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FootZine,
Volume 8 |
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| It would seem that the Klez virus is back, or
more likely, never really left. Just today I got a notice that
someone I've never heard of received a message from my Hotmail
identity with the Klez attached to it. They have probably
never heard of me, either, but wondered why I'd try to send an
infected email to them. So I'll repeat my earlier cautions
about opening attachments from strangers, or even unexpected
attachments from people you know, especially if the subject line
seems strange. For example, the subject of the message
that supposedly came from me was "A humour game".
But people who know me realize that I don't use the British spelling
of words like humor and color. The 2002 Norton Anti Virus package from Symantec scans not only your incoming email for viruses, but also your outgoing email, so you will be even less likely to pass along the Klez or others if you enable that feature. It appears that the new 2003 version will do that and more. I would strongly urge everyone to install and use either the Norton or McAfee programs, and to maintain their updates, including the virus definitions that can be downloaded daily. If you have doubts about the integrity of your system now, you can conduct an online virus scan from either of these two web sites and make use of their repair tools if you discover any viruses lurking there. http://securityresponse.symantec.com/ http://www.mcafee.com/anti-virus/ ~ Gayle *_* Letters
*_* From: Chris Funkre: Gems Hi Gayle: Just wanted to drop you a note and thank you for the newsletter. I love the "Gems of Practice Management" section. We have a staff of 8 and 3 doctors in our practice and the gems help keep us focused. Patients are always telling us what a pleasant office we have. Keep up the good work. Chris Funk, Office Manager Caputo & Kado Podiatry Assoc. Holmdel and Red Bank, NJ caputonkado@mindspring.com *_* *_* *_* From: Susan Weeks, PMAC re: Diabetic Shoes This reply is for Judy with the diabetic shoe question. Judy, Our practice uses Dr. Comfort for our diabetic shoes. They are located in Wisconsin. Contact Dave Slaghater at 1-800-556-5572. The shoes are of high quality, reasonably priced and the system is very easy to learn as well as implement. We are extremely pleased with the service the company has given us so far. I am confident that you will not be disappointed. Professionally yours, Susan M. Weeks, PMAC *_* Networking
*_* Notice to PMACs who attended the One-Day
Seminar in Seattle, WA, on October 5, 2002:Certificates of Attendance for the WSPMAA One-Day Seminar on October 5, 2002, were printed with an incorrect date. New certificates are being made and will be mailed out, but your help is needed. I would appreciate having a single list from each office showing those who need new certificates, and then they can be mailed in batches to those offices. I am sorry for any trouble caused by this mistake. Please email me at <gaibrielle4@yahoo.com> or phone me at (509) 248-4900 Thank you for your help, Gaibrielle Hauff, PMAC *_* *_* *_* WANTED: Ten or more eligible podiatric medical assistants to take the Certification Exam at the WSPMA/WSPMAA Annual State Meeting for 2003. The meeting will be held April 25-27, 2003, in Ocean Shores, WA. Who is eligible? A member in good standing of ASPMA who has worked in podiatry for at least one year prior to the Exam date. They must register with ASPMA's Q & E Committee Chairman for the Exam at least 30 days prior to the Exam date. The Exam registration fee is $50.00. Exam candidates will also be expected to register for the WSPMAA program. The Exam candidates must either take the day-long Comprehensive Review course as a separate, special program track, or provide a written statement signed by their podiatric employer stating that the doctor has overseen their preparation for the Exam, "by study, review and training in all seven categories of the Exam", according to the article by Q & E Chair Joan Gordon, PMAC, in the October 2002 issue of the ASPMA Journal. (See pages 30-32 of that issue.) The registration fee for the Review Course is $200.00, which covers the cost of bringing the Course to Washington. This is a separate fee from the WSPMAA seminar fee. Please contact Gaibrielle Hauff, PMAC, as soon as possible to let her know of your interest in taking the ASPMA Comprehensive Review Course and Certification Exam. The Review Course and Exam will no longer be offered for fewer than 10 people, so Gaibrielle must have confirmation from at least that many in time to finalize all the arrangements. Gaibrielle can be reached at her office: (509) 248-4900 or by email: gaibrielle4@yahoo.com Notices of positions wanted or positions available, as well as other "classified" information, are welcome. They will be posted at the FootZine web site's Networking page. Have a look at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_6.htm *_* Calendar
*_* The AAPPM (American Academy of Podiatric
Practice Management) will be presenting several programs at the
North Carolina Foot and Ankle Society meeting - Jan. 16-19, 2003, to
doctors only, assistants only and then doctors and assistants
together. It is in Pinehurst, North Carolina. For registration
information, contact Robb Mothershed, DPM @ 336-765-0711 (Seminar
Chairman). Participating are: President Hal Ornstein, DPM;
President-Elect Bill McCann, DPM; Trustee and Fellow John Guiliana,
DPM; Trustee Lynn Homisak, PRT; Corporate Board Members Jason Kraus
of Langer Labs and Jeff Lafferty of Somerset Financial.Covered Topics: Doctor-Assistant Dynamics; High Impact Communication Skills; Maximizing Staff Efficiency; Job Satisfaction; Keeping Your Doctor on Time; Getting Inside the Consumer's (Patient's) Brain; My Doctor is Driving Me Crazy; How to Improve Patient Care and Your Bottom line: Hire, Train and Retain Quality Staff; Investment Strategies for Your Future; Associateships and Partnerships: Internal and External Marketing Pearls: In-office Dispensing to Benefit your Practice and Patients; and closing with panel discussions. *_* *_* *_* April 25-27, 2003 WSPMA/WSPMAA Annual State Meeting Quinault Beach Resort & Casino in Ocean Shores, WA - Check back for information updates. The FootZine Calendar is posted on http://www.footzine.com/FZ_4.htm *_* FootZine
Feeture Article *_* This article probably should have come out
around October 31, because these stories are not only scary but
