A good and effective office manager is an essential part of a medical practice’s staff. As we’ve mentioned here before, not all physicians have the training or experience to handle the operation of their own business. In reality, most would prefer to focus on why they became doctors in the first place: patient care. An office manager should remove much of that burden from the doctor or doctors, insuring that things run smoothly on a day to day basis. The office manager should be able to supervise the staff, oversee the finances and handle problems and complaints as they arise. Let us take a look at some of the qualities you should look for in an office manager that will be right for your practice.
The right combination of education and experience will vary from office to office. You definitely want someone with strong communication skills, both verbal and written. At least some education will always be beneficial, but how much depends on your practice’s needs. If you are looking to expand your medical practice and plan on opening a second location in the near future, you may want to consider candidates with a degree in business administration who will be able to manage the logistics and finances involved in business expansion. But that person may not be right if what you are looking for is to strengthen the operation of your existing practice. Many medical practice owners will tell you they would take a candidate with five to ten years of relevant experience and little secondary education over one fresh out of a college with a long list of degrees any day.
Your office manager will often act as the face of your practice, representing you in the industry, the community and possibly to the media. A good candidate should make a good first impression. A friendly and outgoing personality, good people skills and a neat and presentable appearance are important factors. Furthermore, a good office manager should possess strong leadership qualities, negotiation skills and be able to contribute ideas that will enhance your practice’s operation and profitability. These are factors that are not always apparent in a resume. Pay close attention during the interview to determine what personal qualities the candidate possesses. Note if the applicant was on time, prepared and properly dressed for the interview. These are important indicators of a responsible person who is taking the interview, and you, seriously.
Bringing a second employee into the interview, especially someone who will work closely with the future office manager, will offer you a valuable second opinion on these traits. After the interview, discuss not only the specifics of the applicant’s qualifications with your employee, but also the overall impression each of you received.
Ultimately you need to insure that the person you hire has the capability to do the job. Your office manager will need to be a problem solver, intelligent, detail oriented and highly organized. The ideal candidate should be able to oversee several projects at once while maintaining an efficiently run office. During the interview, ask questions that will allow you to determine the interviewee’s substantive skills and check their references for further evidence of how they perform on the job.
Consider these qualities and you are very likely to find a good candidate for one of the most important staff positions in your medical practice. Also, do not underestimate the power of your instincts. You may come across a candidate that simply feels like a good fit for our office. At ProMD Medical Billing we offer staffing services to help you find the right employees including recruitment and interviewing. Give us a call to learn more.
ProMD Medical Billing is happy to help with your billing assessment needs so you can maximize profits and increase patient satisfaction. To learn more about how ProMD can make your practice run like a well-oiled machine, call 866-960-9558 or fill out our online form to request a billing assessment.
ProMD Medical Billing has been providing expert medical billing services since 2004. Our medical billing company is composed of an array of revenue cycle management (RCM) professionals, including certified medical billers and coders with more than 20 years of professional medical billing service experience.
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