The front desk is your patient’s first impression, and whether it’s checking in a patient, verifying insurance, or scheduling an appointment, how things are handled can make or break a patient’s experience. Because there’s a great deal of pressure for such activities to run smoothly, medical office staff must be equipped with the right training and support to deliver exceptional service. Here are just a few tips from our CMOM course for practice managers to consider implementing at the front desk.

Topics: medical office, medical office manager topics, medical office staff, medical office training

The 2022 edition of the Medical Group Management Association's MGMA DataDive Cost and Revenue Report indicates the pandemic has sparked an overall downturn in healthcare productivity, increased operating costs, staffing shortages, and inflation. One positive shift noted was an increase in patient portal use. There's a lot of ground to gain in 2023. Seeking out efficiencies has never been more important. 

Topics: CMOM, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office, medical office manager topics, cmom certification

As medical practices bounce back from the pandemic, many are finding it challenging to recruit and hire great employees, including front desk staff. Don't put this off! It takes time to find the right fit, and as patient flow picks up, you need to be ready!  Here are some recruitment best practices for Medical Office Managers to help you attract the best talent.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office, medical office manager topics, medical practice issues, staff recruiting

Creating and maintaining an employee manual is a vital management responsibility; it can also be one of the most frustrating tasks to confront. In this article, we provide you with 10 guidelines, policies, and issues to cover in your employee manual. Use this information as needed to protect your physician, employee, and practice.

Topics: medical office, medical office manager topics, administrative burdens

With high turnover and staff burnout sweeping the healthcare industry, medical practices have sped up and expanded their recruiting efforts, hoping to secure the right team for the long term. If you’re a medical office manager that’s caught in this hiring whirlwind, you’ll want to follow these best practices to ensure you’re not only attracting motivated candidates but also selecting the most qualified, patient-focused members for your team.

Topics: medical office, medical office manager topics, medical practice issues, medical office staff, staff recruiting, personnel management

In 2018, LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky identified soft skills as the biggest skills gap in the U.S. Further research has shown that gaps in soft skills exist across all roles and nearly all functions. Healthcare careers are almost always in demand with far more jobs than qualified candidates in many markets.

Topics: medical office, medical office staff, staff recruiting, medical office training

No matter where you are in your career, long-range planning and determination will help you achieve your goals faster. And if your plan includes rising the ranks in medical office management, then experience, time management, confidence, and great people skills will help you get there. Add certification in medical office management to the mix, and you've got a long-term recipe for success! 

Don't know where to start? Here are a few steps to help get you on your way to becoming a Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM). We know you can do it, so let's get you there!

Topics: CMOM, PMI Certification, medical office, medical office leadership

Changes to healthcare delivery, and billing codes during the pandemic, along with major updates to the E/M documentation guidelines have created a ripe environment for government-contracted auditors. But you have the right to challenge auditors. Take steps now to establish your culture of compliance.

Topics: Practice cash flow, payer contract, carrier contract guidelines, medical office, medical billing, financial management, auditing

Practice Management Institute (PMI) and Gastrologix have partnered to develop a Certified Medical Office Manager (CMOM)® certification specific to the specialty of Gastroenterology. This joint effort will provide affordable medical practice specific training and credentialing opportunities for the Gastrologix membership throughout the country. 

Topics: value proposition, medical practice benchmarking, CMOM, PMI Certification, medical office certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office

You didn’t sign up to play referee or counselor to adults that don’t get along. But personality conflicts and unprofessional behavior in the workplace should not be taken lightly. It can destroy your medical office productivity, morale, and send good employees packing.

Topics: Practice management, CMOM, PMI Certification, Certified Medical Office Manager, medical office, medical office manager topics, cmom certification, difficult personalities

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

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

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