BASIC OFFICE STAFFING AND HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT
[Organizational Asset or Liability?]
By David Edward Marcinko
By Hope Rachel Hetico
An overburdened, overstretched executive is the best executive, because he or she doesn’t have the time to meddle, to deal in trivia, to bother people – Jack Welch
Introduction 
Every doctor in private practice knows the importance of their office administrator, or practice manager, to the operations and success of the practice. For example, one important person is the receptionist because, although patients may love you, they will consider your entire enterprise “rude” if not treated sincerely and with respect. If the office is large, then the receptionist, secretary or scheduling employee who answers the phone is just as important as you. Now, expand this scenario to appreciate how the entire medial office human resources [HR] continuum affects your business. HR may be a blessing or practice bane even without your knowledge.
In small offices, the receptionist and scheduling person often play dual roles and thus making the hiring decision even more critical. The receptionist needs to be top-notch in customer service and hiring someone with previous experience dealing with patients/customers might be the best approach. These front-line staff members directly bear the brunt of patients’ frustration and anger when the schedule is too tight to allow same-day service, or when they are told the laboratory results are not available, etc. So, you need to be sure to incent them, reward them, and tell them when they do a good job; or how to improve performance. Too often the front desk-staff are overlooked for extra training, or get smaller bonuses than the nursing staff or office manager because their pay is usually less. This may be a mistake. Treat them well and you’ll have less staff turn-over and your patients will appreciate the continuity of regular staff in your office.
The first step in hiring personnel is to determine the number of employees needed and their office function. Most practitioners choose to screen personnel independently. Disqualifying characteristics include: poor communication skills, abrasive personalities, transportation difficulties or a lack of other specific qualifications. Miscellaneous recruitment sources include college placement offices, medical assistance schools, secretarial schools or local state unemployment offices. Professional employment agencies are often good sources of potential employees for a busy practice but expect to pay a premium for the service. References and background checks may be performed though services such as: www.references-etc.com
More here: BOOK ORDERS [Pre-Release]: http://www.springerpub.com/shoppingcart
Dictionary of Health Insurance and Managed Care: http://www.springerpub.com/prod.aspx?prod_id=49944
On Medical Practice Access Management
http://www.Phreesia.com
This medical office access management product replaces the physician’s traditional patient data-gathering clipboard with a free easy-to-use wireless touch-screen device. Patient interviews are customizable and can be as short or as long as desired. The touch screen pad comes with a tracking device as well as multiple anti-theft devices. While not a substitute for clinician-patient dialogue, some patients more freely confide sensitive information to a computer, than a clinician (i.e. alcohol use, drug use, psychiatric evaluation, depression, etc.).
A more structured clinician-patient conversation may be achieved by better preparing doctors, and informing patients, in advance of every visit.
Dr. Marcinko
The Micro-Medical Practice
http://www.MicroPracticeSolutions.com
A blog reader once asked how his wife, a solo hand surgeon, should manage her practice and if she should have an office manager. He also asked what staffing ratios would be desirable for a hand surgeon’s solo practice. One proposed micro-practice business model can be fond in primary care.
In this model, the physician has minimal, if any office help. The doctor meets the patient at the door, escorts him to the exam room, takes vitals (generally not needed in a hand surgeon’s practice), treats the patient; makes the office visit note, codes and bills. The doc does this all by herself, or with minimal help.
An office manager is not part of this equation. Be sure to have a receptionist/medical assistant. The surgeon’s time is best used in the operating and examination rooms. The receptionist can answer the phones, schedule patients and answer questions. A solo surgeon may not require much more than this, especially related technology is used.
For example, the assistant should be in charge of inventory ordering office and medical supplies. Consider a website with online patent scheduling, such as http://www.AppointmentQuest.com. This may obviate the need for a receptionist, and/or free him up to help you in the exam room. Be sure to have a smart phone.
For a complete package; visit http://www.MicroPracticeSolutions.com. Then, get a website with electronic medical record system with e-prescribing, interoperability and quality reporting functions [CCHIT certified]? Have patients enter their history through a web based application such as instant medical history http://www.MedicalHistroy.com. Patients can enter their history at home, or through a computer in the office waiting room.
Use email to convey results on x-rays and lab results. Get an answering machine for use during the day when you are in the exam room. Hire a medical biller and surgical coder to come in to code and bill. He/she should come in one or two times per week. One solution is to get online billing that you enter, and have the biller/coder come clean up the tough claims. Consider http://www.MedicalOfficeOnline.com or http://www.EZClaim.com.
