Medical Office Manager

Compliance

Manage your medical office’s holiday party liability risks

You may be hosting a big holiday party for your employees this December. And, like many medical offices do, you may be serving liquor at that party. That's fine. Just make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into. Relax. We're not going to lecture you on the dangers of drinking and driving. No sense preaching to the choir. But what we can do to help you out is … [Read more...] about Manage your medical office’s holiday party liability risks

Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff

Every manager is aware of the wider doorways and lever handles and curb cuts and so on required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). And every manager is aware of providing accommodations for employees. But not every manager is aware of the less obvious ADA requirements that apply to electronic job applications, says Beth Loy, PhD, principal consultant with the Job … [Read more...] about Avoid these tricky ADA pitfalls when hiring staff

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

How to schedule employee vacations for maximum efficiency and minimum conflict

Ah, vacation. A time synonymous with sun, fun, and relaxation—unless of course you're the manager of a busy medical practice trying to create the office vacation schedule. Yes, staff members need, want, and OK, deserve time off, but how do you plan for vacations without adding stress to your calendar and causing employee conflict? Granting time off How much time off employees … [Read more...] about How to schedule employee vacations for maximum efficiency and minimum conflict

8 traps to avoid when investigating a sexual harassment complaint

Don't rush to judgment—in either direction Back in the bad old days when employers didn't take sexual harassment seriously, harassment complaints were ignored or swept under the rug. To the extent they were investigated at all, the tendency was to downplay the complaint as exaggeration, fabrication or oversensitivity on the part of the victim. The good news: Today's employers … [Read more...] about 8 traps to avoid when investigating a sexual harassment complaint

Texas health system settles potential HIPAA disclosure violations

Memorial Hermann Health System (MHHS) has agreed to pay $2.4 million to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and adopt a comprehensive corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule. MHHS is a not-for-profit health system located in Southeast Texas, comprising 16 hospitals … [Read more...] about Texas health system settles potential HIPAA disclosure violations

A 10-step workplace violence prevention and liability management plan

This will help you prevent workplace violence and manage your medical office's liability risks. You don't need us to tell you that violence in the workplace has become a major societal problem. You probably also recognize that taking steps to keep violence out of your own workplace is not only a moral but a legal imperative. But what you may not know is exactly how to go about … [Read more...] about A 10-step workplace violence prevention and liability management plan

3 legal protections to include in your patient debt collection agency services contract

Outsourcing can be an effective way to overcome patient collection challenges. But it can also backfire if the collection agency you contract with uses illegal, unethical or insensitive collection tactics. One of the keys to managing these risks is to include proper legal protections in your services contract. This article covers the three legal protections you should include … [Read more...] about 3 legal protections to include in your patient debt collection agency services contract

Ready, Set, HIPAA Enforcement: 2017 is going to be a year to remember

By Danika Brinda  bio HIPAA Data Breaches and HIPAA Enforcement were definitely off to the races in the first two months of 2017. While previous years have started slower and then gradually increased, 2017 proves to be on an advanced path. 2016 ended with a record year in HIPAA Data Breaches (329 Data Breaches greater than 500 Individuals) as well as HIPAA Enforcement … [Read more...] about Ready, Set, HIPAA Enforcement: 2017 is going to be a year to remember