By Paul Edwards bio We know there is a lot of information (and misinformation) out there about the coronavirus (COVID-19) and how to handle it in the workplace. Our goal is to provide you with guidance on how to handle this as an employer—practical solutions for the impact the coronavirus may have on your business. If an employee is sick, can I send him/her home? If an … [Read more...] about Practical guidance for medical office employers handling coronavirus
Managing patients
4 steps prepare your medical office for coronavirus disease
The true impact of a COVID-19 outbreak in a U.S. community cannot be predicted. However, all healthcare facilities can take steps now to prepare for such an outbreak and protect both their patients and staff. 1 Be prepared: Stay informed about the local COVID-19 situation. Know where to turn for reliable, up-to-date information in your local community. Monitor the CDC … [Read more...] about 4 steps prepare your medical office for coronavirus disease
Prevent losing your patients by focusing on these 4 areas
By Nick Hernandez bio The changes to the healthcare industry are increasingly focused on addressing patients as consumers. Such a change means that providers must, of course, emphasize quality and work toward price transparency, but they must also seek to determine what patients desire most. It is this last effort that is transforming the healthcare sector more like businesses … [Read more...] about Prevent losing your patients by focusing on these 4 areas
HIPAA enforcement takes a dramatic new direction
Historically, HIPAA enforcement has focused predominantly on the failure of covered entities to keep protected health information (PHI) private and secure; but now the scope is broadening to encompass keeping PHI too private and too secure. The HHS Office for Civil Rights (OCR), the agency that enforces HIPAA rules, has broken new ground by fining a Florida hospital for failing … [Read more...] about HIPAA enforcement takes a dramatic new direction
How your staff can help prevent costly malpractice lawsuits
Doctors aren't the only ones who cause malpractice claims. Staff can cause them too by the way they treat the patients and by the way they do their jobs. It's not the clinical mishap that most often causes a patient to see a lawyer. Many patients sue because they are dissatisfied or because there is a lack of communication. To a great extent it is not the physicians but the … [Read more...] about How your staff can help prevent costly malpractice lawsuits
The plain and practical side of medical office managing
Equally as important as regulations, revenue, coding, and Medicare are the day-to-day issues of running the office and managing people. Here are solutions to many of the ongoing and aggravating issues managers face every day. They don't come from management school. They are the wisdom of consultants and of managers in medical offices. And they are all simple, workable … [Read more...] about The plain and practical side of medical office managing
Separate room for schedulers calms front office chaos
A few years ago, a North Carolina pediatric practice realized that the front desk is not the best place to check people in, make return appointments, and schedule new appointments – all at the same time. With staff constantly having to answer phones, the area was too busy and too noisy to give waiting patients the attention they deserved. People were waiting in line only to … [Read more...] about Separate room for schedulers calms front office chaos
Staff name badges help patients feel comfortable
A seemingly simple, easy-to-implement change can have a positive impact on your practice. Staff name badges make patients feel at ease and help facilitate friendly relationships between medical workers and patients. A recent nationwide survey finds four out of five patients say it is important to identify the name and specialty of medical personnel when being treated. … [Read more...] about Staff name badges help patients feel comfortable
Tell your patients about the new eMedicare app launched this year
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has launched an app that gives consumers a modernized Medicare experience with direct access on a mobile device to some of the most-used content on Medicare.gov. The "What's Covered" app lets people with Original Medicare, caregivers and others quickly see whether Medicare covers a specific medical item or service. … [Read more...] about Tell your patients about the new eMedicare app launched this year
Employee incentive program increases number of patient well exams—and practice revenue
Pediatric Medical Group of Santa Maria, located in Santa Maria, CA, has found a way to quadruple the amount of well child and well baby exams at its office. "In the past, we always ran a recall report and had our staff call patients that were due for well exams," Camille Gamble, practice manager, tells Medical Office Manager. Although the process seemed to work okay, … [Read more...] about Employee incentive program increases number of patient well exams—and practice revenue