By Steve M. Cohen bio When it comes to sick leave in your office of 50 or more employees, you have to follow the doctor’s orders regardless of whether or not you think the reason for the leave is justified. Because most office managers are so singularly focused on their practice, they are appalled to learn of all the limitations placed upon them by … [Read more...] about Medical leave gets formal for 50 employees and up
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Flu, not Ebola, poses biggest threat to workplace productivity
With the country’s attention focused on the Ebola virus, many American’s may overlook the fact that flu season is right around the corner. And, while it is impossible to predict how this flu season will compare to previous years, one thing is certain: Employers nationwide are likely to see millions of lost work days and billions of dollars in lost productivity. … [Read more...] about Flu, not Ebola, poses biggest threat to workplace productivity
Education resources for Spanish-speaking patients to display on your practice website
Spanish language patient handouts covering a wide range of medical topics, including Asthma (Asma), Atopic Dermatitis (Dermatitis Atópica), Contraception (Anticonceptivas), COPD (EPOC), Diabetes (Diabetes), Hypertension (Hipertension), Immunizations (Inmunizaciones), Obesity (Obesidad), Skin Cancer (Cáncer de Piel), and other chronic medical conditions, as well as videos and … [Read more...] about Education resources for Spanish-speaking patients to display on your practice website
PTO gives unquestioned days off plus a bank for catastrophes
The standard days-off policy has two downfalls, says the office manager of a six-physician, 16-staff office in North Carolina. One is that it isn’t fair, because some people abuse the sick leave and turn it into extra vacation days. The other is that keeping track of how long each person has been out and for what is a nightmare. So the office manager moved to a paid-time-off … [Read more...] about PTO gives unquestioned days off plus a bank for catastrophes
Whatever you call it, negative workplace behavior is expensive
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Whether you call it harassment, bullying or something else, negative workplace behavior can be expensive for any business. Unhappy employees today are also more likely to seek legal recourse against their employers, a fact that even medical office managers should keep in mind. Although the medical field is highly professional, it's also staffed with … [Read more...] about Whatever you call it, negative workplace behavior is expensive
Survey finds digital technology is changing the physician-patient relationship
A recent survey conducted by WebMD/Medscape, a leading provider of health information services, offers noteworthy insight into physician and patient perspectives on health technology's role in aiding diagnosis and care. Dr. Eric Topol, a leading authority in the fields of genomics and digital medicine, who serves as both editor-in-chief of Medscape and chief academic officer … [Read more...] about Survey finds digital technology is changing the physician-patient relationship
A teacher planning book is enough for complete hospital visit notes
It's worked for years. It costs less than $10. And with it, practice manager Patricia Russell has never missed posting a single hospital or nursing home visit. It's a teacher's daily plan book. And for any physician who doesn't use a digital device for note taking, it's the perfect solution for documenting out-of-office visits, says Russell who manages the internal medicine … [Read more...] about A teacher planning book is enough for complete hospital visit notes
How to protect your practice against costly pregnancy discrimination claims
"I'm having a baby!" When an employee utters those words, it's time for congratulations. It's also time for caution. The danger is pregnancy discrimination, and it happens often because employees are well attuned to their rights. The protection comes from the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, which is an amendment to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. It applies to offices with 15 … [Read more...] about How to protect your practice against costly pregnancy discrimination claims
Diseases of the circulatory system expanded in ICD-10
By Judy Monestime bio Chapter 9 of ICD-10 CM ranges from I00 to I99. This chapter contains an expanded number of specific codes that describe coronary, cerebral, and vascular diseases. "Use additional code to identify" notes appear throughout the chapter to direct the coder to identify exposure to, history of current use of, and dependence on tobacco. Codes also specify the … [Read more...] about Diseases of the circulatory system expanded in ICD-10
How to find out what your staff really thinks of you
What do staff think of their manager? All managers have blind spots, or places where, unbeknownst to themselves, their employees view them negatively. For that reason, a staff survey is a good idea. But a manager should survey in person, not on paper. People will say a lot more than they will write. All that's needed are two questions: 1 Tell me something I'm doing well that … [Read more...] about How to find out what your staff really thinks of you