4 Strategies for Staying Organized as a Medical Office Manager

Time constraints force office managers to juggle several duties, causing emotional and mental stress.

Without a solid strategy to prioritize and organize your office tasks, you can easily forget crucial assignments and meetings.

This leads to even more stressful days and less productivity for you and your staff. Here are four strategies for staying organized as a medical office manager.

Establish priorities.

Establishing your daily priorities is the first step toward organizing the chaos. Create a to-do for the business ahead, whether electronic or old-fashioned handwritten. This will help provide a positive head start to your day as you enter the office.

Control your calendar.

Carefully controlling your monthly calendar is crucial, as every month includes its own set of issues and deadlines. These can consist of training requirements, financial reports, 401(k) and profit-sharing filings, and internal project milestones.

Document all these deadlines every month as soon as you learn of them. Don’t forget to include things such as:

  • Board meetings
  • Reminders for upcoming essential deadlines
  • Staff gatherings
  • Physicians’ rounds
  • Online meetings

Designate times for specific tasks.

Another good tip for maintaining organization in the office area is designating a specific time each day for certain tasks such as opening mail and answering emails. If you don’t do this every day, you’ll end up doing it throughout your day, which will distract you from larger, more pressing tasks.

If you experience a high volume of regular and electronic mail, it might be worth your while to establish an approach to dealing with it by using a labeling system. Have a procedure that includes urgent, important, and less important labels. This is an excellent way to ensure you don’t overlook anything critical. It will also save you considerable time by temporarily ignoring the less important group until you have more time.

Many office managers are proud of their open-door policies for staff members, but those constant interruptions can set your day up for failure. Set aside an hour every day for quick visits from the staff and set criteria for the interaction. Ensure your team is adequately trained and also has the tools to problem solve on their end.

[Need some resolution ideas for the new year? Click here!]

Prepare for emergencies.

Organized office managers need to prepare and plan for any possible emergencies. Set up a system for storing vital financial and personnel records. Assemble a binder containing significant emergency-related and staff phone numbers in security breaches, fires, or spills. Planning will allow you to utilize the office manager’s most limited resource – time.

While working in the medical field can be rewarding, it is often overwhelming and demanding. Set yourself up for success by being organized; start by following these tips.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , Posted by
  • As a speaker at the first ad hoc meeting of rheumatology practice managers gathered in a single small room at its infancy a decade ago, I’m amazed to see how NORM has blossomed into a high energy organization of depth and professional meetings with parallel break-out symposia between plenary sessions. NORM has truly come of age. This is where the “business” of rheumatology gets learned. The ”guildmanship” for rheumatology practice management is now strong.- Paul H. Caldron, DO, FACP, FACR, MBA, Arizona Arthritis and Rheumatology Associates
  • In a time of demanding changes in the management of medical practices in the US, NORM has been a lifesaver to the community of Rheumatology practices.  NORM has allowed our practice to stay ahead of the many demands of CMS and others payors and has ensured that our practice remains cognizant of new issues that arise in HIPPA compliance, human resources and medical billing to name a few. Sending our Practice Manager to NORM's conferences has been cost-effective and beneficial to our practice because she returns to our office with an abundance of information that otherwise would have taken months to compile. Every Rheumatology practice that wishes to stay on top of emerging issues in practice management should consider sending a member of their staff to NORM's conference.- Michael S. Rosen M.D., Chester County Rheumatology PC
  • Thanks to all those wonderful people in the NORM Network who respond to emails, offering their advice, experience, time, and support ... I haven't even been a member a full year yet and I am amazed at the dedication of everyone who responds to helping via emails and the NORM Organization itself! I have barely had a chance to explore the resources and I have yet to really dive into requests for help still I am silently learning so much and do occasionally offer what I can! Thank you all!- Cheryl Piambino, Kenneth E. Bresky, DO

What We Offer

We’re adding value to practices across the nation by creating a thriving community of rheumatology managers and physicians.

Membership Benefits

Become a Member

Annual Conference

Conference Registration