Systems are only as good as the information captured in them. To get meaningful reports from your system everyone on your team needs to consistently use the system and use it in a consistent way. Setting standards for what information should be captured, when the information should be captured and how the information should be captured will ensure that you get the most from your system.

In Managing Patient Accounts, you will learn what information needs to be captured at each stage of the patient's visit. Doing so keeps staff informed of key details about the patient, the services being provided as well as the patient's insurance coverage and financial responsibility. We recommend that your entire business office team take this course to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Participants will learn industry best practices for:

Abbreviating key terms.
Identifying the information that should be documented.
Entering meaningful notes that are easy for others to find and read.
Prioritizing their work and running daily to-do lists.

Course Cost: FREE with purchase of another course in the Practice Management Series.

Surgery Schedulers have a lot to juggle to get everyone to the right place at the right time. It's no easy task when you have to balance the needs and preferences of the patient, the physician and the clinical team as well as all the things that come up at the last minute. Knowing what to do when someone gets sick, a patient cancels, a case runs late or the physician is missing in action is the hardest part of the job and the most important to patient satisfaction.

In Managing the Schedule, you will learn how to use tools commonly used in the industry to manage a surgical schedule and keep the clinical team informed of special needs. You will also learn some of our best practices for marketing available time to physicians with credentials at your facility. We recommend that both new and experienced Schedulers take the course. Past participants found the tips and tools for marketing open time valuable.

Participants will learn:
When to reserve time rather than schedule a case.
What information is needed to schedule a surgical case and where it comes from.
How to document special requests to keep the clinical team informed of special needs.
Best practices for managing the block times and marketing available time.

Course Cost: $50 and includes the Managing Patient Accounts course.

Registration Specialists often wear multiple hats especially in a smaller office or facility. The course is ideal for industry novices because they will learn about medical records, scheduling, insurance verification and collections. Most Registration Specialist are responsible for guiding patients thru the documentation to ensure the patient understands the services that will be done and consents to the procedures, explains their insurance benefits and collects their portion of the estimated fee. Sounds easy enough until the phone starts ringing off the hook, a flock of patients and visitors need to be registered or a patient refuses to pay.

In Registering Patients, you will learn which documents in the chart need to be reviewed with the patient at time of registration, how to acknowledge people as they enter the facility when you are on the phone and how to deal with patients that get a little hot headed when asked to pay. As well as key insurance terms needed to explain benefits and the estimated amount due at time of registration. We recommend this course to both new and experienced Registration Staff. Past participants benefited from the tools and processes for explaining insurance benefits, collecting the patient's portion and negotiating a payment plan when necessary.

Participants learn best practices for completing tasks commonly assigned to Registration specialists, including how to:
Juggle the demands of reception and registration.
Register a patient.
Collect the patient's portion of the estimated fee.
Notify the clinical staff of the patient's arrival.
Prepare for the next day.

Course Cost: $50 and includes the Managing Patient Accounts course.

Medical Records Specialists have a lot of paper to gather, organize and file. One might think the job is about “pushing paper,” but it is really about much more. The Medical Records staff contributes to patient safety by ensuring the clinical staff has complete, accurate information about the procedure being performed and the patient’s medical history. Plus they ensure that the services provided are documented in accordance with the center's bylaws which is important to the Administrator and biller.

In Managing the Medical Records, you will learn how to prepare the initial chart, what to do if something is missing when you leave for the day, how to "breakdown" the chart after services are provided and follow up calls are done and how to gently nudge the surgeons that are not all that timely about completing their charts. We recommend that both new and experienced staff take the course. Past participants found the pre-registration and post-registration guides, the audit checklist and the Dictation Reminder Memos helpful.

Participants learn how to:
Assemble a medical record.
Alert clinical staff to missing documentation.
Breakdown the chart after services are provided.
Audit completed charts for completeness.
Gently remind physicians that need to dictate.

Course Cost: $50 and includes the Managing Patient Accounts course.