In today’s medical practice HIPAA regulations provide both guidance and compliance standards for all financial and administrative procedures involved when it comes to protected health information (PHI). With patient privacy on the line these standards cover all key transactions in which organizations collect, handle, and store their information. Complying with these standards will protect the medical practice against theft and violations along with helping to ensure their patient information is secure.

Topics: Practice management, medical office manager topics, medical office compliance, HIPAA compliance, HIPAA

HIPAA Compliance can be a complex issue. Especially with advancements in technology and the rising prominence of social media and online reviews. However, there is a degree of solace in knowing that you are not alone in your quest to successfully navigate HIPAA requirements. Medical office managers across the country must be able to effectively understand the federal regulations that deal with protected health information (PHI).

Topics: Practice management, medical office compliance, HIPAA compliance, HIPAA

Sexual harassment can be a tremendous liability in the workplace if not addressed properly. In a medical office environment it can have disastrous effects on both employee retention and patient care. Addressing the issue and implementing protocol to handle claims is essential. Creating an environment where employees can work without being harassed is fundamental. Making employees feel comfortable and ensuring that they are aware that they can report an incident-free of retaliation are key roles for the medical office manager.

Topics: Practice management, medical office manager topics, medical practice issues, medical office staff, sexual harassment

In a busy medical practice, the risk of error runs high. This is a dangerous assertion when you consider that mistakes in a medical record can negatively impact a patient’s health. Mistakes made repeatedly in medical claims may flag your practice for an audit and, if overpayments are found, can result in huge fines and penalties from the government.

Topics: Practice management, PMI Certification, cmom certification, medical practice issues, medical fraud, medical billing, medicare

Managing the day-to-day finances and budgetary needs of a busy medical office is a huge responsibility. Medical office managers should have formal training in accounting and financial best practices like cost analyses, financial reports, and financial forecasts. Managing the budget is a major undertaking but learning this one skill will set you up for success in other areas of financial management.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, medical office manager topics, budget planning, financial management

Every year nearly 2 million American workers are exposed to violence in the workplace. Astonishing as it sounds, experts say it’s just a fraction of the cases that take place; many incidents are never reported. The propensity for violence in the workplace has escalated in recent years, and notably in healthcare. From verbal abuse to physical violence, harassment, intimidation, and even homicide, healthcare and social service workers face threats to their safety at a more frequent rate than other professions.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, medical office, medical office manager topics, medical practice issues, medical office staff, workplace violence, emergency preparedness

An integral part of a medical office manager’s role is to protect the health and safety of employees by preventing illnesses and possible risks associated with hazardous exposure. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard, also known as HazCom, is the federal regulation that oversees and evaluates the communication of chemical hazards in a work setting.

Topics: CMOM, medical office certification, medical office manager topics, osha, hazard communication, medical office staff

Portions of this article were originally published in BC Advantage Magazine March 5, 2019

A whopping 25 to 31 percent of total health care expenditures in the U.S. are administrative costs, according to a time-driven, activity-based costing study published last year in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)¹. These are huge margins for healthcare providers already squeezed by insurers and increasing costs of care. You may wonder if the grass is greener on the other side.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, PMI Certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office manager topics, medical practice issues, medical billing

In 2017, 16.7 million people in the U.S. experienced some type of identity theft with $17 billion in losses to organizations, according to a recent Harris Poll. Medical identity theft is fraud and recognizing and controlling it is a growing and serious compliance concern for medical office managers.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office manager topics, medical office compliance, medical practice issues, medical fraud, medical identity theft

Maintaining compliance in a medical office is one of the most significant challenges that office managers face. With new regulations coming down the pipe, new employees to train, and policies to implement, it can be unnerving to stay on top of it all. To avoid healthcare fraud and abuse in the practice, the medical office manager must be knowledgeable and current with compliance laws and be equipped to manage issues when they arise.

Topics: Practice management, PMI Certification, medical office manager topics, cmom certification, medical office compliance, medical practice issues

How high are you setting the bar for patient care in your medical practice? Their health is in your hands, and they expect quality personalized care. Quality assurance is more important than ever. This article offers medical office managers insights for measuring quality assurance in your office. Read further and learn the “how” using two common tasks that can be easily improved when quality assurance is top-of-mind.

Topics: CMOM, PMI Certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office manager topics, cmom certification, quality assurance

The time clock is ticking the moment patients enter your waiting room. How soon do you greet them? How long will they wait until they are called to the back?  Respect for a patient’s time is perhaps among the most highly valued attributes of the patient experience. It’s also very frequently overlooked. So why is time management in a medical office so hard to control, and what can be done about it? Let us count the ways. 

Topics: CMOM, PMI Certification, medical office certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office, time management, cmom certification

Medical office management is a growing field with lots of opportunity. Whether you are currently working in a management role or just starting out, you have come to the right place! Practice Management Institute (PMI) administers an online certification course designed exclusively for current and aspiring medical office managers.

Topics: Practice management, medical office certification, medical office manager topics, cmom certification

A well-written job description will help you find the best candidates for your medical office team. The more detailed a job description, the more candidates with desired skillsets and expertise will be walking through the door. Its benefits are two-fold: 1) It sets clear expectations for applicants searching for medical staff positions and 2) It helps recruit the ideal candidates for the job.

Topics: Practice management, medical office certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, cmom certification

Your patients love your doctors and there’s rarely a slow day in your medical office’s busy waiting room. But recent communication problems with front and back office staff are causing scheduling backlogs, and patient complaints are on the rise. It’s time for swift corrective action.

Topics: CMOM, PMI Certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, time management, medical office manager topics