Is clutter slowing down productivity in your practice? Clutter is a major distraction and eats up time, says Pat Heydlauff of Energy Design, a productive-focused environment company. "Nobody can concentrate or work efficiently amidst disorganization," she says, pointing out that getting rid of office clutter can significantly improve the atmosphere and speed up the work … [Read more...] about How to stage your office for improved productivity
Managing the office
How to painlessly review a staffer with poor performance
Perhaps the most difficult part of being a manager is the job of pointing out what a staffer is doing wrong. No manager enjoys the confrontation. Yet unconfronted, poor performance worsens. Here's an outline of how to take on that most unpleasant job. It's explained by JoAn Majors, a Caldwell, TX, speaker on people skills. Majors is also author of the book, … [Read more...] about How to painlessly review a staffer with poor performance
Is your waiting room costing you money?
How would patients rate your medical practice's reception area? Is it cold and clinical, or warm and welcoming? The waiting room is where new patients form early impressions of your practice – and, like it or not, these impressions influence their perception of the medical care they receive. Patient experience is a primary reason medical practices are investing in office … [Read more...] about Is your waiting room costing you money?
Role-playing turns front and back office staff into one team
When there's a people issue, especially when the front desk butts heads with the nursing staff, the manager of a Virginia family medicine group office brings it to light via role playing at a staff meeting. Afterwards, staff not only come up with a solution, but also draft and sign a commitment to follow it. The manager organizes the role playing three or four times a year, … [Read more...] about Role-playing turns front and back office staff into one team
Resolving employee conflict
Q: Two members of my staff don't get along with each other—at all. The constant bickering and other childish behavior have me at my wit's end. Sometimes I feel like I'm an elementary school teacher as opposed to a manager. This isn't what I signed on for, and it's really affecting my attitude toward the job. Any suggestions you can offer will be appreciated. A: Employee … [Read more...] about Resolving employee conflict
Polite form on chart collects balance due at registration
Because staff don't like asking patients for money, one manager set up a non-confrontational form that gets patients to pay their outstanding balances at registration. The billing department attaches it to the charts each morning, and the front desk staff hand it to patients with, "Oh, by the way, there is a note here for you from the billing department." The form was designed … [Read more...] about Polite form on chart collects balance due at registration
How to write a policy
By Cheryl Toth, MBA bio Written policies have a reputation for being tedious to develop and boring to read. Creating them is often last on a manager's to-do list. But written policies can do a lot for your practice. They establish ground rules, set expectations, and reduce confusion among your team. Here's a straightforward framework for writing them. Before you … [Read more...] about How to write a policy
3 questions to help you handle patient credits
By Ranadene K. Tapio, MBA, CMRS, CMC, Guest Contributor bio How does your office deal with patient credits? More importantly, does your office deal with patient credits at all? Believe it not, not all offices do. There are several reasons why an office wouldn't address patient credits—from just not knowing they should to not knowing how to being short staffed. If … [Read more...] about 3 questions to help you handle patient credits
Keep things moving: reduce wait times while still giving patients the attention they deserve
It's the Catch-22 of a medical practice: How do you keep the patients flowing without compromising patient care? There are solutions to the problem, and they aren't all high tech, but they do take a little planning. Preventive care "When patients wait a long time," says Laurie Morgan, partner and senior consultant in San Francisco, California, medical consulting firm Capko … [Read more...] about Keep things moving: reduce wait times while still giving patients the attention they deserve
10 essential tips for new managers
New managers face a number of challenges, but which challenge is the most daunting? According to a recent survey, the most difficult part of becoming a manager is balancing individual responsibilities with time spent overseeing staff. Supervising friends or former peers ranked as the second greatest concern. The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources and … [Read more...] about 10 essential tips for new managers