If you've been a medical office manager for 10 years or more, you've probably heard of medical tourism. There was a lot of buzz about it several years ago. Experts said medical tourism was the new frontier and it would revolutionize medical care. It turns out the projections were inaccurate and the supposed next big thing didn't exactly take the medical world by storm. Be … [Read more...] about Medical tourism and your medical practice
Managing the office
New law means changes to Medicare cards, challenges for medical offices
A new bill, signed into law by President Obama in April 2015, which addresses the way physicians are paid for treating Medicare patients, has another provision that affects medical practices. A section of the bill indicates that Social Security account numbers must not be "displayed, coded or embedded on the Medicare card." Currently, a Medicare patient's Social Security … [Read more...] about New law means changes to Medicare cards, challenges for medical offices
Why your doctor left town in a huff
Contracts often limit where physicians can work if they change employers Patients may just shrug when they learn their doctor plans to move to a new office. After all, they can just follow, right? Maybe not. Or at least, not easily. Physician contracts often contain restrictive covenants that limit where doctors can work if they leave their current practices. The … [Read more...] about Why your doctor left town in a huff
Miami medical office manager convicted of Medicare fraud
A former office manager of a Miami-based physical and occupational therapy clinic was convicted, following a four-day trial, for her participation in a scheme that involved the fraudulent submission of more than $3.3 million in false billing to Medicare. Wifredo A. Ferrer, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Shimon Richmond, Special Agent in … [Read more...] about Miami medical office manager convicted of Medicare fraud
Cardiology practice makes staff safety a priority
A Davenport, IA, cardiology practice with 40 providers faced a major challenge, one that had the potential to affect the safety of practice staff. "Like most medical offices, we ask our patients to bring all their medications with them to the office and our rooming staff reconciles their medications at each office visit," says Marcia Brunsvold, supervisor of patient … [Read more...] about Cardiology practice makes staff safety a priority
ICD-10 research reveals physicians’ views
Clinical documentation and reimbursement lead the list of concerns that physicians have about ICD-10, according to new research from the CAREinnoLab of Care Communications, Inc., a provider of health information solutions, and the Department of Health Information Management in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. Patty Sheridan, … [Read more...] about ICD-10 research reveals physicians’ views
Top 10 patient safety concerns
Patient safety is a top priority for every healthcare organization, but knowing where to direct initiatives can be daunting. To help organizations decide where to focus their efforts, ECRI Institute has compiled its second annual list of the Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns for Healthcare Organizations. "This is more than just a list; it's a reminder that, despite the attention … [Read more...] about Top 10 patient safety concerns
Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Selfies, photos you take of yourself using a smartphone, are no longer a craze; they are a way of life. Usually, however, these photos serve little purpose besides entertainment. That may be about to change. DICOM Grid, an open cloud platform for medical imaging applications, has released "medical selfie," a new feature available through its mobile optimized medical image … [Read more...] about Medical selfies: photos with a purpose
Are you misleading job applicants during the interview process?
Six in 10 employees say they've found aspects of a new job different from expectations set during the interview process, according to a survey conducted by jobs and career marketplace Glassdoor. Areas where job reality differs from employee expectations include: Employee morale Job responsibilities Hours expected to work Boss' personality Career advancement … [Read more...] about Are you misleading job applicants during the interview process?
Five bonus tips from our readers
1. One manager sets a positive theme for each staff meeting and lists it at the top of the agenda. Staff spend the last 15 minutes of the meeting discussing it. The theme can be anything. At one meeting it was Do you really know what this person is doing? Then each staffer explained her duties to the group. Sometimes the theme is used to correct a problem without hitting people … [Read more...] about Five bonus tips from our readers