Northern California Medical Associates (NCMA) has been a leading association of medical practitioners in the North Bay Area since 1975, when Cardiology Associates of Santa Rosa, Inc. first opened its doors. Since then, NCMA has expanded its expertise and scope of care by merging with several private practices to better serve patients in Sonoma, Mendocino and Lake counties.

Topics: Practice management, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office manager topics, quality assurance, staff recruiting

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

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

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

Want to improve engagement at your next medical office staff meeting? Best intentions don’t always result in successful outcomes. You can become a better team leader with good preparation and a little ingenuity. Read on for tips that will help you turn a sub-par meeting into a forum that meets objectives. The formula is simple: start with "why", create your outline, and stay focused.

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

Previously published in a recent press release

The American Medical Association (AMA) has stepped forward to recognize and address the increasing struggle physicians are battling against burnout. David O. Barbe, M.D., M.H.A., and AMA President, explained that the increase in administrative burdens is leading many physicians to experience emotional fatigue.

Topics: Certified Medical Office Manager