DO YOU HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION?

I am continually amazed at the large percentage of practice managers who do not take the time to develop their own job descriptions. Yet, they assign one to each staff member and expect a certain performance level. Annual performance appraisals are conducted in order to reflect on strengths and weaknesses and to set goals. This important process provides the employee with a sense of self worth and direction.

Without a job description, how will practice managers assess their own performance? More importantly, we must expect of ourselves what we expect of our staff members. Otherwise, we risk criticism for poor leadership.

There is no doubt the position of medical practice manager is one of the most challenging careers. The role is complex, calls for diverse tasks and the individual must possess essential qualities in order to be successful.

In most practices, the primary objective of the practice manager is to oversee the day-to-day activities of the practice including the operational, financial and human resource aspects. This person must provide leadership and serve as a liaison with physicians, staff, patients, hospital executives and the community.

As you list each of your responsibilities, be sure to include major components of each task that are crucial to superb performance. (Duties may vary according to practice size and structure.)

A major and time-consuming daily responsibility is the management of Accounts Receivable. Components include pre-editing of claims, proper coding, submission of claims and running patient statements. The practice manager must ensure all services rendered are captured and monitor front desk activities and collections. Policies and procedures must be in place to guard against embezzlement. Denied claims must be researched, corrected and refiled and bad debt management is important to ensure patients in a delinquent status do not incur additional debt. Month-end reports should be analyzed and compared to benchmarks to track overall performance.

Human Resources calls for creating and leading your team. Policies and procedures must be in place for guidance. Hiring, training, supervision, communication, discipline and termination are all integral components of this extremely important aspect of the practice.

Financial responsibilities include payroll and careful budgeting. Accounts Payable should call for protocols such as the use of receivings and timely payments. Purchasing should include price comparisons and strict adherence to budget. Taxes must be paid on time to avoid penalties and checkbooks must be balanced each month.

During the past few years, Patient Satisfaction has become crucial to the success of the practice. Patients are more knowledgeable and have higher expectations than ever before. Be sure to include components such as monitoring the telephone system to ensure availability, scheduling to enable timely access to providers and acceptable lengths of waiting time in the reception room. Provide a means for confidential patient feedback and respond to compliments and/or complaints accordingly.

Marketing the practice is yet another area that cannot be ignored. The most effective means of internal marketing is excellent "customer" service (which retains the patients). The practice manager must also market externally with strategies to capture new patients.

Managed Care is prevalent in all practices. It is not enough to negotiate acceptable reimbursement rates and contracts, but the plans must be continually monitored to ensure the contract remains beneficial for the practice.

Risk Management cannot be ignored. OSHA, CLIA, HIPAA, etc. all call for staff training in accordance with the laws. Logs must be maintained, licenses updated and inspections carried out for safety of employees and patients.

Information Technology is yet another duty requiring assignment of passwords and limited access to computer functions, backups and maintenance.

Physician Relations is a major component of a practice manager's job description. But how often do you evaluate your physician's satisfaction with your communication efforts? Do you keep your physician(s) fully informed of practice activities, provide daily financial reports to avoid unpleasant surprises and hold routine meetings to promote communication and strategize?

A practice manager wears many hats." Here's a professional challenge: Take time for yourself and appreciate yourself by identifying all of your "hats." Prepare a detailed job description and be sure to review it at least twice a year to ensure you are paying enough attention to each and every area of responsibility.

Don't procrastinate! The outcome will be worthwhile for you, personally, and for your medical practice.