Hire a bookkeeper to keep the books, and supply financial statements. Consider Quickbooks from the start to make it easy. The bookkeeper can do it virtually, or come in once per week or every two weeks. Hire a cleaning service it’s just gross to go in to a dirty doctor’s office! Be sure top check out all online services, and make sure they mesh together with your eMR!
William
Read how a doctor’s office can affect patient trust:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Blogs/17846
Janice
Should There Be a Limit on Wait Times to See the Doctor?
http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2010/01/20/should-there-be-a-limit-on-wait-times-to-see-the-doctor/
Mark
An Explanation of Labor Market Effects of Health Costs
Re-posted on February 10, 2010, by Austin Frakt PhD
http://theincidentaleconomist.com/labor-market-effects-of-health-costs/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheIncidentalEconomist+%28The+Incidental+Economist+%28Posts%29%29
Ann Miller; RN, MHA
From MSN Careers
“I work in a small doctor’s office with only one doctor. My office manager is very cool and participates in our slacking. When the doc or his wife are not around and we don’t have any patients … we make fun of the doc and his wife. When we make fun of our bosses, we really make fun of them and create scenarios that we act out, we raise our voices to impersonate them, and when we laugh, we laugh really loud.”
“We also order food during lunch and eat it in the waiting room where we have a TV, computers and Internet (something that is not allowed during work hours). We snoop on the doc’s computer. We always catch him on the Internet so we like to see what he does on the computer all the time. Needless to say, we found porn in his favorites! Also, his wife forgets to sign out of her e-mail (don’t ask me why) but everyone uses the computers so we saw in her e-mail a message that read ‘Thank you for signing up to lesbian porn.'”
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Article/MSN-2200-Workplace-Issues-What-We-Do-When-the-Boss-Isnt-Looking/?sc_extcmp=JS_2200_home1&SiteId=cbmsnhp42200&ArticleID=2200>1=23000&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=38ff0cd137954f558466966a2d91b9a5-320834658-RK-4
Vanessa
US Supreme Court to Hear Medical Resident Tax Case
A nearly 20-year-old legal dispute over whether medical residents are students or workers, for payroll tax purposes, is headed for resolution in the U.S. Supreme Court.
The country’s highest court recently agreed to hear a case in which the Mayo Foundation and the University of Minnesota are challenging the Internal Revenue Service’s assertion that doctors in training, and the teaching hospitals that train them, must pay Social Security taxes on the residents’ stipends.
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/02/supreme
The case, Mayo Foundation v. United States (09-837), is one in a long line in which the government and medical schools and hospitals have gone toe to toe, with hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars potentially at stake.
Hope Hetico RN, MHA
http://www.BusinessofMedicalPractice.com
[Managing Editor]
More on open access scheduling at the doctor’s office:
http://www.thehealthcareblog.com/the_health_care_blog/2010/07/open-access-scheduling-at-the-doctors-office.html#comments
Ann Miller RN, MHA
Professional Recruitment and Staffing
Albrecht & Associates
http://www.albrecht-assoc.com
All Medical Personnel
http://www.allmed.com
AM Resources Corp
http://www.medical-search.com
AmCare Physician Search
http://www.amcare.com
American Medical Placement Services
http://www.resourcecenter.com
American Medical Services
http://www.americanrecruiters.com
Atwater Consulting and Recruiting
http://www.healthyjobs.com
Barrett Group/ Mike Black
http://www.thebarrettgroupinc.com
Bay State Medical-Surgical (Mass)
http://www.recruit-doc.com
Booth-Yellin
http://www.booth-yellin.com
Borgess Health Alliance
http://www.borgess.com
Born & Bicknell
http://www.bornbicknell.com
Breitner, Clark & Hall, Inc.
http://www.breitner.com
Bronson Total healthcare
http://www.bronsonhealth.com
Caduceus Physician Recruitment/Lee Brown
http://www.jobs4med.com
Cambridge Group, The
http://www.cambridgegroup.com
Canadian Medical Placement service
http://www.cmps.com
Canam Physician Recruiting
http://www.richnet.net
Canon-Brower
http://www.canon-brower.com
Cejka & Company
http://www.cejka.com
Christie Clinic foundation/Central Illinois
http://www.christieclinic.com
Christopher and Long
http://www.christopherandlong.net
Coast-to-Coast Recruiters
http://www.cjnetworks.com
Cobb George Executive Search
http://www.cobbgeorge.com
Community Health Systems
http://www.chs.net
Community Health Systems, Inc.
