A new manager comes to a medical practice with enthusiasm and new ideas. But it's easy to allow both to get sidelined by a staff comfortable with routine. "When I started as practice manager three years ago, I constantly heard from people, 'that's not the way we've always done it,'" says Mary L. Banks, CPC, CHISP, practice administrator at AOS (Associates in Orthopaedic … [Read more...] about Illinois manager challenges the status quo, creates taskforce committee
Managing staff
“What’s it really like around here?”
By Lynne Curry bio You feel it the moment you enter the organization. Ask the employees "What's it like around here?" and they confirm the vibe. An employee in one organization says, "I love working here. Everyone helps each other out." At another you're told, "You've got to watch your back; it's cutthroat here. And you can't trust the managers." Every … [Read more...] about “What’s it really like around here?”
What to do when a staffer lodges a valid complaint against a doctor
Any complaint from a staffer about a boss is unpleasant to address. But when the alleged culprit is a physician, the situation can get grim. Confronting the doctor could put the manager in a job-threatening position. It's a touchy situation, says Linnda Durre, PhD, a business consultant, corporate trainer and author of "Surviving the Toxic Workplace: Protect Yourself Against … [Read more...] about What to do when a staffer lodges a valid complaint against a doctor
Here’s how to get good stuff about the office during an exit interview
An exit interview should bring to light far more than what is good and bad about the office. It should give insight into what's really going on and produce ideas for making improvements. There's an art to exit interviewing. It's a matter of getting the staffer to talk and asking the questions that will keep them talking. A smile at the start Start by setting a positive … [Read more...] about Here’s how to get good stuff about the office during an exit interview
How exit interviews support your management
By Paul Edwards bio Does your practice use exit interviews safely and beneficially? Small practices do not need to conduct these interviews in person—in fact, you shouldn't! However, making an attempt to gather exit interview perspectives from every departing employee can help support your management actions and protect the practice. The steps you should take depend … [Read more...] about How exit interviews support your management
The duty to accommodate the religious beliefs of employees & job applicants
Federal and state laws ban employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of religion. Mere tolerance of religious differences in the workplace isn't enough to comply. Employers must also take affirmative steps to accommodate religious beliefs to the point of undue hardship. The EEOC is contending that the hospital's refusal to let the worker wear a mask instead … [Read more...] about The duty to accommodate the religious beliefs of employees & job applicants
Roundtable discussions focus on ‘whatever anybody needs help with’
Staff meetings are important, but they aren't enough, says Martha King, practice manager of Portland Surgical Associates in Portland, ME. Generally, staff meetings cover things staff don't have a hand in. What King has found is that staff also need time to discuss operational matters and talk about "whatever anybody needs help with." So for those other things, King holds … [Read more...] about Roundtable discussions focus on ‘whatever anybody needs help with’
Employee incentive program increases number of patient well exams—and practice revenue
Pediatric Medical Group of Santa Maria, located in Santa Maria, CA, has found a way to quadruple the amount of well child and well baby exams at its office. "In the past, we always ran a recall report and had our staff call patients that were due for well exams," Camille Gamble, practice manager, tells Medical Office Manager. Although the process seemed to work okay, … [Read more...] about Employee incentive program increases number of patient well exams—and practice revenue
TOOL: Model Religious Accommodations Policy
Mere tolerance of religious differences in the workplace isn't enough. Federal and state discrimination laws also require employers to take affirmative steps to accommodate the religious beliefs of employees and job applicants to the point of undue hardship. The starting point for compliance is implementing an accommodations policy. Here's a model you can adapt for your own lab … [Read more...] about TOOL: Model Religious Accommodations Policy
Traps to avoid: Giving ex-practice employees access to PHI
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. Ex-employees are a common and virulent privacy threat, even … [Read more...] about Traps to avoid: Giving ex-practice employees access to PHI