"As an office manager for over 12 years, I started to see some burnout in our long-term employees, who I did not want to lose," says Denise Genuit, practice administrator at University of Maryland Oral Maxillofacial Surgery Associates. She tells Medical Office Manager she needed to find a significant way to improve productivity and get staff to exert more effort. At the same … [Read more...] about Recognition and rewards increase productivity at Maryland practice
Managing the office
How to help your physicians cope with stress and burnout
Studies find physician stress is significant, and that external stressors play a major role in physician burnout. Because physician stress and burnout have the potential to affect nearly every aspect of a medical practice, it's important to understand the situation – and know what you can do about it. First, the facts A 2013 survey conducted by Medscape, part of the WebMD … [Read more...] about How to help your physicians cope with stress and burnout
‘Favorites’ list source of popular employee rewards
When Audrey M. Serban gives her staff members rewards for work done well, she can be sure the reward is something the employee will like. This is because she has a list of "favorites" for each staffer, and chooses the gift, large or small, from it. Serban, manager for a professional office in New Jersey, says, "I thought I'd share an idea that seems to work great. I created a … [Read more...] about ‘Favorites’ list source of popular employee rewards
Model Policy: Jewelry and tattoos
Why you need this model policy: This model jewelry and tattoos policy establishes guidelines for staff wearing jewelry or displaying tattoos. How this model policy helps you: This policy recognizes the value of personal self expression and establishes parameters for when personal appearance enhanced by jewelry or tattoos exceeds appropriate and reasonable workplace … [Read more...] about Model Policy: Jewelry and tattoos
Staff and remote access: more than patient information is at risk
Mobile technology, arguably, allows for greater efficiency and better communication. But, for the manager of a medical office, it also creates challenges. Staff who work remotely, even occasionally, may inadvertently share confidential information via unsecure networks when using smartphones and tablets, as well as personal laptops and notebook computers. Patient … [Read more...] about Staff and remote access: more than patient information is at risk
Standing desks—fad or functional?
You might want to stand up for this: "Sitting is the new smoking," says a recent study on the economic impact of reduced physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. Indeed, it's well documented that we are, essentially, sitting far too much, and for far too long. The results of this have been shown to be negatively affecting our health, and waistlines. Unfortunately, studies … [Read more...] about Standing desks—fad or functional?
How to choose the electronic medical records vendor that’s right for you
Choosing the right electronic medical records vendor for your practice can seem like an overwhelming task—and getting it right is crucial. Before any other considerations, you want to be sure than any vendor you are considering is HITECH certified for 2014, so that you can achieve meaningful use stages one and two. This will also ensure HIPAA compliance. Beyond that the options … [Read more...] about How to choose the electronic medical records vendor that’s right for you
How Google Glass is changing the medical profession
Imagine this scenario. A physician completes a medical examination and begins to give the patient detailed instructions for maintaining his health. However, the doctor senses the patient isn't absorbing the information. So the physician dons his special eyewear, which, with a push of a button, allows him to create a video that can immediately be emailed to the patient. When the … [Read more...] about How Google Glass is changing the medical profession
Money motivates EHR adoption
The Department of Health and Human Services' Office of the National Coordinator released a data brief in December addressing what motivates physicians to implement electronic health records (EHR) and the answer is … money. The data briefing reveals that financial incentives and reimbursement are currently the top reasons physicians decide to implement EHR. Physicians are … [Read more...] about Money motivates EHR adoption
The 8 best management tips from our readers
Managing the people with their problems and personalities is the most formidable part of a medical office manager's job. So here for our readers is a long list of ways to make the job easier. They come from the many consultants and managers MOM has talked with over the years. 1 Hiring the right people Interview tactics Before hiring a job applicant, look carefully at two … [Read more...] about The 8 best management tips from our readers