http://www.chs.net
Cornerstone Resources
http://www.cornerstoneresources.com
Corridor Group, The
http://www.corridorgroup.com
Cross Country Staffing
http://www.crosscountry.com
Daniel & Yeager
http://www.daniel-yeager.com
Daniel Stern
http://www.danielstern.com
Danville Regional Health System VA
http://www.drhsi.org
Delta T Group
http://www.delta-tgroup.com
Doctor’s Care Personnel Services
http://www.doctorscornerpersonnel.com
Doherty Professional
http://www.dohertyprofessional.com
Durham Medical Staffing
http://www.durham.com
Durham Medical Staffing, Inc.
http://www.napr.org
EAI Healthcare Staffing Solutions
http://www.eai-healthcare.com
System/Ariz
http://www.evrhs.org
EHL Employment House Limited
http://www.e-h-l.com
EM Care
http://www.emcare.com
EMS, INC.
http://www.emedserv.com
Ensearch Management Consultants
http://www.ensearch.com
Enterprise Medical Services
http://www.enterprisemed.com
Enterprise Medical System
http://www.enterprisemed.com
EPC Doc Hunter
http://www.dochunter.com
Fitzgerald Associates
http://www.fitzsearch.com
Fortune Personnel Consultants of Raleigh
http://www.fortune-ral.com
Furst Group / S. Barc
http://www.furstgroup.com
Global Medical Search
http://www.grobal-medicalsearch.com
Goggio Kuenning & Associates, Inc.
http://www.goggio.com
Golden Opportunities for Phsyicians
http://www.home.sprynet.com
Goodman Group, The
http://www.goodmangroup.com
Grace Healthcare System, NC
http://www.gracehcs.org
Gutermuth Medical Services, Inc.
http://www.gutermed.com
H.I.S. Professionals, LLC
http://www.hispros.com
Harris Kovacs Alderman Associates
http://www.hkainc.com
Health Concepts
http://www.healthcareconcepts.com
Healthcare Network USA
http://www.hnusa.com
Healthcare Resources Group
http://www.shrtmedquest.com
Healthland HealthSystem
http://www.healrtland-health.com
HealthSearch USA
http://www.healthsearchusa.com
Heidrick & Struggles
http://www.heideck.com
Holmes & Narver
http://www.hninc.com
Interim Physician Locums
http://www.interimhealthcare.com
Interim Physicians Locums
http://www.interimhealthcare.com
J&C Nationwide
http://www.jcnationwide.com
J. Morrissey & Company
http://www.jmorrissey.com
Jackson & Coker
http://www.jcnationwide.com
John March Associates/Maggie Allen
http://www.johnmarch.com
John March Partners
http://www.johnmarch.com
Joseph Goldring and Associates, Inc.
http://www.jobprofessionals.com
JS Medical Group
http://www.jsmg.com
Kendall & Davis/Linde Healthcare
http://www.kendallanddavis.com
LAI Worldwide Inc.
http://www.laix.com
LAI Worldwide Inc.
http://www.laix.com
Larrieu and Associates
http://www.ruonline.net
Larson, Katz and Young, Inc.
http://www.ikli.com
Latter Associates
http://www.latter-associates.com
Lee Calhoon & Associates
http://www.calhoon.com
Levison Search Group
http://www.levisonsearch.com
Locum Medical Group
http://www.locummedical.com
Locum Medical Group
http://www.locummedical.com
Lutheran Health Systems
http://www.lutheranhealth.org
M&M Associates
http://www.md-jobs.com
Manage Recruiters of Scottsdale
http://www.mrihealthcare.com
Management Recruiters of Bethlehem
http://www.mrbethlehem.com
Management Recruiters of Spokane
http://www.mrspokane.com
Management Resources
http://www.managementresources.com
Marshall Group, The
http://www.callmarsahll.com
Marvel Recruiters
http://www.marvelcons.com
MCA Medical Consultants of America
http://www.mcadocs.com
Med Match Inc.
http://www.medmatchinc.com
Med_Employ.com
http://www.med_emply.com
Medical Directions
http://www.medical-directions.com
Medical Doctor Associates
http://www.mdainc.com
Medical Employment Agency
http://www.drjean.net
Medical Opportunities in Michigan
http://www.mimom.org
Medical Personnel Providers
http://www.medwebusa.com
Medical Search Institute
http://www.msi-intl.com
Medicorp, Inc.
http://www.medicorpinc.com
Medicus Resource Group, Inc.
