Operations

If you don’t have a policy on staff e-mail usage, you need one. Here’s why.

Now that you’ve decided which vendor will supply your new EMR (or practice management system, or other large IT purchase), it’s time to hammer out a deal. How do you negotiate the best terms for one of the biggest purchases your practice will ever make?

An unnecessary service charge here, a bloated maintenance contract there - you may be only dimly aware of how these small “nickel and dime” charges add up to big bucks.

Spirituality and medicine sometimes interact uncomfortably. Here’s how to be sensitive while meeting your religious patients’ clinical needs.

Few administrators experience daily upheavals in their practices, but most are presented with a major transition at some point during their career. Are you ready?

An internal medicine specialist was fleeced badly by the Mother of all Embezzlers. Don’t think it can’t happen to you until you read what happened to her.

Plastic surgeon Suzanne Kim Doud Galli on how an ordinary nose job turned into the worst case of her career.

A Los Angeles pediatrician thinks she doesn’t have enough time, but is lack of space her real problem?

Dealing with constant call is the bane of many small physician groups. But with the right planning, even solo physicians can share call just like their big-practice peers. Here’s how.

What are the secrets of success in an ever changing practice-management climate? Veteran administrators dish.

Internist Carol Kelly recalls what she did when there was supposedly “nothing to do” for her ALS patient.

The customer is always right, until he is wrong. In an age of consumerism, how do you say no without losing patients?

Is your IT guy too powerful? In a small office, just one staffer often holds the keys to the kingdom. What if he quits abruptly - or worse, holds you hostage?

Without the proper controls, your drug sample closet could be a dangerous and costly liability.

As flu season gets underway, your practice will be on the front lines of the outbreak. Now is the time to prepare for an influx of patients and possibly a diminished staff.

You’ve got questions - lots of ’em. And we’ve got the answers. We compiled some of the most common practice management questions we hear - from collections issues to dealing with staff problems and so much more - in one place, and got answers from some of the top experts in the business.

Healthy referral relationships are vital to a thriving practice - whether you’re a specialist or in primary care. Here’s how a few small gestures and clear communication can keep you and your patients happy.

A visionary pediatrician has built his practice from one to 43 physicians, but he’s struggling to achieve physician cohesion in his now large group. Help is on the way.

In many practices, partner conflict is as common as nasal infections. It may be easy to “let it go,” but that can lead to unprofessional conduct. Here’s how to diffuse disagreements and preempt disputes.

When she was too loose with confidential information, pediatrician Patricia Tibbs harmed a colleague. But since then she’s become a trusted confidant for a whole community.

A little price comparison can help you save big bucks on common goods and services.

Dispensing vaccines is frustrating and expensive. Here’s a shot in the arm for vaccine management.

With prices low, it may seem like a great time to buy your office space. Be wary; the advantages to ownership, while real, are balanced with disadvantages and risk. Make sure your eyes are open.

One thing that creates friction in medical practices is the success and subsequent recognition of one of its members.

Say goodbye to photocopies: Machine-readable cards could make billing and collections easier. When will payers make them widely available?