A Module 3

• There are a number of search engines designed to assist in locating services, articles.
• Advancing from the position of administrative medical assistant to office manager requires experience and specific skills and abilities.
• The experience ensures a broad and deep understanding of the many ways in which the medical practice is a business uniquely designed to serve people’s most important and intimate needs.
• A high level of skill ensures a readiness to exercise initiative and to direct others.
• Office management responsibilities involve being a team player, increasing productivity, planning strategically, using problem-solving skills, and using available resources.
• When physicians delegate the day-to-day management of the office, they may expect the office manager to get help from experts such as an accountant, a lawyer, an insurance representative, or a medical management consultant.
• The ability to manage the office on a daily basis demands quality of leadership, which enables the office manager to choose what to achieve, to plan for complex tasks, to prioritize time and tasks, and to motivate other employees to work effectively and efficiently.
• The medical office manager, as the trusted personnel, may entrust some parts of the responsibilities of the physician.
• The medical office manager works as a partner with the physician in the practice of medicine.
• The duties which may be extended to the medical office manager include editorial research projects, travel and meeting arrangement, reservations, and others.
• The medical office manager is responsible for making the medical office run smoothly, with the physician focusing on the profession, patient treatment and care.
• The medical office manager is responsible for preparing the policies and procedures manual or employee handbook of the medical office.
• The outline of topics to be covered in the office policies and procedures manual should include office personnel directory, job descriptions, and procedures.
• Many physicians belong to organizations that provide valuable information for the physician to learn about new developments that contribute to their profession.
• Descriptions of how to perform the duties of the position should be given in the job descriptions.
• The office manager has an enormous amount of responsibility, but the office policies and procedures manual can be an extraordinarily useful tool, making the task of managing both daily routines and personnel less problematic.
• Procedures section of the manual should follow the job descriptions, specifying appropriate forms for use.
• The manual provides all employees with information about the work environment and serves as a reminder of tasks to be done and the procedures of doing them.
• The office manager may be involved in participating by simply attending meetings, representing the physician, or working on committees.
• The office personnel directory should contain the names, positions, physical location, and telephone or extension numbers, cell phone numbers, and pager numbers of everyone in the office along with the numbers for building services, such as maintenance and security.
• Duties related to the Physician’s absence include marking the calendar the days when the Physician will be away so that no patients are scheduled, being certain that instructions about how to handle phone calls, correspondence, and appointments in the Physician’s absence are in place, and keeping a running daily summary of phone calls, incidents, and patient inquiries specifying whatever action was taken while the physician was away.
• The policies and procedures manual is an important resource because it gives employees a clear idea of job responsibilities and of how to perform daily tasks.
• Job descriptions should list the major responsibilities and duties of all employees other than the physicians, including administrative medical assistants, clerks, receptionist, technicians, and billing specialists.
• The information available on the Internet is a great help.
• A looseleaf binder with tab divisions is an ideal holder for a policies and procedures manual.
• As office manager, you may be responsible for the supervision of other staff members and for keeping records relating to their employment.
• If job duties overlap, or if employees are expected to substitute for each other in case of absence or illness, that should be stated in the job descriptions.