ARTICLE: Security & Safety

What’s your job responsibilities?  Really, what are you responsible for at work?  If you’re a Practice Manager in healthcare, you are responsible for everything!  Practice Managers of course are responsible for overseeing all of the administrative and business operations of the practice... but their duties also include hiring and managing employees, ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations, setting prices, selecting vendors, managing the budget, and implementing strategies to make sure the practice runs profitably and efficiently.  As I said earlier, they are responsible for everything! 

In fact, they have so many job responsibilities that sometimes one of their most important responsibilities get overshadowed... their responsibility for practice safety and security!  Put simply, Practice Managers are responsible for keeping the staff, physicians, and patients safe. 

 At one point, practice safety and security wasn’t a big deal because workplace violence at medical practices rarely happened.  But in recent years assaults on medical practices have significantly increased.    

Despite the increase in workplace violence, most medical practices never experience a serious staff or patient assault.   Unfortunately, the unlucky practices that do experience an assault often discover too late the importance of practice safety and security.  And the worst time to discover your practice has a security and safety issue is when a staff member or patient suffers a workplace assault, and an OSHA inspector shows up on your practice’s doorstep to investigate!  

When I started researching practice assaults several years about, very few people in healthcare would even acknowledge that it was a problem.  Today, medical practice safety and security is a high priority for Practice Managers.    

Over the years, I have developed several training workshops that were designed to help healthcare workers better manage angry patients.  In my most recent workshop on practice security and safety entitled...”Surviving Angry and Disruptive Patients”, I take a detailed look at the critical things a Practice Manager can do to prepare their staff for a potential workplace assault.  This comprehensive workshop is built around “The 3 things every manager should know about workplace violence.”  Although there are lots of issues Practice Managers should know, there are really “3” key things that are critical.  These  3 things are: 

1. Workplace Violence is bigger than you think!  Managers have got to understand that workplace violence is growing.  In fact, nearly 75% of all workplace assaults occur annually in healthcare.  Most of these assaults are directed at nurses and healthcare staff.   

2. The Practice Manager is responsible for staff safety.  Based on OSHA, the Practice Manager is “legally obligated to provide a workplace that is free of conditions that either the employer or industry recognizes as hazardous and that causes, or are likely to cause, death or serious physical harm to employees when there is a feasible method to abate the hazard.”  In other words, OSHS says the Practice Manager is responsible for practice security and safety period! 

3. The Practice Manager can’t eliminate workplace assaults and violence.  Oh, it’s possible to eliminate it but the patients wouldn’t like that type of environment, and neither would the staff.  So the best way to deal with workplace violence in the practice is to get better prepared to deal with it if it happens.  In fact, preparations is the best shield against workplace violence.   

If you would like to learn more about my approach to  workplace security and safety, check out my webinar  “Surviving Angry & Disruptive Patients” 

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.

Medical Service Training Group

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

3/22/2022

Most Administrators and Practice Managers I meet tell me their front office staff does a pretty good job serving their patients. They say they are professional, caring and hard working. But those same Administrators and Practice Managers often admit their staff struggles when they encounter angry patients. And these patients complain the loudest and create the most stress for the front office staff! 

So, what can Administrators and Practice Managers do to help their staff better “manage” angry patients?

Step #1: Let the staff know that these challenges with angry patients are going to happen and it’s not the staff’s fault. Letting them know that management supports them will greatly lower their stress level.

Step #2: In the next staff meeting ask them to take 10 minutes to list those issues that get patients angry. This could include issues around checking in, appointments, billing and checking out. Once the list of issues has been created, encourage the staff to rank order them from “most to least serious.” 

Step #3: Take the issue they ranked “most serious” and ask the staff to develop a written script and strategy for handling an angry patient when this issue occurs. Once they have the script, make copies and distribute a copy to every front office staff member. 

This will not eliminate angry patients, but it will give your front office staff a better chance to successfully “managing” them when they happen.   

If  you would like to improve how your staff manages angry patients, check out my “Service Recover- Managing Angry & Disruptive Patients" webinar in the "Training Section" of this website.   

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.

Medical Service Training Group

ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

11/14/2020

 I realized recently that I spend a lot of time in and around medical practices...both professionally and personally.  As a patient service trainer, it’s my job to work with dozens of medical staff members and practices all across the United States.  And as a card-carrying member of AARP, I now personally visit my healthcare providers on a regular basis. 

With all of these encounters with healthcare staff members at all levels, I have discovered that patient service varies widely from practice to practice.  From just the bare minimum patient service all the way to world-class patient service.  

Listed below are the four levels of patient service I have identified:

Level #1: POOR... This level of service is not good enough to pass as “service.”  Patients are very unhappy with this level of patient service and take their anger out on the staff or post nasty complains on social media.    If this poor level of service continues, some patients will look for other healthcare providers.  

Level #2: GOOD... This level of service is the basic level expected by the patient. It’s nothing special but is perceived by patients as meeting their minimum level of patient service.  Good patient service includes some  staff effort to connect on a personal basis with the patient. 

Level #3: GREAT... This is a big jump from Good patient service. At this level the patient views the service as an unexpected bonus and added benefit.  Great Patient Service goes above and beyond what patients expect. The staff takes extra steps to demonstrate that they understand what the patient is going through and that they genuinely want to give the patient the best experience possible.

Level #4: GAMECHANGER... This level of service sets the industry benchmark for outstanding service. Your staff members are viewed as rock stars and outside medical professionals visit your practice to see what they can learn or steal from your patient service approach.  

So, what level of patient service does your staff provide?   Not sure?  Well I have a great tool to help you assess your staff's level of patient service.  It's quick and easy to use and the best part... it's free!  Just go to my store and order a free copy of my "Patient Service Self-Assessment Questionnaire."  I'll email you a copy free... no hassle and no obligation. 

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.

Medical Service Training Group

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

8/22/2019

 Has this ever happened in your lobby? A patient gets agitated because his appointment is delayed. He starts loudly arguing with your staff about the delay. His voice gets so loud that everyone in the lobby can hear his angry complaints. As your front office staff struggles to respond to the patient, a senior staff member steps forward, has a brief conversation with the patient and escorts him into a side office. A few minutes later they emerge, and the patient quietly returns to his seat in your lobby. Mission accomplished...crisis avoided. 

In today’s contentious environment, most healthcare providers have experienced this situation. Disruptive patients are becoming more frequent and more frightening every day. In fact, these incidents have become so common placed they are now viewed as part of the daily work routine. 

But what would have happened if your senior staff member was not there to step in? What if they’re at lunch or on vacation that day? Who else on your staff has the skill and training needed to deescalate this disruptive incident before it becomes a major crisis? 

Here are two critical steps you should take now just in case your senior staff member is not around to handle your next angry patient: 

1. Get Your Staff Ready. Hey, you know that eventually an angry patient is going to be disruptive so take a few minutes with your staff to discuss what they should do if that happens. Talk about past incidents and discuss steps they should and should not take if it happens again.  

2. Conduct Fire Drills. In school we learn what to do in case of a fire by conducting fire drills. So why not conduct “angry patient” drills with your staff. Identify a situation that angers a patient and have your staff walk through what they would do and say to de escalate and defuse the patient’s anger. 

The best technique for handling angry disruptive patients is to be prepared. 

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.
Medical Service Training Group

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com  

2/15/2019

Although the vast majority of your medical staff’s encounters with patients are routine, some can be frightening and stressful. Unfortunately, in today’s combative environment disruptive patients are becoming more frequent and more frightening.

There are lots of reasons patients are disruptive but regardless of the cause, your medical staff must be prepared to deal with it swiftly and effectively.

One of your primary responsibilities today as a healthcare manager is preparing your staff for their next encounter with a disruptive patient. Here are the 5 “critical actions” you should take to prepare them:

1. Clearly define what specific behaviors constitute as “disruptive patient behavior.”

2.Train your staff how to identify if the patient is “dangerous.”

3. Train your staff how to de-escalate the patient’s anger. 

4. Establish procedures for removing the patient from the facility.

5. Document and debrief every major disruptive patient encounter.

No matter what you do, you can’t avoid disruptive patients, but you can better prepare your staff to handle these frightening and stressful incidents. 

Clarence Fisher

Medical Service Training

ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com
8/12/2018 

Wouldn’t it be great if you could get your staff to be nice to patients simply by wearing a smiley face?  Especially those members of your staff that are sometimes cold and surly with patients. 

Well that ain't happening. So, what can you do right now that will actually help your staff "be nice to your patients?"
 

Being nice to patients starts with your staff's understanding "Polite Words" and "Bonding Actions." By using “Polite Words” and phrases your staff can show your patients compassion and caring. “Bonding Actions” demonstrates to the patient that your staff respects and values them.  
 

Let’s face it, you’re not getting your staff to wear smiley faces so patient service training is your only option. 

Clarence Fisher
Medical Service Training Group

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

3/1/2019

 A "paradigm shift" is a fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions. Is it time for medical practices to have a paradigm shift in how they serve their patients?

Most medical practices follow the traditional patient service model. It is designed simply to get patients checked in, treated, checked out, and get paid as efficiently as possible without drama. This patient service model has been in effect for decades. But with changing patient attitudes and expectations, is it time for medical practices to rethink this traditional patient service model?

One fundamental change medical practices should make is during the initial patient check in. Rather than focusing on the practice’s administrative needs, the front desk staff could ask more questions to determine the patient’s needs. For example, ask patients how they would prefer to make or reschedule appointments, or be reminded about appointments schedules or get their questions answered. These questions are a shift from traditional patient service questions. These questions help the staff better understand the patient so they can “tailor” the service for that specific patient. They also signal to the patient that their needs are important to the medical practice.

Most paradigm shifts start with small actions and gradually gain momentum over time. By changing the types of patient questions your staff asks during check in, you are starting to move away from the traditional patient service model. What paradigm shift has your medical practice made that has changed how you service your patients?

If you would like help changing your approach to patient service, please contact me. I can help you find innovative ways to better serve your patients.

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.
Medical Service Training Group 

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

6/6/2019

As I travel around the country as a training consultant, I meet a lot of people... in airports, in restaurants, in hotels lobbies and in my favorite hangout, Starbucks. 

Often during these casual conversations with strangers, they will ask me what type of business I’m in. My usual response is that I help medical practices provide better service to their patients. And that’s when it happens... that’s when they start telling me their story about poor patient service they’ve experienced. These stories range from ongoing arguments with medical practice staff about appointment delays, all the way to loud shouting matches with the staff over being treated with respect and dignity.   

What’s so amazing about these “strangers” sharing their patient service stories with me is...they all have at least one poor patient service story and they never complement the medical practice for how they handled that patient service issue. 

Let’s face it, your staff is going to have conflicts with patients... they can’t avoid them. But they can do a better job handling those patient conflicts.  

So what poor service stories are your patients telling strangers in your neighborhood?  If you want help reducing those poor service stories and improving how your staff handles angry patients, please contact me.  

Clarence L. Fisher, Jr.
Medical Service Training Group 

 ClarenceFisher@MedServiceTraining.com 

7/1/2019