3 Steps for a Happy Holiday Season at your Rheumatology Practice

The holiday season is officially here!

From managing last-minute appointments to updating office hours to planning holiday celebrations, there is much to be done as a Rheumatology practice owner.

While the holiday season is typically the most wonderful time of the year, it is also known for being the most stressful.

To ensure a stress-free holiday at your Rheumatology Practice, it is essential to plan ahead and communicate with patients and staff. Follow these three steps to ensure everyone enjoys the holiday season at your Rheumatology Practice!

Create a holiday policy. 

Finalizing holiday office hours and setting clear expectations in advance of the holidays can help avoid unfair situations and a disgruntled team. Have a holiday policy in place that clearly outlines holiday pay, hours, early office closings and defines how additional time off requests will be managed.

Be sure to evaluate this policy annually and create a fair holiday rotation for your entire team.

Make your holiday hours known to everyone. 

Communicating your holiday hours to your patients should be a top priority of the season! Inform patients a month in advance of holiday hours and provide a protocol for emergencies.

Office posters, emails, and social media posts are great mediums for communicating your holiday hours to patients. Most importantly, remember to update office hours on your website, voicemail, and in your scheduling system to eliminate potential errors and confusion.

Embrace the holiday season and give back. 

The holidays are a perfect time to show your appreciation to staff and patients, give back to the community, and leverage holiday marketing opportunities.

  • Fun ways you can spread holiday cheer include:
  • Coordinate a staff gift exchange.
  • Plan a festive volunteer outing.
  • Host a holiday dinner.
  • Send patients a seasonal greeting.
  • Host an in-practice toy drive.

The holidays are a great time to plan and reevaluate many aspects of your Rheumatology practice and its policies. With a bit of planning and preparation, you will find peace and joy this holiday season!

For more tips on staying stress-free at your Rheumatology Practice this holiday season, be sure to follow our NORM blog.

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  • 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
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