6 ways to get your medical practice organized

You spent the last two hours trolling your file cabinet for a missing receipt. The staff keeps popping in with trivial questions. And it just dawned on you this morning that the monthly board meeting is on Friday, forcing you to cancel two appointments to prepare. Tired of spinning your wheels yet?

Office managers juggle a mind-boggling number of tasks, from personnel problems and physician credentialing to budget planning and payroll. Without a strategy to stay organized, it's easy to get lost in the minutia, creating higher stress levels for you and decreased productivity for the entire office.

"A practice administrator not only has to wear a bunch of different hats, but he or she has to keep all things related to those hats in good order so you can put your hands on what you need quickly whenever you need it," says Mary Pat Whaley, a practice administrator for 25 years and founder of the consulting firm Manage My Practice in Cary, N.C.

About the Author

Shelly K. Schwartz, a freelance writer in Maplewood, N.J., has covered personal finance, technology, and healthcare for more than 17 years. Her work has appeared on CNBC.com, CNNMoney.com, and Bankrate.com. ​