Office Management and the Medical Practice
The right office manager can help a medical practice thrive. The wrong office manager can result in loss of clients and have everyone in the practice feeling unsettled, overworked and frustrated. How do you find the office manager who will be a blessing to the medical practice instead of bringing disaster?
UPS Healthcare knows how. Starting with identifying office manager duties.
Office Manager Duties
Before interviewing prospective office managers, we consider what it is that you need from them. What duties will the office manager be responsible for performing? What will be the office manager’s role in the medical practice?
This should be developed before you run your recruitment marketing campaign and identify qualified candidates from the duties required from the manager. Doctors will never do this. If you look cute and talk a good story, they hire you. The manager needs to review the job description at the interview and point out what he/she feels they need additional training on, so you are clear on what the candidate can and cannot provide your practice. They should sign off on the job description. All expectations within the first 90 to 120 days “clean-up” period should be discussed and agreed up on.
Office Manager as Administration
When the medical practice is a large or complex one with a large number of support staff carrying out individual roles, the office manager’s main task is usually that of making sure everything runs smoothly and every task is covered. This is especially important when separate staff members are covering appointment setting, reception, billing, etc. If one person isn’t getting the job done or isn’t performing the job right, the whole system is affected.
In this type of practice, the office manager keeps an eye on the pulse of the practice, making sure everything is working properly while handling any issues that arrive, from staff issues to disgruntled patients.
We know that it is vital that the individual hired for this type position be able to multi-task, to work under pressure, to be able to mediate when problems arise, and to properly exercise their authority if necessary. The best office manager as administrative aide candidate can perform any task in the office if necessary and is capable of training, encouraging and overseeing other office staff members.
Some office managers handle payroll and other financial duties for the medical practice. If this will be the case, the potential office manager should have experience in payroll and the tax issues that affect operating a practice.
Risk management is another task we look for when identifying the office manager for your practice. Keeping up with applicable local, state and federal laws, taxes and regulations and maintaining practice compliance is part of the job. Insurance and legal issues such as malpractice must be monitored.
Office Manager as Support Staff
In the smaller practice, the office manager may be the only staff member aside from medical staff. In this situation, the office manager fills every business office duty, from reception to accounting and payment of taxes.
This type of office manager is well rounded, able to multi-task and comfortable both with computer related duties and tasks involving interaction with patients. From greeting patients and others who come through the front door to signing for equipment that comes in through the delivery door, this type of office manager can handle any situation that arises.
Finance and Medical Practice Management
Medical practice financial duties including accounts payable/receivable, payroll and the budget may be administered by the office manager or the office bookkeeper. Practice administration is often handled by the office manager. If the office manager is not performing financial duties, he/she is responsible for overseeing those who do. Again, the size of the practice is usually the first consideration when deciding who to assign financial related duties to.
Marketing and Medical Practice Management
Office managers, in the absence of a dedicated marketing manager, may perform all tasks related to advertising, community relations and building the practice.
Qualifications of the Office Management Candidate
Specific qualifications usually vary in accordance with the size and complexity of the medical practice and the expectation of the physicians involved.
A college degree is usually a prerequisite. Certification as a medical office manager is a plus. Certification usually guarantees a certain amount of training in the required skills and tasks. In some cases, practical experience is as valuable as a degree.
Once the expected duties have been determined, along with desired qualifications, the search for a practice office manager can begin. When you work with UPS Healthcare, we actually interview potential candidates and refer only those who meet your selected criteria. The right medical practice office manager keeps the practice running smoothly. Choosing the right candidate is a decision that should be made with careful consideration.
Let UPS Healthcare come alongside you and help get the job done right, the first time, today. Contact us today for more information.