http://www.medicusrg.com
Med-Pro Medical Professionals
http://www.medpro-search.com
MedSearch Staffing Services, Inc
http://www.medstaffing.com
MedStaff
http://www.medstafflt.com
MedStaff national Medical Staffing, Inc.
http://www.medstafflt.com
MedWebUSA
http://www.medwebusa.com
MexXec USA
http://www.medxecusa.com
Michael Mcgurn & Associates
http://www.mmachiropractors.com
MK Recruiting Group
http://www.mkrecruiting.com
Morton Plant Mease
http://www.mpmhealth.com
Motion Medical Solutions
http://www.betterjobs.com
MRG Search
http://www.mrgsearch.com
MRI Charlotte
http://www.mricharlotte.com
MSI International
http://www.msi-intl.com
Murphy Group, The
http://www.jobstofill.com
National Health Partners
http://www.nhpartners.com
National Health Services Corp
http://www.bphc.hrsa.gov
Navin Group, Inc.
http://www.navingroup.com
Net-Temps
http://www.net-temps.com
NRI National Resources, Inc.
http://www.djob.com
Odell & Associates
http://www.odellrecruits.com
Olesky Assocaites
http://www.olesky.com
Orwin Healhcare International
http://www.orwin.com
Panther Enterprises
http://www.seanet.com
Personnel Medical Resources
http://www.pmrcareers.com
PhyAmerica Physician Services, Inc.
http://www.coastalphysician.com
Physician Fit
http://www.physicianfit.com
Physician Fit
http://www.physicianfit.com
Physician Jobs.Com/Duggan
http://www.physicianjobs.com
Physician Placement Service of America
http://www.physician-placement.com
Physician Search Group, Inc.
http://www.physiciansearch.com
Physician’s Agent/Jackson Copeland co.
http://www.physiciansagent.com
Pikesville Methodist Hospital, Ky
http://www.pikesvillhospital.org
Placement USA
http://www.placementusa.com
Pri-Med Healthcare – Locums (SLC, Utah)
http://www.locums.com
PRN Search
http://www.med-employ.com
Pro Search Associates
http://www.pro-search-associates.com
Professional Plus, Inc.
http://www.profplus.com
Providence Healthcare
http://www.practicelink.com
Psychiatric Resources
http://www.psychiatricresources.com
Quiring Associates
http://www.web.iquest.net
R.K. Howard & Associates
http://www.montrose.net
RDS Medical Recruiting
http://www.rdsmedical.com
Saber-Salisbury & Associates
http://www.sabersalisbury.com
Sacred heart Health System
http://www.sunbelt.com
Scott & White
http://www.sw.org
Shear Healthcare Resources, Inc.
http://www.shrmedquest.com
Sherriff & Associates
http://www.sherriff.com
SHR’s Medquest
http://www.shrmedquest.com
Southern Illinois Healthcare
http://www.sih.net
Spencer Reed Group
http://www.spencerreed.com
St Francis, Inc. Peoria, Ill
http://www.osfhealthcare.org
Stuart Search Group
http://www.stuartsearch.com
Summit Health
http://www.summithealth.org
Susan Craig and Associates, Inc.
http://www.candocs.com
Tamara Leake
http://www.locums.com
Team Health
http://www.team-health.com
Tenet Health System
http://www.tenethealth.com
Top Echelon
http://www.staffing.net
Trapani & Associates
http://www.webdoc.com
Trinity Medical Group
http://www.trinitymed.com
Trinity Regional Health System (Iowa)
http://www.trinityqc.com
United Search Associates
http://www.hnusa.com
Universal Health Service
http://www.practicelink.com
Ursala Thomas & Associates
http://www.physicianjobsuta.com
Vantage Search Group
http://www.vantagesearchgroup.com
Witt/Kieffer, Ford, Hadelman & Lloyd
http://www.wittkieffer.com
WorldWide Medical Services
http://www.wwmedical.com
Hope R. Hetico RN MHA
[Managing Editor]
Waiting Room Time
The average time patients spend waiting to see a health provider is 22 minutes, and some waits stretch for hours, according to a 2009 report by Press Ganey Associates, a healthcare consulting firm that surveyed 2.4 million patients at more than 10,000 locations.
Orthopedists have the longest waits, at 29 minutes; dermatologists the shortest, at 20. And with each five minutes of waiting time, patient satisfaction sank significantly, the survey revealed.
http://www.fiercepracticemanagement.com/story/five-tips-cut-patient-wait-time/2010-10-19?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal
Christy Lodwick