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July 2009
In Business, and in Wooden Shapes It's All About the Right Fit
Dear Reader,
As we discussed in the June email newsletter, one of the first things medical offices need to do when they notice a decline in cash flow is look internally for process issues. This month we continue with this theme and discuss the importance of the billing department manager and what to look for when filling this critical position.
 Spot Your Misfit PegAlthough not the highest paid position in the organization, with anational average salaryof $62K, the business office manager within a healthcare organization makes a lot of the day-to-day decisions that impact the viability of the business. A wrong hire in this position can spell disaster. If the billing manager is over-qualified, she may not choose to be involved in the day-to-day operations, much of which can be tedious and full of minutia, plus, you may be paying too much for the position to boot.
An under-qualified manager can cost you as well. She may have the best intentions, but lack the experience to effectively manage her staff, or she may spend too much time “doing” and not enough time improving processes and tracking results.
A Bad Fit Is Bad for Business
It’s important to consider that the wrong billing office manager may be the reason for your decline in cash flow. Why Because without proper training and direction, the business office staff often spends much of their time on the wrong tasks, such as figuring out why an account should be written off, or resubmitting the same claim again and again without fixing anything, or working all accounts equally without considering the account balance or its collectability, meanwhile other accounts go beyond timely filing. With the right manager on board, she’ll train her staff to collect more – improving your bottom line. Find Your Right Match The business office manager of a health organization is entrusted with a significant amount of responsibility, so it’s worth it to find the right fit. What does the right fit look like
- Hands-on experience working healthcare receivables, either on the provider side or the payer end.
- Previous management experience or a strong management mentor in your organization.
- Ability to set clearly defined and achievable goals and to motivate her staff in reaching them.
- High degree of organization and ability to manage multiple priorities.
- An aptitude for computer software and an ability to act as a liaison with IT staff.
- Willingness to roll up her sleeves and get the job done, without losing the big picture.
Bottom line:In this time of economic uncertainty – when cash is tight – it pays to have the right person running the business office and making sure your organization is collecting all the receivables it can.
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