Dexcomm

Things to look for when choosing the right answering service

Rachel McElroy — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:30:55 +0000

Finding the right answering service is the key. Providing 24/7 live customer service to your clients or patients while choosing not to have your employees take home a phone a night, work around-the-clock or worse having an answering machine that cannot “filter” your emergencies is a “no brainer.”

Things to look for when choosing the right answering service:

1. What is the company’s training process? The operators become an extension of your business and many times are the first impression of your operations. Ask about how the answering service trains their staff to handle customer service, critical thinking, in-depth client profiles with special needs or considerations such as HIPAA laws and to take a message. Also, ask how much training do the operators receive before answering your calls.

2. Does the answering service provide the services you need? Do you need the answering service to just answer the phone, process orders, page your on-call staff, send out blast SMS messages/emails or more? The right answering service can handle your needs no matter how complex with a strategic planning partnership and great communication.

3. Will the answering service provide the right value of service for what you are being invoiced? Ask them how they are going to bill you. Answering services vary in the method of invoicing such as message counts, dedicated operators (hourly), time usage, live time, service units. Ask what the call, unit or time entails because it could mean a number just came up on the caller ID but no actual message was taken. (IMHO, look for a service that invoices on live time.)

4. How dependable is the service?
a) Make sure the answering service has its back up systems in place. Do they have multiple offices in case of a disaster?
b) What is their “up-time”? This means time without their systems going down and you are left without service.
c) Do they have long ring time? Plain and simple, how quickly will they answer the phone.

5. Does the answering service record all of their calls and can you access them? There is no better way to know that your voice is being heard by your clients via the answering service.

5 things an HR professional or Manager is looking for from Your interview

Rachel McElroy — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:30:39 +0000

1. Job Commitment-

While you may not work at one particular job for the rest of your life, we are looking for you to commit to us for long enough to have an impact on our company. Tell us how you will make a contribution to the company and how can we not live without you as an employee.

2. Play well with others-

We want to see that you can get along with most people. And, you get along with different personality styles but can you also positively influence others (who may not be having a good day) with a smile.

3. Show what you are passionate about-

What are you really passionate about? Do you like helping people? Will you be happy in life if you do not truly love what you do? Will you be able to transfer your passion to our company?

4. Show that you have and can learn from mistakes-

Everyone makes mistakes because we are all human. We want to see an applicant that has self-awareness about past mistakes and has the ability to learn from those mistakes. Show us that you will be able to take constructive criticism and even help others from repeating your own mistakes.

5. It’s not all about us interviewing you-

We want you to ask us questions as well. Be proactive and research our company prior to your interview. Bring a list of questions and make sure to ask them, it will show us that you are engaged. If you are not trying us on for size in your interview, we may think that you are just looking for a job and not a career.

10 Things You Should Avoid During the Interview Process

Rachel McElroy — Fri, 11 May 2012 18:21:27 +0000

Before you put in an application for a position, make sure you have not made any of the following common mistakes. Making these mistakes can have a negative impact on your chance of being hired.

Misspellings or grammatical errors: Most Human Resources (HR) representatives like to communicate by email. When you submit your application for a position or send an email to a HR representative, make sure you’re using a spelling and grammar check tool. You can also have a family member or friend review your application before you submit it. Here are some commonly misspelled words:

http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html

Arriving late for an interview: Arriving late for interviews makes HR representatives wonder if you can be on time for a scheduled shift. Whenever you are scheduled for an interview, arrive at least 15 minutes early. If you are unsure of how long it may take you get to the office location, take a test drive the day before to get an idea of how much time you should give yourself on the day of the interview. In a pinch use the internet to give you directions and your estimated time of arrival. Here are some great tools that give you an estimated time of arrival:

Not being prepared:

HR representatives like to know that you understand something about their company. Look up their company core values, who their customers are, what kind of business they are in or the company’s history. Having questions ready shows you’ve done the research and you are truly interested in working for them.
Give real-life examples to go along with your answers proves you can do the tasks asked of you
If the application requires references, provide at least one supervisor from a previous position with a valid phone number or email address

Unprofessionalism:

Whenever a HR representative speaks with you over the phone go to a quiet room so there is no background noise, speak clearly and loud enough to be heard.
Ring back tones or a song that plays during your voicemail does not leave an impression you are professional.
Do not bring other people, including children, with you to the interview.
Dress professional. Do not wear jeans, t-shirts, tank tops, low-cut shirts, tennis shoes or multiple piercings. Here are some examples of professional and not professional dress for men and women.

Professional	Unprofessional

Applying for a position more than once: Reapplying for the same position multiple times in the same day will not increase your chances of getting hired. If you are unsure if someone has received your application, send an email to the HR representative to confirm.

Constantly calling to check in on status of your application: The HR department can be extremely busy and constantly checking in on the status of your application. Repeatedly calling may show that you are desperate and pushy not diligent or determined. HR representatives understand it’s tough times. Following up once a week will keep your application in minds of the HR representatives. And will keep you top of mind.

