No manager can set expectations without giving staff the tools to achieve them, says a California administrator. And the main tool for it all is never ending training. At Santa Barbara Cardiovascular Medical Group, Patricia Board starts the training on the first day a staffer comes in. She gives the newcomer a check-off list of both job and office basics and spends several … [Read more...] about In California office, the training starts on day 1 and never ends
Workplace Safety
The 10 assumptions NOT to make when doing your OSHA 300s
December is here and it's time for the logs. No, not the yule logs—the OSHA 300 logs! It's time to get the year's injury and illness records in order and start getting the OSHA 300A ready for the Feb. 1 filing deadline. As you set about your task, here are 10 OSHA 300 assumptions you want to avoid at all costs. Bad assumption #1: We should record everything just to be … [Read more...] about The 10 assumptions NOT to make when doing your OSHA 300s
Time and anxiety really do matter
By Dr. Steve M. Cohen Stress is actually a good thing until it overloads people. This overloaded situation is actually called "dis-stress." The ability to accommodate stress is inherent in all of us, but how much stress we can manage is a personal matter. Anxiety, resulting from stress overload or other issues, is not a good thing in anyone's life. A question that must be … [Read more...] about Time and anxiety really do matter
Manage your medical office’s holiday party liability risks
You may be hosting a big holiday party for your employees this December. And, like many medical offices do, you may be serving liquor at that party. That's fine. Just make sure you understand what you're getting yourself into. Relax. We're not going to lecture you on the dangers of drinking and driving. No sense preaching to the choir. But what we can do to help you out is … [Read more...] about Manage your medical office’s holiday party liability risks
How to handle an angry patient
In a medical practice, an angry patient – and sometimes a really angry patient – is apt to appear any time. In a business such as a fast food restaurant, anger is minimal, because the customers don't have high expectations to begin with, says Bob Rose, PhD, of the Rose Porterfield Group, a Dallas business consulting and industrial psychology organization. But when it comes to … [Read more...] about How to handle an angry patient
8 traps to avoid when investigating a sexual harassment complaint
Don't rush to judgment—in either direction Back in the bad old days when employers didn't take sexual harassment seriously, harassment complaints were ignored or swept under the rug. To the extent they were investigated at all, the tendency was to downplay the complaint as exaggeration, fabrication or oversensitivity on the part of the victim. The good news: Today's employers … [Read more...] about 8 traps to avoid when investigating a sexual harassment complaint
A 10-step workplace violence prevention and liability management plan
This will help you prevent workplace violence and manage your medical office's liability risks. You don't need us to tell you that violence in the workplace has become a major societal problem. You probably also recognize that taking steps to keep violence out of your own workplace is not only a moral but a legal imperative. But what you may not know is exactly how to go about … [Read more...] about A 10-step workplace violence prevention and liability management plan
What employee drug use is costing your practice
Workers with substance use disorders miss nearly 50 percent more days than their peers, and up to six weeks of work annually, according to analysis from the National Safety Council, NORC at the University of Chicago, and Shatterproof. Despite the alarming new statistics, there is a persistent gap between employer perceptions of impact and the actual human and business costs … [Read more...] about What employee drug use is costing your practice
Watch out for resume fraud
By Lynne Curry bio The new business manager you hired—the one with the terrific resume and reference? It turns out she never worked for the employers named on the resume or knew the supervisors listed as references—despite the glowing recommendations they wrote for her. Instead, she paid for a legitimate-appearing, completely phony resume and references. Fake … [Read more...] about Watch out for resume fraud
Over 168,000 healthcare workers use illicit drugs, warns Novus Medical Detox Center
A new study out of Australia revealed that, on average, 37 healthcare professionals die each year from drug overdoses. Meanwhile, U.S. government surveys found that more than 168,000 healthcare and social assistance workers engage in illicit drug use each year. Between 2003 and 2013, Australian coroners documented 404 drug-related fatalities among healthcare professionals, … [Read more...] about Over 168,000 healthcare workers use illicit drugs, warns Novus Medical Detox Center