Upon arrival in the office a patient should feel welcomed and valuable.  A smile and a pleasant tone of voice can set even the most nervous patients at ease.  We should remember that the patient has come to our office seeking help with something.  It is not our job to pry into someone’s privacy, but to convey a sense of caring and sincerity.  Our patient’s concerns are the most important when they are at the counter.  As the practice manager it is your job to train your staff to understand that each patient is important and unique and should be treated respectfully.

Privacy is another big point when it comes to successfully training employees on how to deal with patients and their health issues.  Practice managers everywhere felt the pain of HIPPA when we implemented it a few years back!  We had to retrain everyone, what once was no big deal suddenly became huge.  If someone called and asked if a patient had checked in we were no longer allowed to answer that, we had to defer the question under the new laws, I’ll save HIPPA horrors for another blog!  Moving on to happy employees and happy patients….

It is the front desk employees who often set the overall “feel” or “tone” of a medical practice.  They are the ones who greet patients upon arrival and many times it is the same employee who handles check out as well.  If a patient does not like the receptionist there is a very real possibility that he/she will change physicians!  It is up to the practice manager to assure that a physician’s staff reflects his or her professional style so the flow through the office remains smooth throughout the visit.  It is also the role of the practice manager to convey to their staff just how critical each and every one of them are to the success of the practice.  Happy, appreciated employees can make the difference between meeting goals and exceeding them!

Allow your roles as practice manager and patient to coincide and I believe you will find that one role often makes the other better!