8 proven ways to totally destroy your credibility as a manager
5 quick ways to make your waiting room more welcoming
A full office makeover may not be possible, but every medical practice can make improvements to its patient waiting room. 1 Keep it clean All places of business should be clean, but arguably none more than a medical practice waiting room as it speaks to the quality of care. Take a look around. Are the windows and doors clean? Is there dust on the tables? Does the … [Read more...] about 5 quick ways to make your waiting room more welcoming
Physicians behaving badly: what to do when it affects patients
Poor physician behavior. It can run the gamut from rudeness to actions that invite malpractice claims. When does it cross the line from unpleasant to necessitating action from the practice? The answer is when it impacts the patient or has potential legal significance. And sometimes it does both. Patient losses, court losses The first concern is the patients. Whenever a … [Read more...] about Physicians behaving badly: what to do when it affects patients
5 tested ways to make your billing and coding more profitable
The health of your medical practice depends on good quality coding and billing work. One of the most important roles in the medical office that impacts compliance—and your bottom line—is the coding and billing function. "Coding and billing is the lifeblood of the practice; it's the income," says Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and president of Medical Risk … [Read more...] about 5 tested ways to make your billing and coding more profitable
What to do when patients use the internet for self-diagnosis
There’s a wealth of medical information online, and increasingly patients are tapping it to come up with their own diagnoses. Needless to say, this results in numerous challenges for medical practitioners and office staff. But how exactly do you navigate the issues that arise from too much information – information that, incidentally, is often incorrect? First, the … [Read more...] about What to do when patients use the internet for self-diagnosis
How to make a collection call to a patient
A collection call to a patient should never be offensive. But it does need to be firm. Remember, the goal is to collect an unpaid balance. With this in mind, here's what to say and how to respond to what a patient says. Begin by putting the patient on the spot, without being confrontational. One possible approach is, "We haven't received payment for this bill we sent you 30 … [Read more...] about How to make a collection call to a patient