In a medical office, attention to detail is mandatory given the essential operations it runs. The management of the office should be therefore assigned to a person with extensive knowledge in nursing and business management. Numerous states and local governments across the globe have stipulated policies that every medical office should follow. The medical office manager is tasked with assigning duties and responsibilities to the staff. Opening and closing procedures detail different office operations such as office working hours, whose duty is it to do a stipulated task, accessibility to consumer records procedures among other duties.
Opening Procedures
The office policy on opening procedures should contain essential directions on how to properly set the office. As an example, if the opening time is 8 a.m. the unlock staff should arrive before opening time. They can then perform tasks such as;
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Switching on the lights or opening the blinders.
Disabling the premise alarm system and switching on the machinery needed for office operations such as faxes, printers, and copiers.
They can proceed to clear all voicemail of previous calls for appointments or other important business.
Before embarking on the day’s schedule, the staff can look at the previous day’s closing to use as a guide for the day’s proceedings.
The opening staff then reviews the day’s schedule and notes the duties of other staff such as compiling laboratory reports, filing consumer information,
The unlock staff can then open the office’s main entrance.
Then proceed to open the record books for signing appointments or the call-line for consumers to make calls.
In the case the opening staff notice anything suspicious before opening the office, they have to immediately inform the authorities and the management and halt the office opening process. At least two staff members should be tasked with opening the office such that in any case of an encounter with criminals, one can call for help.
Closing Procedures
When the closing time reaches, one member of the closing staff informs the customers and guides them on what to do if their business has not been concluded. At least two members of the office staff are be tasked with closing the office. One stands outside the entrance observing and taking note of suspicious onlookers, as the other locks the door from the inside. After closing the office and before exiting the office, the closing staff should do the following;
Do a walkthrough and ensure all files and documents have been appropriately stored in a lock up.
Ensure all the cabinets and storage lockers have been secured with locks.
Ensure all office machinery have been turned off.
Turn on the answering machine to take voicemails.
Proceed to turn on the alarm system and switch off the lights.
The office policy requires all staff to exit the building at the closing time so as not to keep the closing staff for long.
What Not to Include in the Opening and Closing Procedures
The opening and closing procedures manual should not include details about the security systems in place in the office as intruders may know where to disable them. It should not disclose the location of any other entrance apart from the main door so that access to the office is limited to personnel only. The manual should also not reveal the location and position of the file cabinets, cash tiers, and other relevant office equipment. This is so to avoid giving criminals all the information about the office. It should not publicly state who are tasked with office opening and closing since that can put a target on them for criminals.
