Month: October 2020

Patient Experience

75% of healthcare providers state that the patient experience is critical to the organization’s success. Just like in all businesses, customer experience is becoming vital. Focus on patient experience and they will keep coming back.

Outsourcing

And who doesn’t want more time to focus on their core tasks? Outsourcing can free up the necessary time to finally concentrate on the most important projects and tasks in your health center.

Go Paperless

From the cost of buying paper to storage to even security concerns, kicking the paper habit can save your office time and money. Investigate ways to go digital and learn how to operate with less paper. Long term your bottom line will be happy with the decision.

Infographic: The impact of telemedicine

It’s no secret, telemedicine is now part of our healthcare landscape. With its convenience and cost savings, telemedicine is not going anywhere, anytime soon. But are you aware of the total impact of this cutting-edge technology? The following statistics should convince you that the influence of virtual visits has completely changed how healthcare can be delivered.

Revenue Cycle Mistakes

We can help you avoid the many revenue pitfalls that can negatively impact your health center’s bottom line. Contact us today to learn more

Four ways to combat stress and exhaustion during the pandemic

It has been a long 2020 for everyone but especially taxing on medical professionals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began earlier this year, doctors, nurses, and other first responders have been called into action to help society combat this dangerous virus. But while providing outstanding care of others, healthcare workers themselves place their own health aside. Here are four ways to deal with fatigue and stress from being overworked and stressed.

Acknowledge that you need help

This is an important first step. Even though you may comprehend that you are overworked, tired, and possibly even suffering from burn out, it can be difficult to let others know you need to take a breath and recharge. Family and friends are always more than happy to help, so don’t be afraid to ask them for assistance. It can make a huge impact on your mental well-being.

Surround yourself with positive people and limit negative news

Negative people can be draining, and when you are already close to exhaustion, they can make improving your mental outlook nearly impossible. When you are not working, partake in positive conversations with friends and family. That leads to the next point. Even though being informed is a good thing, too much information is not. Attempt to throttle down the amount of news you are reading each day. Instead, read a book or peruse an upbeat blog. Avoiding negativity will shift your mood.

Exercise

Yes, time is precious, especially when you are called upon to provide life-saving work. But organizing your schedule to include exercise is paramount. Even if it’s just a short 30-minute walk around your neighborhood, going outside and getting your body moving can do wonders for your health. Mentally and physically.

Don’t overdo caffeine

It’s tempting to reach for a second, third, or even fourth cup of coffee to keep you moving, but caffeine will put you on an energy roller coaster. At first,  you will feel a boost but over time it wears off and you will feel fatigued. Additionally, caffeine increases anxiety, the last thing you want on the rise during times like these. Try to limit your caffeine intake and instead opt for healthy snacks and increase your water intake.  You’ll notice a more steady, sustainable energy level throughout your day.

Stress has been high this year but if you take a moment to destress and follow a few simple tips, you can learn to deal with difficulty and remain healthy and balanced.

Staff Well-Being

If you still have staff working from home, make sure they are taking time to go outside, get some fresh air and sunlight. It can make a huge difference in morale and overall well-being.

How to Facilitate a Healthy Environment for Health Workers

It’s important that we all have healthy working environments, both in the physical sense as well as the mental sense, but when it comes to the high-stress environment of health workers, keeping their work environment healthy can be crucial. Not to say it isn’t crucial in all workplaces, but when your job is to handle other patients and make sure they’re living their best life, and if you are constantly ill or have reached your burnout point, then you’re endangering more than just yourself.

To Keep a Physically Healthy Environment:

  • Keep it clean. In any healthcare facility — be it hospital to walk-in clinic, it’s pretty standard to keep the floors and surfaces sanitized almost daily. Things that should also be considered are vents and air ducts, because if you’re breathing dusty air, it’s going to irritate not only the health care workers, but the patients as well. High and hard-to reach places should also be cleaned regularly, such as the top of a large shelf or behind a television.
  • Do not over-crowd. It’s easy to do when you have a lot of staff working and little to no foot space, which can lead to trips and bumps or scrapes. Keep a clear walking area separate from any filing or machine storage. Also consider keeping every inch possible well-lit to avoid falls or even eye-strain.

To Keep an Emotionally/Mentally Healthy Environment:

  • Practice team communication daily. Sort of like a pre-game huddle for a sports team; set your goals, ask anyone to express concerns or to give praise to anyone or previous goals that were met, and always make sure the health workers are being listened to more than talked at. Keep this kind of communication going throughout the day via computer systems, in person conversations, or handheld devices like pagers, walkie-talkies, or cell phones.
  • Healthy relationships are also very important, both amongst individual coworkers as well as boss-employee relationships. If the workers don’t like the person in charge, or the person who is working alongside them, they’re going to feel more stress and this could contribute to burnout (which is when the health worker gets so overwhelmed that they just don’t care about their work anymore — it’s a work-related depression).
  • Do not overwork your health workers. There needs to be an adequate amount of people to level out the work-worker ratio, if there’s too many workers, then people will get bored, which will lead to carelessness and accidents, but if the workload is too much, then the employees will rush, leading to incorrectly cared-for patients as well as hurried accidents.

Healthcare workers deserve a healthy environment just like any other worker — and really these suggestions can be applied to any service-providing job. Good luck, and stay safe!

Doctor Shortage

This upcoming shortage can be attributed to older patients and retiring doctors according to the AAMC. A vital profession that hopefully sees an uptick in interest from young people.

Want Faster Payments?

Faster payments and optimized revenue for your health center. That’s what we will begin implementing on day one. Want to learn more? Contact us today!

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