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
Managing the office
Don’t put your vendor contracts on autopilot
It's easy, to say nothing of convenient, to get comfortable with business relationships and not to question what the vendors are doing. But in the meantime those vendors have every ability to slip in added costs the manager does not notice. Don't just renew vendor contracts automatically. The practice can often save money and get better service by putting those contracts out … [Read more...] about Don’t put your vendor contracts on autopilot
Telecommuters not working out? It’s not the flexibility that’s the problem; it’s your training program
Are you seeing a surge in low morale and unproductivity among your remote workers? Research suggests that it may be your lack of strategy and training that's to blame, not the flexibility. According to new national research from the Flex+Strategy Group (FSG), major corporations such as IBM may have gotten it wrong when they cited remote work as a barrier to innovation and … [Read more...] about Telecommuters not working out? It’s not the flexibility that’s the problem; it’s your training program
How one medical center created their dream schedule
At Barnard Medical Center in Washington, DC, the staff and physicians worked together to create a schedule that meets of the patients, as well as the practice's working parents. Melissa Gohacki, the practice manager, explains how the schedule was designed. I work at a small primary care office- two physicians and two NPs. One of the physicians is married to one of the NPs, and … [Read more...] about How one medical center created their dream schedule
These 7 ergonomic basics can make your staff healthier and happier
Ergonomics is good economics. When the work areas are in sync with the people spending their days in them, there's no time lost to sick days and no money lost to low productivity, says Hayley Kaye, a certified professional ergonomist with HLK Consulting in New York City. Achieving that calls for attention to the desks, telephones, and chairs. But it also calls for teaching … [Read more...] about These 7 ergonomic basics can make your staff healthier and happier
Not just another HR story
By Lynne Curry bio Which do you believe? ☑ You can't trust anyone in HR: they'll get you talking, look sympathetic, but then turn everything you say over to management; ☑ HR is a luxury we don't need when we need all our budget resources to pay the employees who produce; ☑ HR = a partnership for managers, employees & organizations; ☑ HR = lots of talk + … [Read more...] about Not just another HR story
Do you have the ‘right stuff’ to be a successful medical office manager?
As the office manager of a medical practice, you have an opportunity to learn, grow, and make a valuable contribution. "You really get the chance to be a part of a small business and to wear a lot of different hats," says Mary Pat Whaley, co-founder and president of Manage My Practice, a medical practice consulting firm. What's more, because most physicians are not business … [Read more...] about Do you have the ‘right stuff’ to be a successful medical office manager?
What? Not another upgrade!
How to ensure a smooth transition when you upgrade your EMR software or install a new system Just when everyone is trained and comfortable with your EMR system, along comes an upgrade. Keeping up with the demands of meaningful use and changing regulations has software vendors sending out upgrades with alarming frequency. This means that you may be spending far more time and … [Read more...] about What? Not another upgrade!
Asking for a raise
One of the most frequently asked career questions is, "What is the best way to ask for a raise?" Not surprising, a frequently asked management question is, "What are best practices when it comes to employees asking for a raise?" Answers to these two questions actually have a lot of overlap. Think about the times staff members approached you for a raise. When did they make a … [Read more...] about Asking for a raise
Use weekly meetings with doctors to keep office running smoothly
Meeting every week with the doctors makes a tremendous difference in how smoothly – and also how successfully – an office operates, says the manager of a pediatrics practice in Colorado. For her office, it's an 8 a.m. meeting every Monday, a good time, because it sets the tone for the week. It also keeps everybody on the same page. And it ensures that the doctors know all the … [Read more...] about Use weekly meetings with doctors to keep office running smoothly