{"id":4638,"date":"2021-04-08T13:28:51","date_gmt":"2021-04-08T17:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.opencare.com\/blog\/?p=4638"},"modified":"2021-05-28T15:46:08","modified_gmt":"2021-05-28T19:46:08","slug":"how-to-optimize-your-office-managers-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.opencare.com\/blog\/how-to-optimize-your-office-managers-time\/","title":{"rendered":"How to optimize your office manager\u2019s time"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading Time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

Every dental practice staff member knows the true lynchpin of the operation is the office manager.\u00a0 This multi-skilled superstar must keep on top of the day-to-day running of the business, manage a team of disparate individuals, keep stock levels up to date, check insurance claims are being pursued in a timely manner and keep an eye on the bottom line.<\/span><\/p>\n

Combining the job descriptions of logistics expert, sergeant major, accountant and agony aunt takes an incredibly special individual.\u00a0 If you find a talented office manager, hold onto them with everything you\u2019ve got. If your office manager isn\u2019t properly supported, their effectively spinning plates and it\u2019s only a matter of time before one comes crashing down!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Three areas for immediate improvement<\/b><\/h3>\n

In what ways can you help this most crucial staff member manage their workload and keep everything running smoothly? <\/span>It comes down to three things:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Time management<\/b> \u2013 allocating their responsibilities effectively<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Process support<\/b> \u2013 providing software or serviced solutions that make day to day operations simpler<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Financial management<\/b> \u2013 feeling secure that things are on an even keel<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    With the above in mind, we\u2019ve put together eight tips to help you support your office manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Eight strategies to help your office manager<\/b><\/h2>\n

    1) Keep them off the phone<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Ideally your office manager should not be covering the phones at all. They need to have an overview of the business. Instead, it\u2019s your receptionist\u2019s responsibility to help patients with booking appointments or spending time on the phone with insurance companies. Remember, it\u2019s more cost-effective to hire extra reception staff than replace a burnt-out OM.<\/span><\/p>\n

    2) Automate or find faster solutions to routine activities<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Insurance verification is one of the most mundane and repetitive tasks involved in running a dental practice.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    As the office manager staff at Waterview Dental reports: \u201c<\/span>One of the key time consumers for receptionists is insurance verification. Freeing up time from the receptionist in verifying insurance may be one of the keys to improving overall office efficiency.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

    Your office manager and reception staff should not need to chase after patients\u2019 eligibility. Fortunately, there are solutions that allow you to <\/span>outsource insurance verification<\/span><\/a> and billing claims. You can pre-verify patients before they turn up for their appointments and keep your office manager off of the phone with insurance companies.<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

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    Worry-free insurance verification<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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    Opencare takes the guesswork and effort out of insurance verification.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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    3) Know the bottom line<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Regularly check the practice\u2019s financial performance against hard targets. This is perhaps the most important responsibility of a good practice manager. It may seem complex and stressful working out how the business is doing, but in fact it\u2019s straightforward arithmetic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    There are around 192 working days in the year for the typical dentist. Your practice should have at least an annual target but a monthly target is much more effective (T). Let\u2019s say you have two hygienists pulling in a set amount per day (H). The daily target for your doctors\u2019 daily billings is therefore:<\/span><\/p>\n

    T \u2013 (H*192) + 10%) \/ 192<\/b><\/p>\n

    The 10% is margin for error and allows for contingencies you can\u2019t predict.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    4) Reinvent team roles<\/b><\/h3>\n

    \u00a0Firstly, look at what aspects of your office manager\u2019s role properly belong to administrators, reception staff or hygienists. It\u2019s all too common for the OM role to become a catch-all for tasks that nobody else wants to do.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

    Secondly, start to think of your team as sharing in revenue generation. You can use automation and data pushed to desktops and even smartphones to demonstrate to assistants, hygienists, and doctors how they are performing and where they might upsell or prevent that most costly of syndromes \u2013 cancellations.<\/span><\/p>\n

    5) Invest in solutions<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Proactively research ways to support them with software or outsourced services that optimize day to day efficiency. Whether it’s sending email marketing campaigns to customers, or scheduling appointment reminders or follow-up appointment prompts by text, there are straightforward and effective technological solutions to help generate revenue and keep those bookings rolling in.<\/span><\/p>\n

    6) Develop a claims schedule<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Rather than applying an ad hoc approach to revenue protection, set aside a regular time slot each day, or each week, to chase up unreimbursed claims. This will improve cash flow, reducing anxiety. <\/span>Revenue cycle management<\/span><\/a> is key to a practice\u2019s ongoing performance, and the good news is that much of this can be optimized through software solutions too.<\/span><\/p>\n

    7) Provide continual professional development<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Make sure your office manager has protected time to keep up to date with new billing codes, new business practices, and developments within the industry. This ensures they remain integrated in the success of the business, and able to relay news to the team at the regular team meetings we sincerely hope you\u2019re having!<\/span><\/p>\n\n

    8) Stick to tangible goals<\/b><\/h3>\n

    Specified, concrete KPIs that can be measured are infinitely preferable to vague objectives. Make sure your OM buys into this process and that they devise a realistic set of goals against which to measure practice performance.\u00a0 Reviews should take place at regular intervals. Remember, you are not primarily measuring their performance, but rather the success of the business.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Bonus tip: talk about it<\/b><\/h3>\n

    And one more thing\u2026 when everyone\u2019s frantically busy it can be hard to find time to take stock. But you need to do this. If it means closing the office for a Team Building Day, so be it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Perhaps you can combine a fun morning activity with open and honest conversation in the afternoon. It\u2019s best not to attempt both simultaneously, however \u2013 it can be hard to offer meaningful criticism when you\u2019re dodging paintball bullets or riding the rapids!<\/span><\/p>\n\t\t

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