What do employees want? Flexible work arrangements are often at or near the top of survey lists. And yes, money matters. But, perhaps surprising, career development also gets top rankings. Employees want to acquire knowledge and learn new skills in order to do their jobs and advance their careers. What's more, development opportunities play an important role in keeping staff … [Read more...] about The surprising answer to what your staff really wants
Managing the office
CMS grants exceptions for providers affected by Hurricane Maria
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is granting exceptions under certain Medicare quality reporting and value-based purchasing programs to the following providers located in areas affected by Hurricane Maria, due to the devastating impact of the storm: inpatient psychiatric facilities, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospices, inpatient … [Read more...] about CMS grants exceptions for providers affected by Hurricane Maria
Should your physicians blog?
Blogging, when successful, results in a certain notoriety, which, in the case of a physician blogger, calls attention to his or her medical practice. Such notoriety can help market the practice and result in new patients. But there are other reasons doctors blog—and, in fact, marketing the practice isn't one of the primary reasons physicians take to the keyboard. Dr. John … [Read more...] about Should your physicians blog?
Higher wages, better health benefits, or larger tax refunds? Survey looks at 2017 payroll trends
Every year, the American Payroll Association (APA) conducts an annual survey for National Payroll Week, with the goal of helping American employee better understand their paychecks. According to the APA, this knowledge can help employees make smarter decisions with how they're paid. "Maximizing your paycheck is immensely important," said Dan Maddux, executive director of the … [Read more...] about Higher wages, better health benefits, or larger tax refunds? Survey looks at 2017 payroll trends
Is a false sense of confidence among your employees exposing your practice to costly phishing emails?
Intermedia, a cloud business applications provider, has released Part 1 of its 2017 Data Vulnerability Report, which examines the security behavioral habits of more than 1,000 office workers in the United States. Your employees are unknowingly granting hackers access Despite organizations educating employees about cyber threats and security best practices, office workers … [Read more...] about Is a false sense of confidence among your employees exposing your practice to costly phishing emails?
New Quality Payment Program resources are now available
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has recently posted the following new and updated resources on the Quality Payment Program website: 2018 Self-Nomination Toolkit for QCDRs & Registries:Offers step-by-step instructions for potential Qualified Registry and Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) vendors to self-nominate to qualify for the 2018 … [Read more...] about New Quality Payment Program resources are now available
CMS reveals new Medicare Card design
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently gave the public its first look at the newly designed Medicare card. The new Medicare card contains a unique, randomly assigned number that replaces the current Social Security-based number. CMS will begin mailing the new cards to people with Medicare benefits in April 2018 to meet the statutory deadline for … [Read more...] about CMS reveals new Medicare Card design
When an opioid crisis hits your medical practice
By Lynne Curry bio The first time you saw "Bill" appear to nod off during a staff meeting, you pulled him aside after the meeting. When you asked if he was okay, he said he was. You gave him the benefit of the doubt because he'd worked for you for three years and been a good employee. You knew he'd recently gone through a divorce and thought maybe he'd had a hard … [Read more...] about When an opioid crisis hits your medical practice
Patients with disabilities: your guide to basic etiquette
For a patient with a disability, an accommodation isn't enough. Behind that disability is a normal person, albeit a person with challenges, and the office has to treat the individual as such, says Lydia Ramsey, business etiquette consultant and author of the book, "Manners That Sell." Patients come to the office because of the medical services it provides, she says. But it's … [Read more...] about Patients with disabilities: your guide to basic etiquette
Improving patient flow with one simple gadget
Having an efficient patient flow is, of course, good for your patients and good for your practice. However, despite all your efforts, sometimes a good flow is derailed during transitions from one stage of a patient's visit to the next, negatively affecting both the patient's experience and your practice's productivity. Fortunately, not every problem needs an expensive solution, … [Read more...] about Improving patient flow with one simple gadget