Greasing the Gears to Your Practice
Providing Proper Tools for Drs and CAs
Brandy Brimhall, CPC, CMCO, CCCPC, CPCO, CPMA
Regardless of your role of a Dr or CA, being in practice is always an adventure! Drs and CAs have numerous responsibilities, often the challenge is getting through the daily task list without having to add anything (or much) to another date. Without having organized systems in place, the Drs and CAs tend to find that either these important responsibilities would have to be set to the side, or perhaps other important tasks or personal time have to be set to the back-burner.
Practices have numerous moving parts that rely on adequate training, time management and welloiled systems in order to function smoothly. Like a series of turning gears, each with their own role, all must be free of rust (i.e., inadequate training or time management) and debris (i.e., inefficient or missing systems resulting in loss of time and money) for the machine as a whole, to function properly.
We educate our patients to understand that all systems of the body are connected, and that compromise in one area can affect the healthy function of one or more others. The exact same concept holds true when it comes to our practices. Inefficiency in one task or responsibility results in not only dysfunction in that area, but also sluggishness or inaccuracy in other tasks as well.
Let's look at a few common examples:
1. Incorrect coding resulting in claim rejections, delays, denials or audits
2. Incorrect coding resulting in underor overcoding and potential lost revenue
3. Inefficient collection systems resulting in an accumulating Accounts Receivable and lost revenue
4. Uncertainty in payer policies or state guidelines resulting in increased provider vulnerability
5. Mismanagement of patient accounts resulting in delayed patient billing, conflicted practice/ patient relationships and lost revenue
6. Uncertainty where to find needed information resulting in
a. Guessing or assuming, thus increasing practice risk significantly
a. Setting things to the side with the intention of finding time later
As you probably fully understand and may relate to, the list of potential obstacles that can interfere with or prevent smooth-running systems can be quite lengthy. These interferences are costly in valuable Dr. and CA time, as well as practice cash flow. With so many moving parts, virtually every practice encounters time-consuming obstacles periodically. It's an inevitable part of any business. The great news is that, like any well-functioning machine, some general proactive action steps on behalf of the practice will prove to be invaluable in minimizing some of these many potential dysfunctions. Wouldn't it be nice to avoid some of these possible interferences entirely, to allow for prompt handling of those obstacles that do occur while at the same time reducing practice risk and vulnerability, along with minimizing the overall impact to other critical practice systems?
There are some essentials for your toolbelt that will enable the practice to operate as efficiently as possible. Let's discuss these critical tools and why they are so important.
1. Training
Most errors and oversights are due to inadequate or improper training. Investing in trainingfor new employees, along with periodic training moving forward, will save a practice significant time and money. This gives the practice the opportunity to clear or address "debris" before it harms the function of the machine. Proper training also provides confidence in the appropriate understanding and skill necessary to proactively manage obstacles that do occur. Fortunately, training comes in many forms, so practices can utilize those methods that work best for them. Consider regularly implementing some form(s) of training, such as role playing as applicable, reading material, webinars and seminars.
2. A written job description
Far too often roles and responsibilities in the practice are assumed, only to find down the road that something wasn't done at all simply because it wasn't clear who was responsible. Sort of like a pre-flight checklist, job descriptions allow for itemization and delegation of necessary duties. Ensuring all practice systems are a go will help considerably in reducing errors and oversights. Additionally, the added benefit of knowing who's in charge of what provides reliable direction for practices.
3. Documented procedures
Not having properly documented procedures is like driving without a map. Even if we have a general idea of where to go, there is always the risk of wrong turns, missed turns or getting lost altogether. How much more confident and efficient would you be to have a well-written map?!
4. Resources
The beauty in almost every role in the practice is that you don't need to know all the answers, you just need to know where to find them. Doctors and CAs often come upon uncertainties and questions that they aren't sure quite where to start in resolving. This can result in timeconsuming tasks, as well as lost time and even money. Valuable Dr and CA time and energy can be preserved just by having access to helpful resources, much like that multipurpose tool that you can pull out at almost any given time to get the job finished faster and more efficiently! CHelpDesk Solutions is one of those time-saving and moneysaving resources! Serving as your on-demand Virtual Assistant for the doctor and CA for all things coding/billing, collections, compliance and more!
"Time saving resources are incredibly valuable to your practice"
Doctors and CAs have a shared goal of helping the practice to run efficiently and prosper along the way. There are many tools available to practices to help with this process. Every moving component to your practice is important for long-term success. As doctors and CAs, you are in the driver's seat with your practice to ensure that these critical tools for operation are readily available and properly utilized. Your team and your practice will reap the rewards!
Time saving resources are incredibly valuable to your practice! Too often, when practices aren't sure of an answer, they find themselves setting important tasks to the side, saving for anothertime, ortakinga guess. In a world of increased risk and vulnerability, we should always take a proactive approach and know that we know!
In 1999, Brandy began her journey in chiropractic in a small Colorado practice. She found her passion to be in this arena as she served as a table side CA, front desk CA, x-ray CA, billing CA and eventual office manager to what grew to become multiple clinics. In this process, she began training teams along with doctors and staff at other practices. Today, she continues to train and assist practices in the areas of compliance, coding, billing, Accounts Receivable, and more. Her passion for healthcare has driven Brandy to continue to learn and serve the chiropractic profession. CHelpDesk is your Certified CA for all things Coding, Collections, Compliance and Practice Admin! Let us help!
