Managing a health care facility can be stressful. From small mom and pop offices, to large healthcare facilities, the day to day operations are intense. Throw in the pressure of managing difficult or emotional staff, and you have the makings of a full blown migraine, every day. While stress in this environment is inevitable, there are some steps you can take to ensure that your facility runs smooth and your staff is all on one accord.
Get Organized
Organization goes a long way in a healthcare facility. Every staff member that works with the patients in the front office should know where to locate important forms like insurance authorization requests and patient information forms. Every employee in the billing department should know where to get CMS 1500 claim forms and copies of payment vouchers. Designating specific areas to store documents and forms make processing paperwork a lot easier.
Embrace Technology
Aside from the practice management program that is used to capture patient demographic and billing data, many offices are outdated in the use of technology. The application of technology to a medical office could dramatically increase productivity as well as encourage organization. One way to immediately inject technology into your medical facility is to create electronic versions of the paper forms that are frequently used in the office. Making copies of copies and handing those copies to patients is extremely unprofessional and unnecessary.
Another way to get the best out of technology for your office is to get the best out of your practice management system. Often times, a practice will only utilize sixty percent of their practice management (PM) system, ignoring areas like electronic charting and auto posting payments. Contact the makers of your PM system and inquire about modules that your company is not using. It is highly likely that there is a manual procedure that could be automated by using the other forty percent of the software. Electronic medical billing and credentialing are also excellent ways to get your office out of the Stone Age.
Develop Policies and Procedures
Every member of your team should know the rules and follow them. This not only applies to employee issues like attendance and behavior, but also to daily occurrences like claims submissions and patient wait times. Develop policies and procedures that make your practice a great place to work and a great place to be treated. For example, claims should be submitted daily, patient wait times should not exceed 15 minutes for a scheduled appointment, phone calls and faxes should be responded to within 24 hours, and insurance verifications should be checked prior to the patients visit. All policies and procedures should be made clear to the staff, and should be introduced at the beginning of employment.
Communicate
Communication in any office is vital to its success. Employees need to be clear on your expectations of them, and you should also understand what they need from you. Your front office person may not be comfortable collecting deductibles and co-pays for certain procedures or devices. It is her responsibility to communicate that to you, and it is your job to do something about it. You can take that responsibility away from her, or you can get her trained. Either way, you will need to communicate with your staff to keep the office running smoothly.
Some managers don’t have a good connection with their staff. One way to improve this is to have quick daily meetings before the work day begins. Take this time to go over the expectations for the day, and ask if anyone has concerns. Offer to speak privately with anyone who would like to. Always have an open door policy with the staff. This adds to the harmony of the facility.
Relax
Utilize your lunch break. Your job is to manage the office and you can’t do that running all day on coffee and donuts. Take 30 minutes out your day to do something non work related. If you can’t leave the facility, close your office door or sit in your car. Taking a break from the stress helps you clear your head and gives you a boost for the latter half of the day. If someone needs to be in charge of the office at all times, it would be wise to train one of your staff to be a team lead. This person will serve as a “mini you” in your absence. Remember, if you’re stressed all the time, you are not working at your maximum potential.
Managing a medical facility is a big responsibility; it comes with its own set of challenges and rewards. Knowing how to respond and when to relax is the key to keeping the practice running smoothly.