Medical Office Management

Admissions and Course Prerequisites:

All students entering AHDPG must submit or achieve the following:

• High School Diploma or the Equivalent, or Academic, Employer or Family Sponsorship.
• Complete the assessment associated with their respective program, as necessary.
• Maintain up-to-date information on the AHDPG Student Profile.

Program Overview:

This course is divided into 17 lessons that include the latest information on the design and management of the medical office. From developing the skills needed to succeed as a medical office manager to attracting and keeping the best staff, this course is a how-to guide for both a professional medical office manager or an individual interested in pursuing a position in medical office management.

Healthcare management is a field that attracts a diverse population of people. Although some medical practices prefer to hire medically trained managers, such as a person in a nursing or medical assisting background, other practices look for a manager who has skills in the business area. The healthcare field today is far different from what it was in decades past. Changes have occurred at many levels, from the way physicians are paid for their services to the scope of practice of the various medical personnel. The medical office manager needs to stay current with the changes in the field as they occur. This includes changes in the federal, state, and local levels, where laws passed may impact the way healthcare is delivered.

• Lesson 1 contains information on today’s healthcare environment. This Lesson outlines the type of practice settings a manager may encounter and includes information on the traits of the medical office manager.
• Lesson 2 contains information on the duties of the medical office manager, including conducting staff meetings, coaching, and motivating employees to higher performance, and dealing with suppliers and service contracts.
• Lesson 3 addresses types of communication in the medical office, including both verbal and nonverbal communication. This Lesson includes information on written communication, including the components of writing a business letter.
• Lesson 4 discusses the steps for managing the front office in a medical clinic. The use of telephones, including features of various telephone systems, and the greeting of patients in the front office are covered in this Lesson.
• Lesson 5 goes into detail of appointment scheduling and the process of triaging and screening callers to the medical office.
• Lesson 6 includes information on the management of medical records in the medical office. This Lesson contains current information on the use of electronic medical records, as well as the use of paper records, for those offices that are not yet using an electronic system for medical records management.
• Lesson 7 contains in-depth information on the legal and ethical issues involved in managing the medical office. This Lesson outlines the process of maintaining professional files for physicians and the legal obligations associated with mandatory reporting in healthcare.
• Lesson 8 describes the steps to successfully managing the personnel in the medical office. This Lesson contains information on how to perform a staffing model’s profile as well as advertising for, interviewing, and hiring the right candidate for a particular job.
• Lesson 9 contains important information on the regulatory requirements of the medical office manager, including recently passed legislation, such as the Red Flags Rule.
• Lesson 10 details the use of computers in the medical office, including the design of training programs for new employees.
• Lesson 11 outlines the use and creation of office policies and procedures in the medical office, including policies that apply to the administrative as well as clinical areas of the office.
• Lesson 12 addresses the function of accounting and payroll in the medical office. This Lesson has great detail on the use of various IRS forms as well as details on managing accounts payable.
• Lesson 13 describes the function of billing and collecting in the medical office. From creating a fee schedule to managing the accounts receivables, this Lesson provides a lot of detail for the management of finances in the medical office.
• Lesson 14 has current information on health insurance and the processing of medical claims.
  Lesson 15 contains information on the use of procedural and diagnostic coding in the medical office.
• Lesson 16 outlines the use of quality improvement and risk management programs in the medical office, an important area to concentrate on in order to reduce patient and employee injuries and increase patient satisfaction.
• Lesson 17 describes the function of marketing in the medical office, including details on creating a robust website and the use of social media in advertising.

Grading Scale:

A minimum grade average of 70% is required to proceed through the program.  The composition of grades including applicable categories of assignments and associated weights varies by subject module and can be found in the individual course syllabuses.

Tuition and Fees:

• Tuition fee: $1,795.00
• Books and Materials Fee: $795.00 (nonrefundable)
• Administrative Fee: $50.00 (nonrefundable)

Other Fees:

• 3% Convenience Fee (nonrefundable). Waived for direct bank draft payments.
• Extension Fee: Students requiring more time in the program than originally allocated will incur an Extension Fee. The Extension Fee will be assessed at $195 per month for students who pay upfront for their program or the monthly payment for students on the monthly payment plan.
• Missed Payment/Return Payment Fee: A $40 fee will be charged for each missed or returned payment.
• Readmission Fee: A student who leaves a program and consequently requests readmission will incur a Readmission Fee of $200.00.
• Transcript Fee: A fee of $15 will be charged for each transcript requested.

Completion Requirements:

Academics – A minimum score of 70% is required for graduation.

Remediation – The facilitator will work with any student who seems to be struggling to achieve and maintain a minimum course average of 70%. Any student who is in danger of not achieving the 70% required to pass the to the next semester will be counseled by the instructor and a plan for Student Improvement will be written. This plan will be placed in the student’s official file.