diversity Archives - Medical Office Manager

WORKING WITH PATIENTS

Creating an inclusive and safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in a medical office

As a medical office manager, you play a pivotal role in ensuring that your healthcare facility is a safe and welcoming space for all individuals. It is important to prioritize inclusivity, especially for members of the LGBTQ+ community, including staff, patients, their families, vendors, and visitors. By establishing a safe space, you not only provide quality healthcare but also promote trust, comfort, and well-being. Why Create a Safe Space? Ethical and Patient-Centered Care: As a healthcare provider, your primary focus is to deliver patient-centered care. By creating a safe space, you demonstrate your commitment to providing compassionate and inclusive care to all individuals, irrespective of their sexual orientation or gender identity. Health Equity and Reduced Disparities: Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face healthcare disparities and discrimination. By establishing an… . . . read more.

Tagged With: DEI, diversity, Hiring, LGBTQ, Managing patients, Managing staff, Managing the office, training, Working with physicians, Workplace Safety

WORKING WITH PATIENTS

Why and how to find translators for your patients

12:35 pm by Barb Manning Grimm

In today’s diverse world, it’s essential for healthcare providers to be able to communicate effectively with patients of all backgrounds. Sometimes this task falls to families, friends or supporters of a patient. These helpers are not always available or able to help. This is where medical translators come in. In this article, we’ll explore why your medical office might need translators and how to acquire them. Why Your Medical Office May Need Translators: Improved Patient Care: Patients who don’t speak the language of their healthcare providers are more likely to miss out on important information regarding their diagnosis, treatment, and medication. This can lead to misunderstandings, miscommunication, and ultimately poorer patient outcomes. Medical translators can help bridge this communication gap, improving patient care. Legal Compliance: Medical facilities that receive federal… . . . read more.

Tagged With: diversity, HIPAA, Hiring, Managing patients, Translator

HIRING

Diversity messages may backfire when companies focus on bottom line benefits

12:48 pm by Barb Manning Grimm

Companies that justify their diversity efforts by saying that a diverse workforce will improve their bottom line risk alienating the diverse employees that they hope to attract, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. That’s because such “business case” justifications for diversity can backfire, by making members of underrepresented groups—such as LGBTQ professionals, women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields and Black students—feel that they will be judged based on their social identity if they join the company. “These business-case justifications are extremely popular,” said lead author Oriane Georgeac, PhD, a professor at the Yale School of Management. “But our findings suggest that they do more harm than good.” The research was published in APA’s Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Many companies offer either a “business case” explanation… . . . read more.

Tagged With: diversity, Hiring

AMA

New physician population likely to be more diverse

10:43 am by Barb Manning Grimm

The American Medical Association has committed itself to supporting a more diverse population of physicians to replace those physicians leaving the profession. The last two years of pandemic difficulties plus an aging physician workforce will likely result in an exodus from the field and a shortage of doctors. Gerald E. Harmon, M.D., president of the American Medical Association, says, “Across the United States, physicians from all backgrounds have spent the past two years battling COVID-19, serving their communities, and leveraging technologies, new and old, from telehealth to house calls, to treat and manage patients who might be apprehensive about visiting a physician’s office. But even as we transition to what is hopefully an endemic stage of COVID-19 and our country, hopefully, returns to something close to pre-pandemic living, we must… . . . read more.

Tagged With: COVID-19, diversity, Working with physicians

EMPLOYMENT LAW UPDATE

Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts

5:20 pm by Barb Manning Grimm

By Mike O’Brien Religious discrimination An Asian-American engineer who worked for a municipal utility in Stockton, California filed a lawsuit claiming that city officials belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (the “Church”) sought to recruit, hire, and promote members of their own faith and that he was denied a promotion because he was a member of the Laotian Folk Religion. The trial court dismissed the lawsuit before trial, but a California appellate court reversed, ruling there was sufficient evidence of discriminatory motive for the religious bias claim to proceed to trial. The appellate court came to this conclusion even though the municipal utility employs a number of high-level employees who are not members of the Church and the position was ultimately filled by a person of… . . . read more.

Tagged With: diversity, EMPLOYMENT LAW, religious discrimination

GENDER DIVERSITY

Gender diversity at US Health Care companies: A prescription for progress

8:04 am by Barb Manning Grimm

Three out of every four employees at US health care companies are women, far more than in most other industries, yet women are still scarce in the industry’s leadership ranks, according to…

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment in the workplace: how your practice’s policy can make a difference

8:04 am by Barb Manning Grimm

Employees are more likely to report sexual harassment they witness at work when there is a zero-tolerance policy in place, according to a new study conducted by…

Creating an inclusive and safe space for the LGBTQ+ community in a medical office

Why and how to find translators for your patients

Diversity messages may backfire when companies focus on bottom line benefits

New physician population likely to be more diverse

Religious discrimination and pitfalls for diversity efforts

Gender diversity at US Health Care companies: A prescription for progress

Sexual harassment in the workplace: how your practice’s policy can make a difference

training on demand

connect with us

recent articles

Patient resources for Health Aging Month

Know the signs and risk factors for physician suicide

Is our wart lady here yet? Respecting patient privacy and dignity

What to do when a student forges a note from the doctor

Should I take a ‘dry’ promotion (without a raise)?

Make a good impression with your email closing

And you are … ? How to prepare your elevator speech

What you should know about the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act

tools you can use

HIPAA compliance quiz for medical office employees

Employee safety briefing: Summer high temperatures

Model Policy: Substance Abuse and Fitness for Duty

Sample policy for a medical office on diversity, equity and inclusion

Model Policy: Office Temperature