Articles

The Washington, D.C., metropolitan area’s health services sector continues to remain strong, continuously adding jobs throughout the recession when other office-using sectors have shed jobs.

Delivering outstanding healthcare and taking care of patients is the reason why your practice exists. Yet generating income should also be a priority.  

Most commercial leases have a relocation provision that allows the property owner to relocate your office for any reason. This can present some negative consequences for the medical practice. 

In a medical office setting, it’s important to exceed expectations when it comes to patient privacy because merely following healthcare regulations may not be enough to protect your patients’ privacy completely. In an era where identity theft is a real threat, privacy is more important than ever, so going above and beyond the expected to ensure patient privacy can set you apart from other practices. 

Aside from simply paying more at the pump, rising gas prices can affect your appointment schedule, staff attendance, the cost of running your practice and more. It’s important to assess how high gas prices are affecting your practice and what you can do to mitigate the impact pricey petrol has on your patients and staff.
 

A population increase in Georgia has made the Atlanta region a good bet for healthcare professionals. The state's population increased 5.5 percent between 2000 and 2010, spurring construction of new hospitals and outpatient clinics to keep up with demand.

If you’re considering relocating to the Philadelphia region, you’re on the right track as the healthcare sector continues to be a driving force in the local economy.  Over the last 10 years, the Greater Philadelphia area has experienced an estimated growth rate of 4.77 percent. While this growth is more measured than other areas around the country, it’s still significant. 

 A growing – yet aging – population, technological advances in medicine, a shift in spending habits and the relative inelasticity of the healthcare industry are bolstering this region’s medical office sector, which has been largely shielded from the negative effects of the recession.

Many healthcare providers believe apps (software programs available on smartphones such as the Apple iPhone and other forms of mobile technology) will revolutionize the interaction between patient and doctor. The first app from the American Medical Association is a step in the right direction, providers say.

It’s impossible to underestimate the importance of keeping staff morale high, particularly in the increasingly stressful healthcare environment. When staff morale is low, you may have problems with absenteeism, high turnover, and poor-quality work, which can lead to mistakes that could be life threatening.

With the passage of the HITECH Act of 2009, healthcare providers have to implement a viable EMR system by 2015 or they will start facing Medicare reimbursement cuts. While some medical practices are still reluctant to make the switch, those who are early adopters could leverage it as a competitive advantage.

As interactions between physicians and allied healthcare providers increase, it is incumbent upon physicians to understand what legal responsibility they may have for the care being provided by non-physician providers.