By Steve M. Cohen bio Let's face it: Race and religion can be difficult topics. Next to gender and sexuality, they often comprise a big part of how we see ourselves and, not surprisingly, how others see us. That's obviously true today. Disagreements, even violent confrontations, are occurring around the world every day over these very topics. Not surprisingly, … [Read more...] about Race and religion are tough. Don’t make them tougher
Working with physicians
What to do when a doctor harasses staffers but no one complains
Q: One of our doctors continuously makes inappropriate remarks to the staff. He thinks the remarks are funny. The staff don't complain, but what's said is obviously inappropriate. Everyone likes the doctor, and the other doctors want to keep him on staff. They have counseled him, but he continues. What should we do? A: No office can afford to turn a blind eye to sexual … [Read more...] about What to do when a doctor harasses staffers but no one complains
Battle for a safe workplace continues to evolve
By Steve M. Cohen bio In case anyone wondered, the battle to counter workplace harassment and violence is definitely intensifying. In 2005, a physician killed a nurse who he worked with at a hospital. It was later learned that the murder followed a long history of harassment by the doctor. Worse, the hospital management had known of these incidents. But at that … [Read more...] about Battle for a safe workplace continues to evolve
CMS provides more quality metrics for health care professionals and group practices
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently updated both the Physician Compare and Hospital Compare websites to provide current quality performance data for health care professionals and group practices in order to improve online tools that help consumers choose health care providers. New quality measures have been added to Physician Compare for group … [Read more...] about CMS provides more quality metrics for health care professionals and group practices
Are you unintentionally discriminating against staffers with family?
There's a fairly new area of discrimination to watch out for, and it applies to staff as well as to employee physicians. It's family responsibility discrimination, or discrimination against employees who take time off to serve as caregivers for family members. And related to that is discrimination against both women and men who take time off for maternity and child care. Family … [Read more...] about Are you unintentionally discriminating against staffers with family?
Big issues faced by medical office managers
By Steve M. Cohen bio Although medical office managers face many unique issues, some of the most challenging are those shared with managers of other types of organizations. Take the difficulties of hiring and retaining good staff. Although the professional demands of a medical office are certainly unique, workforce strategies such as developing talent from within … [Read more...] about Big issues faced by medical office managers
Medical practice staffing trends
Effective medical office management requires staying abreast of staffing trends. With this in mind, Medical Office Manager takes a look at the trends most likely to impact your practice. Physician shortage According to projections by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), the United States faces a shortage of more than 90,000 physicians by 2020 and 130,000 … [Read more...] about Medical practice staffing trends
Colorado practice cuts costs by hiring IT staffer
Manager Arlene Zimmerman had an IT cost awakening when the computer went down. She called in the vendor's tech support and paid $100 to find out the computer was simply unplugged. "I told myself 'never again!'" says Zimmerman, who manages four-physician Colorado Springs Family Practice in Colorado Springs, CO. So she started on a path of building up as much IT support as … [Read more...] about Colorado practice cuts costs by hiring IT staffer
How to handle a rude dude
As a medical office manager, you interact with a lot of people. There are staffers, contract workers, patients, sales reps, clinicians, and physicians, as well as service technicians, building and maintenance workers, and others. Given that you are in contact with so many people, you are bound to come across a type of person that, unfortunately, is common to the human … [Read more...] about How to handle a rude dude
Physicians have mixed feelings about technology
A nationwide survey on physician sentiment toward technology, conducted by Geneia, a company creating analytic and technology solutions to improve health care, finds physicians believe technology is both a help and hindrance. Physician views on electronic medical records (EMRs) are representative of their mixed feelings about technology in the workplace. When asked whether … [Read more...] about Physicians have mixed feelings about technology