Transforming Healthcare: Care Team Redesign

Positive Prognosis for the Dream Team!

Over the past several months working in my practice I have seen such an evolution as my management team begins to truly implement and develop changes in our operations and strategic management. It’s so exciting!

I’ve never felt so blessed to work in health care as I do right now, and specifically as someone who studies healthcare leadership and has been working in healthcare for so long; it’s just so refreshing to work for leaders who share my value and visions and to have my voice heard; as over the years I have gained so much to say.

I furthermore feel super excited to have one my best friends and colleagues working alongside me. Together we are really building something great as medical assistants that I think all CMA AAMA’s should strive to create for themselves.

We have been tasked recently with implementing an externship program for our practice that we are super excited to get started. Subsequently we’ve also gotten the opportunity to draft the core values for our practice.

In reality however, “luck” had nothing to do with the opportunities we have been presented with. Great things come to those who work for it!

I would like to conclude today’s post by reflecting on some of the things that I have learned about what makes a great medical assistant.

1.)    Know who matters

       Know who you serve; your doctors, your management staff, your nurses, your fellow MA’s, your admin staff, or your patient, yourself.-Whomever is you’re are serving at an given moment, understand, prioritize, and devote your attention accordingly.  Learn when you have to devote your attention entirely to one thing and how to delegate in that situation. & perhaps more importantly, as any medical assistant can attest to, how to juggle and multitask when the situation calls for it-and how to do it efficiently.

2.)    Know what matters to them

       See the above, each of those categories; as an MA that is exactly what you do is. You provide a service to them. Go beyond that. Get to know them, get to know their expectations and then adapt your behavior to tailor to them.

                               Do you know your doctors? Know them well enough to know what they want before they know they want it. An average MA knows basic job expectations and duties. A great MA knows how they like their coffee, what materials they need in any daily situation that crosses them, how to prep their exam rooms, how to room their patients, how to care for their patients, and how to help them optimize their own medical care.

                                  Do you know your patients? Can you empathize with their situation, do you understand their feelings? An average MA can probably mark off the box “empathy” in their list of skills-but a great MA goes further than that. A great MA makes a conscious effort to connect with every patient. Know your regulars, and remember things about them, so that you can make the feel like family when they enter the office. Know when you see patients often within a small period of time – and why. And to every other patient, introduce yourself every time even if you’ve seen the patient before – introduce yourself until you don’t have to anymore; until you’ve really connected and created a solid foundation and relationship between yourself and the patient. At every stage in this relationship, keep in mind that you are your patients advocate. You are there to help them, comfort them, and support them in their health. A great MA will always go above and beyond to do so-they will clear up confusion, go into detailed explanation, ensure patient understanding, follow up with patients, assist in scheduling complicated tests, and answer every question (even the silly ones) with patience and care. Can you answer your patient’s questions? A great MA can, by learning your specialty, self-educating, and working closely with your doctors and nurses, an MA knows what questions are in their scope of practice. This allows MA’s to gain the knowledge necessary to answer most of the general questions patients may present them with – and to learn over time and through experience more complex, unusual even questions that may be thrown their way. Confidence and competence of medical staff has a huge impact in fostering a quality relationship between the physician and the patient.

                                         Do you know your co-workers? Do you know their strengths and their weaknesses, and furthermore do they know yours? A medical office can optimize patient flow by working together seamlessly and fostering teamwork. Know when it’s appropriate to foster and embrace team work, pull your own weight and when needed help others to pull theirs. Learn about your co-workers. Learn what they expect from you and what is expected from them and how to work together to create the best outcome. Learn how to communicate with them effectively. Contrastingly, know when it is appropriate to work independently. Independence means more than knowing how to work well and accomplish tasks under little supervision; It means, knowing when it’s appropriate to stand out, make a stand, say something, fight for yourself, fight for your doctor, fight for your beliefs, and fight for your patient. As a medical assistant we have unique insight and our voice can make a difference.

Eagerly inviting input on your experience, advice, or definition of what defines a great medical assistant, and sets them apart.



Oh, and P.S. EB mad props today, cheers to the future! woo!
The Wilson to my House, my partner in crime. No one else I'd rather ride in this roller coaster with than you!

Sunday science

Found this gem on Tumblr via Jupiter2.

Full body scan from top to bottom.

Happy Sunday!

Even the littlest things, can have infinite impact

Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care

PMH: assessing the sum of past events or circumstances relevent to the present and the future

I started working in healthcare in 2008, as a part-time job filing paper charts and have first-hand watched the evolution of the industry unfold from the moderately effective at best archaic, undeveloped model that was the medical office, into today’s constantly evolving and limitlessly complex world of healthcare.

This transformation in the field, driven by technology and innovation, faces new challenges and opportunities on a daily basis; challenges and opportunities that affect all entities involved including healthcare leaders and physicians, all levels of clinical and administrative staff, and most importantly, patients.

I have worked in various capacities in healthcare throughout my career. I have filed paper charts and experienced the “thrill” (and yes that is sarcasm, this was probably one of the most mundane monotonous experiences in my entire career) of medical billing. I have been on the phones and in the office, in the exam room and in the OR, worked face to face with patients and side by side physicians both administratively and clinically. With each new role I gained new insight, skills, and understanding of the vital role that every moving part of a health care operation plays in the big picture of this ever changing field.

I am currently working at clinic that is truly on the cutting edge of innovation as an operation and it is so exciting to be a part of this experience as our practice continues to grow and change. It is a privilege to work not only with these physicians, but with our management staff as they spearhead the revolution of health care operations.

Those who know me know that my work in healthcare is my life…and my passion.

I received a letter from my CEO on March 26^th of this year

 

It is things like this that mean the world to me personally and professional, and affirm that I am exactly where I am meant to be doing exactly what I love and was meant to do. I am could not be more proud to be a part of something like this, and working under those who share my vision and passion for healthcare. I look forward to what the future holds and to taking you on this journey with me every step of the way.