Breezy J. Moyer, OD, knows that in her small office, if things aren’t organized, they may fall through the cracks. Dr. Moyer, her husband and two employees—an optometric tech/assistant and a front desk person—manage all the duties at Myoptik in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. She opened the practice in July 2019.
It’s also key that bills go out as quickly as possible because the cash flow is essential. Dr. Moyer does most of the medical billing herself, either at the end of each medical exam or after every few patients are seen. But keeping up with the multiple vision exams each day requires keen attention as well.
She’s used to that pace after nearly nine years in an ophthalmology practice and some time as a corporate leaseholder. “I became accustomed to trying to get it all done in the same day,” she says.
PAPER SYSTEM TOO SMALL
So she developed a paper grid that would identify the patient, the vision plan and other key columns about contact lens or eyewear orders and bills submitted. The idea was that every individual who worked with that patient or the record would initial when the task was done.
However the paper was small, “and sometimes I wouldn’t check it,” she says. So she purchased a large white board that she mounted in a hallway near the breakroom. Patients don’t see it there, but everyone who works there walks by it a few times a day.
“It’s an at-a-glance view and when any of us do something for that patient, we’ll put our initials in the correct column. It’s so much easier for my assistant because she doesn’t have to ask me whether a step has been taken. If she sees that a form hasn’t been filed yet, she can go find it, for example.”
CREATING ACCOUNTABILITY
It creates a sense of accountability and makes it easier for anyone to pitch in. If the checkbox hasn’t been marked that the contact lens order has been submitted, for example, someone can do that. “It’s a visual reminder to stay on task. We’re a small office, so the efficiency of doing all of our own ordering is good for us.”
Toward the end of each day, when the recordings show that the daily tasks have been done, the board is wiped clean and, if there’s time, the patients for the next day are entered onto the board.
Dr. Moyer is a believer in graphic organizational tools. “I have a calendar for each of my three kids. Everyone has their own calendar, and everything is color coded in her day planner,” she says. “I dubbed myself a ‘chaos coordinator’ , after seeing the saying on a shirt online and buying it for myself, lol.” Peace of mind at work & home!
Related: Read this story on how Dr. Amber Dunn stays organized.