true.HIPAA Horror Stories Raymond F. Posa, MBA The first story involves the billing staff of a surgeon’s office. During the course of billing for a surgical procedure, this billing office proceeds to not only mail an invoice for the amount due them, not covered by insurance, but also a copy of the Insurance EOB that they receive showing them how much they are getting from the insurance company. This would have been all well and good except for the other eight patients whose information was also on the EOB. This violation of patients’ privacy is obvious, I would hope. The second story involves a family practice group, who in the course of trying to collect money due for treatment, called and left a very detailed message on an answering machine, describing the date of service, treatment, social security number, patient’s name and amount due. This is also a serious violation, to leave a detailed message on an answering machine, and was also compounded by the fact that they called the wrong number and left the message on the wrong answering machine. The final story involves a dentist’s office. The ladies in the office were so proud of their office’s computer system. They were showing their patient check-in system. It was a beautiful 17” LCD touch-screen monitor on the front counter. There it proudly displayed all of the patients for the day, with their name and picture. The patients come in and touch their picture and then the month of their birth and it checks them in. Very nice technology, but have they ever heard of HIPAA or patient privacy? I would hope that everyone sees these incidents as gross violations. The real problem, however, is that none of these three were even aware of HIPAA or its requirements. One of the office workers even thought that HIPAA had been postponed and probably would not pass into law. It is really amazing that with all of the news about HIPAA there is so much misinformation. HIPAA is real and it is here to stay. I would hope everyone has met his or her October 16 deadline for EDI compliance or filed for the extension. The next portion of HIPAA, enforcement of the Privacy Rule creating national standards to protect individuals’ medical records and other personal health information begins April 14, 2003. There are no extensions and compliance is mandatory. Penalties for noncompliance include not only fines but also expulsion from the Medicare program. Best advice is to begin work on your compliance manual now; also start working on new policy and procedures manuals and train your staff on the new regulations and requirements. By: Raymond F. Posa, MBA Technology Advisor to the American Academy of Podiatric Practice Management President, R. Francis Associates Any questions or comments can be addressed to Mr. Posa by E-mail: Rposa@Rfrancis.com You can review the previous installments from Mr. Posa at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_5.htm *_* Gems
of Practice Management *_* Several strong messages are often delivered in
the places we least suspect. Next time you feel a little
devious, visit your well-hygiened neighbor’s house, tiptoe to the
refrigerator, and check under the cap of the ketchup bottle.
You will find either a clean bottle top or a red, dry, crusty
creature ready to attack. If you find our little friend, the
crusty creature, what is the message staring you in the face?
Your mind may wander to start thinking that the house is clean in
the areas seen by visitors but what lingers where the eye cannot
see? The same negative image may be created in that beautiful
five-star restaurant with a dirty bathroom. Take a Look Under the Cap of Thy Neighbor's Ketchup Bottle by Hal Ornstein DPM, FACFAS and Lynn Homisak, PRT, PMAC Mirror this to a podiatric office with patients seeing a toenail from your last patient walking across the floor, corners of your wallpaper peeling from the wall or a paint job last done in the 70’s, and they will likely start to question things such as how clean your office is and if you regularly sterilize your instruments. We typically ask patients who have left other podiatrists or physicians why they chose to change. They frequently answer with a simple “their office was dirty”. On the other end of the spectrum are patients who comment first about how nice our staff is and then how our office is the cleanest they have seen. In today’s competitive market, we are constantly searching for ways to distinguish us from others in our area. By all means, we have found our focus on keeping our office fresh and clean has lead to improved patient satisfaction and serves as a practice-builder. For a few dollars a week, you can deliver a strong message by having a small vase of flowers in each treatment room, reception room, bathroom and front desk. Do a double check of the floor and counters of each treatment room before every patient is brought in. Sit in your reception room, spend some time in every treatment chair, and stand where the patients check in and out, and you may discover negative messages you never imagined. Your best investment is in the image of the doctors, staff and physical environment, which will inevitably translate into improved patient satisfaction, pride, reputation and profitability Previous "Gems" can be found on their own pages of the FootZine.com web site, at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_90.htm *_* *_*
*_* With Thanksgiving arriving next week, there
will be less work (at least in our offices) and more play. I
plan to take the long weekend off from FootZine duties to
enjoy the company of family and friends. When we all get
together on Thursday, I will be thankful for their presence and the
time we get to spend together. I will also be thankful for the
friends and acquaintances who have been so encouraging, for the
opportunity to bring FootZine to you all, for the regular
contributors to FootZine, and to all those who write to share
their information and perspectives with the rest of us.My Inbox will be open, however, so when you get tired of turkey and football, feel free to write! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, ~ Gayle *_* *_*
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DISCLAIMER: Acceptance and publication of any letter, article, news item
or advertisement does not necessarily constitute or imply approval or
endorsement by myself of the product, idea, or content therein. I reserve
the right to edit or to not publish any material received. Any health- or
legal-related information is for educational purposes only and should not
be construed as medical or legal advice or a substitute for the advice of a health
care professional or attorney. Information pertaining to legal matters should not Gayle S. Johnson, PMAC |
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