Providing unprofessional emails and/or telephone numbers that are invalid: Provide a form of a communication you will check daily. You don’t want to miss an opportunity for another interview or further instructions. Since HR representatives communicate with applicants by email, a professional email is strongly suggested. For example, emails that contain “hot”, “sexy”, “crazy”, or “gurl” (to name a few) are considered unprofessional. Your first name, last name, or a combination of the two would be an appropriate email address. Here’s a few websites where you can set up a free email address:

No Call/No Show for your interview: Not showing up and not calling to reschedule your interview causes frustration. When you agree to an appointment, keep it! HR representatives understand emergencies happen and would rather you call to reschedule your interview then not show up at all.

Arriving to the interview without proper hygiene: You may be sitting in close proximity to the person who is interviewing you, so make sure you’ve done everything to put your best foot forward.

Not following instructions: Listening is an important skill to have. Listen carefully to the HR representative’s instructions. If you are unsure of anything, make sure you ask questions.

Policy as Protection

Dexcomm — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 17:33:48 +0000

Given all of the legislation and the large number of mobile devices on the market and in our businesses today, it has become difficult for physician offices and their business associates to manage all of the devices. Everything from a USB flash drive to an electronic tablet or even a camera phone has become potential sources of a PHI breach. It is important that you craft a mobile device policy that allows you to reasonably meet all of the rules. Having this policy in place and administered will allow you to sleep at night knowing that you have done the due diligence and what is required by law.

Is your practice looking for a generic mobile policy?

60k’ HITECH Overview

Dexcomm — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 10:31:23 +0000

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was signed into law as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) Act of 2009. The main focus of HITECH was to encourage the use of health information technology. Several changes were made with this legislation, including that business associates are now subject to the same requirements as covered entities. Not only do you have to comply with all of the HIPAA rules but now your answering service, CPA, attorney and other professional service organizations, that may see PHI, also have to comply. Penalties have increased and are now being levied. Fines range from $100 in a “did not know” offense to $1,500,000 for “willful neglect”. If a breach does happen that is over 500 records, the media must be notified. Finally, each State Attorney General may now prosecute separately from the Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary (HHS) making fines a serious issue in the event of a breach.

So what is protected under the Privacy Rule?

Dexcomm — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:27:00 +0000

Electronic Protected Health Information (EPHI) is any “individually identifiable health information maintained in electronic media or transmitted or maintained in any other form or medium”. As you can imagine, that could include everything from a patient’s name to private medical history. Basically, anything that would identify someone. Any number of pieces of EPHI could be on a mobile device in order for a physician to serve his or her patient. Due to sensitivity of the information, it must be secured.

Physical Safeguard Tips

Dexcomm — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:10:38 +0000

Just like anything you want to protect, keep it in a safe location. Around your office make sure that all devices are locked in a drawer or in an office when not in use and never leave unattended. When outside of your office make sure the device is either always with the person responsible for it or in a secure location such as a glove box or car trunk. It only takes a second for someone to grab such a small item. Remember if the item is lost or stolen, report it immediately! Don’t forget other items like USB flash drives, memory/smart cards, CDs, DVDs, PDAs, remote access devices and security hardware.

Technical Safeguard Tips

Dexcomm — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 15:16:36 +0000

If the electronic PHI is stored and transmitted in encrypted form, then how you would handle the security breach drastically changes. Any data can be encrypted. Encryption is a process that converts plain text into cipher text which is unreadable to any unintended entity that has accessed the file without “permission.” It works by using a mathematical algorithm called keys that code and decode the cipher text. This process is performed by computer programs or specific hardware designed for this purpose.

HHS states that any HIPAA compliant entity is not exempt from the breach notification requirements if the entity keeps the keys on the same device as the encrypted data. Ask your vendor before selecting your encryption product. Keys can be stored on a USB flash drive, a key server or be regenerated as needed. For more information visit HIPAA Security Rule FAQ Regarding Encryption. On your computer, programs such as Microsoft® Encrypting File System (EFS) are built-in encryption programs that are easy to use by just changing the properties of the folder. Click here for a full list of programs.

The same protection extends to your mobile devices which should also be password protected. Change your passwords regularly: at least every 90 days. Any EPHI that is utilized or stored on a mobile device must also be encrypted including; accessing a web portal on the mobile devices web browser, SMS/text message, email or images.

Administrative Safeguard Tips

Dexcomm — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 11:04:27 +0000

Start by taking an inventory of all of the devices within your practice that are used to access and/or store EPHI. We recommend including what the device is intended for in regards to use/access to EPHI. Make sure to include the operating system the device is using. Remember your inventory will need regular updating depending on changes in employment and system updates. Tip: Set reminders in your calendar.

Review your practice’s policies to make sure they encompass mobile devices. Training and enforcement is, as always, the key to your practice’s success.

60k’ HIPAA Overview

Dexcomm — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 08:51:31 +0000

The guidance that started as an attempt for consumers to keep their health information private and make their insurance portable has become a large legislative issue. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted in 1996 and updated in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006! Congress realized that the advancements in technology called for additional legislation to protect the privacy of an individual’s health information known as Protected Health Information (PHI). The Privacy Rule sets standards to protect PHI transmitted electronically by three covered entities; health plans, health care clearing houses and health care providers. The Security Rule outlines safeguards (administrative, physical and technical) for protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of all electronic PHI created, received, maintained or transmitted. The Office for Civil Rights oversees and enforces the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule.