Take Care of Those Who Take Care of Us
Medical offices are high-stress environments with many demands. The ongoing pandemic has challenged not only the level of professional expertise of the medical personal; it has challenged their mental, emotional, and physical strength like nothing ever before. Now it is even more critical than in pre-pandemic times to take all the unnecessary burden off of their shoulders. Happy employees are more productive, but they are also more engaged with their environment, critical in a healthcare setting.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality’s latest survey reveals that medical office staff misses the mark nearly a quarter of the time (23%) when it comes to being “helpful, courteous, and respectful” to patients. Here are several ways to boost your medical office morale and have hospital physician’s answering service take the load off of office staff.
Focus on Your Mission
The goal of any health care provider is to serve the needs of patients. When you speak with your office staff, it’s important to stress the purpose of this meaningful work. Employees who understand and buy into their purpose are generally happier in their jobs.
Sometimes, administrative office tasks can make it a challenge to remain focused on a company’s mission. Take the phones, for example. When phones are ringing all day long, it becomes difficult to focus on patient care. But hand these over to a physician’s answering service, and the office staff will be under less stress and will be more available to concentrate on their primary objectives.
Give Your Employees Power
Employees like to know that their ideas and opinions matter. When an associate comes to you with an idea, take the time to listen to them thoroughly, and attend to any concerns that they may have. Part of being an effective leader is not micromanaging your employees but instead, empower them by giving them the tools to become successful.
When you use a physician’s answering service for your office’s calls, your office staff have more time to innovate and create processes that will improve patient satisfaction. A physician’s answering service not only answers your phones but can also handle appointment scheduling and your emergency dispatch services.
Have Fun!
Healthcare offices may be in the business of providing medical care, but there is no reason why they can’t be cheerful and fun places to work. Now that you no longer have ringing telephones as your background music, pipe in something more upbeat. Now that life is beginning to open up again take the time to celebrate your employees with birthday cakes, pizza lunches, and even some offsite team building or weekend events.
Providing a positive work environment for your staff will not only benefit your patients, but it’s the right thing to do for the health and well-being of your employees. According to the University of Cambridge, the stress in the workplace can lead to high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and even substance abuse.
By implementing these simple ideas, both your patient and employee satisfaction levels will soar. It is good for everyone involved and good for business. Contact Answering365 now to learn how our physician’s answering service can help improve the morale in your medical office and be sure to take advantage of our free consultation by calling 888-588-9800.
