As a medical office manager, you play a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive patient information in an increasingly digital landscape. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, making it an ideal time to revisit your cybersecurity practices, ensure compliance with regulations, and raise awareness among your staff about potential cybersecurity risks. Here’s how you can … [Read more...] about It’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Protecting patient data in a digital world
Risk management
Physicians behaving badly: what to do when it affects patients
Poor physician behavior. It can run the gamut from rudeness to actions that invite malpractice claims. When does it cross the line from unpleasant to necessitating action from the practice? The answer is when it impacts the patient or has potential legal significance. And sometimes it does both. Patient losses, court losses The first concern is the patients. Whenever a … [Read more...] about Physicians behaving badly: what to do when it affects patients
Keep those payables paid with efficient procedures
Managing your medical office's financial obligations effectively not only ensures the smooth operation of your practice but also upholds its financial integrity. Here are the steps to establish efficient accounts payable procedures that help maintain financial stability, ensure compliance, and build strong vendor relationships. 1. Develop a Clear Accounts Payable Policy: … [Read more...] about Keep those payables paid with efficient procedures
Quiz: How well do you manage passwords?
Did you know that most confirmed data breaches involve the leveraging of weak, stolen, or default passwords? One of your practice’s frontline defenses for avoiding the phishing attacks and other cybercriminal schemes is effective password management. How well are you managing yours? Take this quiz from Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and CEO of the Medical Risk … [Read more...] about Quiz: How well do you manage passwords?
Make everyone welcome by improving accessibility and inclusivity in your medical office
Creating an accessible and inclusive medical practice is essential for providing high-quality care to all patients, regardless of their abilities or backgrounds. As a medical office manager, you play a crucial role in ensuring that your practice is welcoming and accommodating to everyone. Here are some practical steps you can take to improve accessibility and inclusivity in … [Read more...] about Make everyone welcome by improving accessibility and inclusivity in your medical office
Our staff fell for a cyber attack
By Lynne Curry Question: Four of our staffers fell for a cyber attack last week. They opened an email attachment they thought originated from our HR department, which regularly emails policy updates to all staff. This email had the subject line: Changes to Vacation Policies. Even though we’ve trained our staff members not to click on suspicious emails, and certainly … [Read more...] about Our staff fell for a cyber attack
HIPAA compliance checklist
Having a complete HIPAA compliance program is important to your organization. Run through this HIPAA compliance checklist to see if you have your foundation of HIPAA compliance in place and easily retrievable. HIPAA Policies and Procedures HIPAA privacy policies, procedures, and forms HIPAA security policies, procedures, and forms HIPAA Breach Notification policy and … [Read more...] about HIPAA compliance checklist
Manager briefing: Extreme heat emergency protocols
Objective: To ensure the safety and well-being of staff and patients during extreme heat weather conditions through proactive planning, immediate response measures, and ongoing monitoring. Key Points Preparation Emergency Plan Review and update the office’s emergency plan to include specific protocols for extreme heat. Ensure all staff are familiar with the … [Read more...] about Manager briefing: Extreme heat emergency protocols
Model HIPAA Privacy Reminder to Reception and Other Staff
Why you need this memo: 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. How this memo helps you: This … [Read more...] about Model HIPAA Privacy Reminder to Reception and Other Staff
TOOL: Model Employee Illness/Injury Reporting Policy
The OSHA Recordkeeping Standard requires you to record and potentially report work-related illnesses and injuries. Reporting of illnesses and injuries is also crucial to investigating, identifying and correcting problems that can lead to further incidents and OSHA violations. So, it’s crucial to establish a policy and procedure for workers to report workplace injuries and … [Read more...] about TOOL: Model Employee Illness/Injury Reporting Policy