Last-minute cancellations can turn an orderly day at the office into chaos as you scramble to reach patients to fill unexpected openings in the schedule. Unfilled appointment slots are costly in terms of clinician time, staff time and office overhead. That's why you need to have an appointment cancellation policy and convey it to your patients. Here's a short and simple … [Read more...] about Here’s a simple sample cancellation policy
Tool Box
7 terms to include in your patient debt collection agency services contract
Outsourcing patient collections enables medical practices to generate needed cash flow and concentrate on clinical operations. That, at least, is the theory. But the strategy does not always work. One of the key factors of success is the actual services contract the medical practice signs with the agency. Many a medical practice has seen the anticipated benefits of outsourcing … [Read more...] about 7 terms to include in your patient debt collection agency services contract
Model Tool: Employee referral form
Why you need this form: Employee referral continues to be the No. 1 source of external hires. Good employees know other good employees, so why not tap this valuable pipeline of potential job candidates? How this form helps you: This customizable, sample form provides a mechanism for tracking employee referrals. How to use this form: This Model Form serves as a template. … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Employee referral form
Model HIPAA Privacy Reminder to Reception and Other Staff
Why you need this memo: Your medical office staff understands the imperative of safeguarding personal health information (PHI) and wouldn't let strangers roam about the facilities freely. But it's easy for them to lower their guard when a former employee comes back to the practice, e.g., to pick up a final paycheck or just make a social call. How this memo helps you: This … [Read more...] about Model HIPAA Privacy Reminder to Reception and Other Staff
Model Tool: Job description template
Why you need this model tool: Job descriptions are critical management documents. A medical office manager should make sure there is a formal, written job description for every position. How this model tool helps you: This template provides the major categories that you should include in your job descriptions along with an explanation of what to include in each … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Job description template
TOOL: Model Employee Illness/Injury Reporting Policy
The OSHA Recordkeeping Standard requires you to record and potentially report work-related illnesses and injuries. Reporting of illnesses and injuries is also crucial to investigating, identifying and correcting problems that can lead to further incidents and OSHA violations. So, it’s crucial to establish a policy and procedure for workers to report workplace injuries and … [Read more...] about TOOL: Model Employee Illness/Injury Reporting Policy
Model Tool: Catastrophic leave program donation form
Why you need this form: Leave-sharing programs must meet certain criteria in order to be valid under the Internal Revenue Service's general tax rules and under various state laws. How this form helps you: A leave-sharing program must be in writing and created as a "leave bank" into which employees may deposit donated leave. How to use this form: Check with your state law … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Catastrophic leave program donation form
Model Policy: Medications error reporting
Establishing a written Policy for dealing with medication errors is crucial. Although each practice will handle things differently, that policy should, like the Model Policy below, define “medication errors,” describe how those errors must be reported and to whom, and set out a procedure for assessment and analysis of medications error data generated by reporting. … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Medications error reporting
9-point checklist for medical office cybersecurity
Is your office doing all it can to protect your patients' sensitive medical data? Here's a nine-point checklist to protect the security and privacy of your patients. Use strong, unique passwords for all accounts and change them regularly. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for added security. Keep all software and systems up to date with the latest security … [Read more...] about 9-point checklist for medical office cybersecurity
Office safety inspection checklist
The best checklist for your workplace is one that has been developed for your specific needs. The examples outlined below do not list all the possible items for office inspections. Whatever the format of the checklist, provide space for the inspectors’ signatures and the date. Inspectors: Date: (O) Satisfactory (X) Requires … [Read more...] about Office safety inspection checklist