Here are 18 good ideas that can be of value to any manager. 1 Reduce the interruptions. During busy times, move the chair around so your back is to the door. People hesitate to interrupt when they can’t make immediate eye contact with the manager. Stand up when people come in and stay standing. As long as the manager is standing, the visitor won’t start up a long … [Read more...] about 18 great ideas to make you a better manager
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4 proven ways to increase handwashing
Everyone knows handwashing reduces the transmission of illness. Why then is it so difficult to get staff to comply? Experts recommend four strategies to promote handwashing. 1. Make handwashing part of your practice's culture. 2. Make handwashing part of employee performance evaluation. 3. Make handwashing convenient. 4. Make handwashing pleasant. The importance of … [Read more...] about 4 proven ways to increase handwashing
Missouri staff train each other on solving the day-to-day issues
The best staff training, says a Missouri medical office manager, is the training staff give one another. At the OB/GYN office, staff do just that. They hold training sessions for one another on a "when-needed, what's-needed, and who-needs-it" basis. The office has four physicians and 25 staff. There's no set routine. The manager simply schedules an in-service whenever she sees … [Read more...] about Missouri staff train each other on solving the day-to-day issues
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
Weekly applause sheet creates positive attitude among staff
Any office experiences negative feelings among staff. But Sharon Hunter, manager of Granbury Internal Medical Associates in Granbury, TX, found a positive and lasting solution to the problem. It's what she terms an "applause sheet." At the top of the page is the name of one staffer, and the directions are to write down "the most valuable qualities that person has." The answers … [Read more...] about Weekly applause sheet creates positive attitude among staff
Illinois manager challenges the status quo, creates taskforce committee
A new manager comes to a medical practice with enthusiasm and new ideas. But it's easy to allow both to get sidelined by a staff comfortable with routine. "When I started as practice manager three years ago, I constantly heard from people, 'that's not the way we've always done it,'" says Mary L. Banks, CPC, CHISP, practice administrator at AOS (Associates in Orthopaedic … [Read more...] about Illinois manager challenges the status quo, creates taskforce committee
Roundtable discussions focus on ‘whatever anybody needs help with’
Staff meetings are important, but they aren't enough, says Martha King, practice manager of Portland Surgical Associates in Portland, ME. Generally, staff meetings cover things staff don't have a hand in. What King has found is that staff also need time to discuss operational matters and talk about "whatever anybody needs help with." So for those other things, King holds … [Read more...] about Roundtable discussions focus on ‘whatever anybody needs help with’
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
A 30-day collection agency letter cuts the A/R days in Atlanta office
A four-physician surgery practice has reduced its receivables significantly with a collection approach that begins when a bill gets to be a month old. At 31 days, every account with a balance greater than $50 gets turned over to the collection agency, explains Anjelica Alston, practice manager for Piedmont Colorectal Associates in Atlanta. But there’s no actual collection … [Read more...] about A 30-day collection agency letter cuts the A/R days in Atlanta office
Use weekly meetings with doctors to keep office running smoothly
Meeting every week with the doctors makes a tremendous difference in how smoothly – and also how successfully – an office operates, says the manager of a pediatrics practice in Colorado. For her office, it's an 8 a.m. meeting every Monday, a good time, because it sets the tone for the week. It also keeps everybody on the same page. And it ensures that the doctors know all the … [Read more...] about Use weekly meetings with doctors to keep office running smoothly