By Nick Hernandez bio Some of my counterparts have a firm belief that strategic planning is a rigid process which should occur once every three to five years. The process they undertake is often done during an off-site planning session with the outcome being printed up in a large three-ring binder. In less than six months, those binders are sitting on a shelf somewhere … [Read more...] about Strategic planning is a continuous process
Managing 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
Model Tool: Catastrophic leave program donation form
Why you need this form: Leave-sharing programs must meet certain criteria in order to be valid under the Internal Revenue Service's general tax rules and under various state laws. How this form helps you: A leave-sharing program must be in writing and created as a "leave bank" into which employees may deposit donated leave. How to use this form: Check with your state law … [Read more...] about Model Tool: Catastrophic leave program donation form
Think long and hard before friending work colleagues on Facebook
By Lynne Curry I get it. You love Facebook and when individuals you work with requested you add them as friends, you did. At first, you didn’t have any trouble. Instead, you had the fun of seeing your coworkers’ interesting endeavors and the reinforcing experience of so many colleagues wanting to be your friends and then liking your posts. But then it happened. Perhaps … [Read more...] about Think long and hard before friending work colleagues on Facebook
COMPLIANCE: A 10-step compliance strategy for OSHA Recordkeeping Rules
January is the season when employers must compile their OSHA logs for the previous year. Here’s an overview of the OSHA Recordkeeping Standard and a 10-step strategy to ensure compliance. Step 1: Figure out if your office is covered Physician offices are among the industries listed by North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) as being partially exempt from the … [Read more...] about COMPLIANCE: A 10-step compliance strategy for OSHA Recordkeeping Rules
4 immediate steps to take when an office romance blossoms
To meet that one special guy or gal. . . it's the stuff dreams are made of. But when that love connection takes place within a workplace, it can be an employer's worst nightmare. Couples who live happily ever after are manageable. But when a workplace romance ends in breakup, it usually creates big problems at work. This has not changed in the era of remote work. Surveys have … [Read more...] about 4 immediate steps to take when an office romance blossoms
What, if anything, does OSHA require you to do to protect telecommuters?
While telecommuting is nothing new, the imperative for using it has never been greater. In addition to all the cost-saving, work-life balance, recruiting and hiring advantages, letting employees work from home during a pandemic has become a vital infection control measure. But it also poses significant compliance challenges, particularly in the realm of OSHA. After all, how are … [Read more...] about What, if anything, does OSHA require you to do to protect telecommuters?
5 tested ways to make your billing and coding more profitable
The health of your medical practice depends on good quality coding and billing work. One of the most important roles in the medical office that impacts compliance—and your bottom line—is the coding and billing function. "Coding and billing is the lifeblood of the practice; it's the income," says Michael J. Sacopulos, JD, founder and president of Medical Risk … [Read more...] about 5 tested ways to make your billing and coding more profitable
What to do when patients use the internet for self-diagnosis
There’s a wealth of medical information online, and increasingly patients are tapping it to come up with their own diagnoses. Needless to say, this results in numerous challenges for medical practitioners and office staff. But how exactly do you navigate the issues that arise from too much information – information that, incidentally, is often incorrect? First, the … [Read more...] about What to do when patients use the internet for self-diagnosis
Touchy situation: Our CEO has memory issues
By Lynne Curry Question: Our company’s owner and his wife have semi-retired and leave for their vacation home every October. They hired a general manager in September after a long search for the right candidate. Our owner was so excited to find this candidate, given his industry experience and track record, that he paid the man and his family’s expenses to move to our … [Read more...] about Touchy situation: Our CEO has memory issues