Let's see.........choices for January include Florida, North Carolina, and North Texas.  Nothing in February?   How about March in Pittsburgh?   April includes Chicago and Washington programs; May takes us to Philadelphia, Atlantic City  -  or Houston.  Do you know about an upcoming program for podiatric assistants?  If you send specifics, I can include them in an issue of FootZine, and then post them on the "Calendar" page of the FootZine web site.

This virus business - real or hoax - is getting to be a real pain!  I have received warnings from friends this week about another email virus hoax, and on Tuesday the Reuters news service had an interesting story about anticipated virus/worm proliferation at this link:
http://news.myway.com/tech/article/id/295179|technology|01-14-2003::06:29|reuters.html

  ~ Gayle

From:  Sharon Hockinson
re:      Texas Standardized Credentialing Application

Gayle:

I learned of the Texas Standardized Credentialing Application form this week.
I located the website and it is downloadable for filling out in Word. Hard
to believe, but looks like our days of having to fill out different (always 500
pages long!) forms for each insurance company and/or hospital is over. (?!)
For any readers in Texas, here is the link to download the form, and also to
read more about it:
http://www.tdi.state.tx.us/company/hmoqual/crform.html

Sincerely,

Sharon Hockinson
San Antonio, TX

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From:  Sharon Hockinson
re:      APMA HIPAA Manual

Gayle:
Are you aware of a HIPAA Handbook for purchase thru the APMA ? ..... my boss told me
it costs around $15.00. I cannot locate it on their website. She wanted me to
purchase it today.

Sharon

*_* Editor's Note *_*

Sharon,

The APMA HIPAA Privacy Manual can be downloaded at no charge from the Members-only section of the APMA web site. Your doctor will need to provide her APMA member ID and password in order to access that part of the APMA web site. 

You can also pay for having the print version shipped to you, which would be $15.00.  If the doctor wants to order the print version, there is an order form in the January issue of  the APMA News, or you can call APMA Headquarters at 1 (800) 372-0775.

~  Gayle

Gayle,

Thank you so much for putting my ad on the net. I am ready to get back
to work.

My name is Peggy Richards, and I am looking for a position as a podiatric
assistant. I have ten years of medical background and three years as a
podiatric assistant. I am very reliable, hard working, and easy to get along
with. I am looking for work in King County, WA. My e-mail address is
PRichardsMA@aol.com

Thank you,
Peggy Richards


Notices of positions wanted or positions available, as well as other "classified" information, are welcome. They are posted at the FootZine web site's Networking page. Have a look at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_6.htm

We have probably all heard the expression that every cloud has a silver lining.  I would like to relate to you a HIPAA story with a silver lining.  My company had been working with a doctor’s office on putting together a HIPAA compliance manual.  During the course of the surveys one of the survey questions sparked a discussion.  The question was, “Do you have a practice contingency plan?”   When we delved into it, it created a lot of thought.  What do you do if there is a catastrophe and your office becomes unuseable?  How do you continue to treat your patients?

As fate would have it, this doctor had a fire in his office just before Christmas, rendering the office unusable.  What we discovered is that the key to continuity of service is having relationships with key vendors.  When you have an emergency like this you need vendors who will treat your situation as if it were their own.  Looking through the phone book for companies who can respond immediately can really be an exercise in futility.  Some of the key vendors to have a relationship with are: phone system consultant, computer consultant, office equipment supplier, drug representatives, and insurance agent, among others.  This is an extremely stressful event, and having to go through a phone book to find key contractors will only add to the stress.  By having established relationships, you have companies that already know your needs and can hit the ground running.  In this case, we were able to get the office moved into temporary quarters (in a neighboring doctor’s office) the next day and he was able to see patients, with his own computer system and phones in place.

When a lease was signed on a new temporary office, again all of the vendors came to the rescue and had the new office set up in a week.  It was truly a phenomenal sight and so uplifting to see people really coming to the aid of a friend in need.

Some important things that we saw were:
1)       Having a remote computer server for the office software meant that there was no disruption to the other offices that are part of this practice.
2)       There was no danger in potential loss of data, because the server was safe in a remote location.
3)       Continuity of service: employees were able to access patient data from their homes to continue billing activities and to call patients for scheduling.
4)       We saw the most serious problem with paper charts.  Had the fire made it to the back file room, the charts would have been lost.  This really highlights the need for Electronic Medical Records (EMR). Also, when temporary operations began, an employee had to be used as a runner to go back and forth to retrieve the charts from a storage area.
5)       Phone provider: There are a lot of discount telephone service providers, some of which are just resellers.  In this case, moving the phone lines to a new location was complicated and made much more difficult because we were not dealing with Verizon directly.

This turned out to be an excellent learning experience for all involved.  It also drove home the importance of having a contingency plan.  The plan should be a playbook.  It should have the contact information for key vendors, and phone numbers and account numbers for your utilities.  It should have all of your employees’ home phone numbers, and it should have your insurance agent’s phone number and your policy information.

Having all the key information in one handy book can really remove a huge amount of stress.   Once you have developed your contingency plan, you need to also make sure that it is kept up to date.  Having a contingency plan with out-dated information is probably more frustrating than not having any information at all.


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 previous installments from Mr. Posa at http://www.footzine.com/FZ_5.htm

To achieve practice success we should focus on taking advantage of each and every opportunity to WOW our patients and those in our practice circle.   These “opportunities” are what give us the competitive edge in our communities and lead to heightened patient satisfaction and a more pleasant place to spend our many hours each week.   One of the most powerful tools is not the Dremel or surgical saw but that pesky little creature we call a “telephone”. 

The telephone’s power is stronger than we realize and so underutilized as a tool for WOWing a patient, referring physician or an insurance company, collectively known as “our customers”.   The combination of these “customers” and your telephone presents a chance for you to become remarkable.   We suggest the doctor and staff team in your office each take three blank pieces of paper and write the headings:  patients, physicians and their staff, and insurance companies.   Have everyone write their own list of telephone opportunities to WOW them.   Think of occasions when you have hung up the phone as a customer and thought “I was just treated like gold”, and then translate these ideas into practical applications in your office

One the best practice builders, especially for new practitioners, is to call EVERY new patient the evening of their first visit to simply ask “How are you feeling?” or “What other questions do you have?”.   You will be amazed how many friends and co-workers that patient will tell about “that doctor who really cares” or “the doctor who took their time to make me feel so important.”   We find that when a doctor in our office calls another local physician and says a simple “How are you today?” or “Isn’t it beautiful out today?” to the staff member who answers, the word gets back to us about how their staff thinks our doctors are so nice, leading to more referrals.   When calling an insurance company we are sure to get the representative or nurse’s name and use their name at least twice in the conversation.  They also appreciate a little light humor about the current health care delivery system.

Just give the unexpected that takes so little effort on our part, and your practice and happiness will flourish.


Previous "Gems" can be found on their own pages of the FootZine.com web site, at
http://www.footzine.com/FZ_90.htm

We are so fortunate to have such dedicated contributors to the FootZine broadcasts!  Many, many thanks to Ray, Hal and Lynn for their series of articles, which inform, inspire and make us smile!  Thanks to all who take time to share your questions and comments, and thanks for the ongoing support and wisdom of the FootZine Advisory Board.

  ~  Gayle

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