By Mark Hughes In most medical office or hospital reception areas, speech privacy is virtually nonexistent. Because these spaces rarely have walls or partitions to block sound, patients often overhear conversations between office personnel and other patients. Lack of speech privacy is by no means confined to reception areas and pharmacy lines – the problem is also present … [Read more...] about The patient privacy epidemic and what can be done about it
Managing the office
12 tips for boosting patient payment
The way the bill looks, and reads, plays a major role in when – and whether – the office gets paid. Here are 12 ways to boost patient payment. 1 Include a return envelope with the bill. This makes it easier for the patient to pay and also ensures the payment is addressed correctly. 2 Use colored return envelopes. They make the bill stand out from the … [Read more...] about 12 tips for boosting patient payment
Is your career headed nowhere?
In your role as medical office manager, you no doubt set goals for the practice and your staff. But have you taken the time to think about your career goals? As baseball great Yogi Berra said, "If you don't know where you're going, you might not get there." Understanding the process Although a performance appraisal or a new year may seem like an ideal time to set goals, … [Read more...] about Is your career headed nowhere?
Use straight talk to solve 4 common people problems in your office
The key to success as a manager is being up-front with employees. Yet that is what managers are most reluctant to do. They don't want to sit down with a staff member and say, "You are messing up on this, and I cannot allow it to continue." That reluctance is a normal human trait. People don't like confrontation. In fact, one human resources consultant says most of her clients … [Read more...] about Use straight talk to solve 4 common people problems in your office
Part-time clerical jobs have hours to suit a working parent’s schedule
In a New Jersey neurological office, the manager relies on two part-timers to keep the office current on the busy work. And the two part-timers rely on the office for job flexibility, because they are mothers who want to work but also want time to be home with their children. When the manager came to the practice decades ago, she herself had young children at home. She knows … [Read more...] about Part-time clerical jobs have hours to suit a working parent’s schedule
Eight rules for managing an office, especially a small one
The smaller the office, the more the manager works under a microscope. Everybody sees everything that's going on and everything the manager does. For a new manager in that setting, the microscope gets even stronger because staff are watching to see who their new boss is. And if that new manager has been promoted from within, the scrutiny is unforgiving because it's coming … [Read more...] about Eight rules for managing an office, especially a small one
Are employees embezzling funds from your medical practice?
Embezzlement is easy in a medical office because little amounts come through every day, many of them in cash, and $5 here or $10 there doesn't get missed. The scheme can be as simple as a staffer walking off with a bit of cash now and then. But it can also be elaborate. Somebody sets up a fictitious vendor and writes checks to the bogus company. Or somebody sets up a bank … [Read more...] about Are employees embezzling funds from your medical practice?
After a relationship with a disruptive patient ends
Your practice terminated a relationship with a disruptive patient, and everything went smoothly—or so you thought, until negative comments about the practice started showing up on social media. Disgruntled consumers of all kinds of services, including health care, have an outlet for their frustration. Actually, they have numerous outlets, including Facebook, Yelp, Scam.com, … [Read more...] about After a relationship with a disruptive patient ends
4 ways to keep your cool in the midst of chaos
By Cheryl Toth How well do you think you handle stress at work? I used to think I was pretty good at it, until a few years ago, when I realized I wasn't. I was working for a healthcare technology company that was young and rapidly growing. Every day, my task and responsibility list seemed to grow exponentially. At first it was exciting, but after a while I was buried under a … [Read more...] about 4 ways to keep your cool in the midst of chaos
A six-question oral survey can help the manager and improve morale
The people closest to the work are the ones who have the best suggestions for improving it. You can take advantage of staff ideas by getting their recommendations in an informal survey. Not only will it generate usable ideas for the manager, but it may help morale because when people are asked for their opinions, they become committed to the organization. There's a sense … [Read more...] about A six-question oral survey can help the manager and improve morale