In the professional world, proper communication counts big. Any manager or physician who wants to rise above the competition has to know communication etiquette, says Canadian etiquette consultant Jay Remer of St. Andrews, New Brunswick. People expect every doctor to know medicine. How they choose a doctor depends on whether they connect with the individual. And what makes the … [Read more...] about Telephone, email, v-mail, meeting new colleagues: how to look like a pro
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5 ways for healthcare providers to get ready for new Medicare cards
By Dr. Richard E. Wild, M.D., FACEP Chief Medical Officer Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Region IV (AL, Fl, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN) Medicare is taking steps to remove Social Security numbers from Medicare cards. Through this initiative the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will prevent fraud, fight identity theft, and protect essential program funding and … [Read more...] about 5 ways for healthcare providers to get ready for new Medicare cards
Why taking your vacation is worth the hassle
If you can't remember the last time you took a vacation, you're not alone. While American workers are stressed, they're not taking time away from work. According to a survey conducted online earlier this year by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder, 3 in 5 workers (61 percent) say they are burned out in their current job, and 31 percent report high or extremely high levels of … [Read more...] about Why taking your vacation is worth the hassle
Why your best talent is leaving and four ways to win them back
By William A. Schiemann, Ph.D bio Most leaders of companies today recognize the importance of having engaged people at work. Yet research from the Metrus Institute, Gallup, and others say that between 50 and 80% are not fully engaged. For many organizations, a majority of employees are only partially engaged, which a lot of research has shown reduces performance and … [Read more...] about Why your best talent is leaving and four ways to win them back
Pain clinic agrees to pay $1.78 million to settle whistleblower lawsuit
Ross Feller Casey, LLP, recently announced that the Atlantic Spine & Joint Institute and its owners, Robert C. McGrath, Sr., D.O., and Robert C. McGrath, Jr., have agreed to pay $1.78 million to settle a whistleblower lawsuit alleging they billed Medicare for procedures that were not medically necessary or were not actually performed. The father and son also pleaded guilty … [Read more...] about Pain clinic agrees to pay $1.78 million to settle whistleblower lawsuit
Popular online doctor review sites don’t help patients find high-quality doctors
New research conducted by ConsumerMedical, a leading health care decision support and concierge company, has found that the vast majority of top-rated specialty physicians on YELP, Vitals and Healthgrades aren't the highest ranked physicians when it comes to examining actual performance data related to their medical specialty. ConsumerMedical identified the top 10 ranked … [Read more...] about Popular online doctor review sites don’t help patients find high-quality doctors
3 mistakes that cause medical practice change initiatives to fail
By Nick Hernandez bio Good is rarely good enough, and opportunities for improvement are never lacking. Unfortunately, the success rate of major change initiatives in medical practices is often low due to poor management of the change. Physician leaders and practice managers should expect and accept disruption and resistance to change, and never lose sight of the fact that … [Read more...] about 3 mistakes that cause medical practice change initiatives to fail
How to handle an angry patient
In a medical practice, an angry patient – and sometimes a really angry patient – is apt to appear any time. In a business such as a fast food restaurant, anger is minimal, because the customers don't have high expectations to begin with, says Bob Rose, PhD, of the Rose Porterfield Group, a Dallas business consulting and industrial psychology organization. But when it comes to … [Read more...] about How to handle an angry patient
Are you offering your medical office staff the hottest summer perks?
What's the hottest summer perk? Workers surveyed by staffing firm OfficeTeam said they're most interested in flexible schedules (39 percent) and the ability to leave early on Fridays (30 percent). But it seems that employers have cooled off on providing these benefits. Sixty-two percent of human resources (HR) managers reported their organization offers flexible schedules at … [Read more...] about Are you offering your medical office staff the hottest summer perks?
Six HIPAA violations you may be missing
Is your practice HIPAA compliant? Are you sure? Most health-care providers take very seriously this federal mandate to protect patient privacy—at least in theory. In practice, however, lots of things get missed. "When HIPAA was new and everyone was going to lectures and conferences and getting training, everyone was on top of it," says Erika Adler, an attorney specializing in … [Read more...] about Six HIPAA violations you may be missing