“How to Develop & Implement an Effective Employee Handbook in Your Medical Practice”
“How to Develop &
Implement an Effective
Employee Handbook in
Your Medical Practice”
Presented by:
Deborah R. Mathis, CPA, CHBC
Michael S. Lewis, MBA, FACMPE
“How to Develop & Implement an
Effective Employee Handbook
in Your Medical Practice”
Presented by:
Deborah R. Mathis, CPA, CHBC
Michael S. Lewis, MBA, FACMPE
Agenda
Why a handbook?
Where to start
Basic content
C iti l iinformation
Critical
f
ti
Implementation
Why a Handbook?
Protection for practice and employee
Guidelines for every employee
Consistent treatment for all staff
Help resolve personnel issues
1
Where to Start
No specific format
Unique to your practice
Clear, concise, organized
Ask colleagues for help
Can purchase template
Professional organizations
Basic Content - Introduction
Introductory overview
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Welcome staff
Mission statement
History
G l
Goals
Practice culture
Management philosophy
At--Will Employment
At
Disclaimer – not an employment contract
Employment at-will
Termination
2
Confidentiality
HIPAA policies – privacy and security
Penalty for non-compliance
Compensation and Benefits
Payroll
◦ Frequency
◦ Taxes
Holidays
Vacation time/PTO
Benefits
Bereavement
Jury duty
Inclement weather
◦ Health, Dental, etc.
Short/Long-term Leave of
Short/LongAbsence
Military leave
Sick leave
Family and medical leave
Other leaves of absence
3
Employment Details
Equal opportunity
Employment categories/job descriptions
Hours of work
Work schedules
Pay and performance issues
Standards of Conduct
Safety/hygiene
Dress code
Timeliness
Smoking/substance abuse
Discrimination/workplace harassment
Other Important Subjects
Company computer/property use
Performance reviews
Grievance procedures
4
Finalizing handbook
Have others in practice review
Ensure compliance (attorney review)
◦ Local
◦ State
◦ Federal
Update on a regular basis
Implementation
Give employees time to read
Sign and date
Keep copy in each office location
Maintain electronic copy
Use, follow, and update
Consistency
All employees must follow the rules and
guidelines specified in the handbook
Exceptions
p
cause p
problems
5
Questions?
Deborah R. Mathis, CPA, CHBC
Michael S. Lewis, MBA, FACMPE
Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A.
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101
Toms River, NJ 08753
732-349-6880
www.CowanGunteski.com
6
DONALD A. COWAN, CPA, PFS, CFP
Shareholder/Managing Director
Healthcare Services Group
Donald A. Cowan, CPA, PFS, CFP, Shareholder/Managing Director, founded
Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A. in November 1982. He has more than 25 years of
public accounting experience in both New Jersey and Washington D.C. His client
base includes physicians and physician groups, family-owned businesses,
publicly traded companies, manufacturing-based corporations and firms doing
business in the construction industry.
Mr. Cowan has provided management advisory services in the areas of
investment decisions, the evaluation of business structures and preparation of
business plans for a wide range of businesses. He has a wealth of experience in
medical practice vital signs, physician compensation formulas, buy-sell
agreements and medical practice valuations. He has developed special expertise
in the tax and financial planning area and has particular experience in familyowned businesses, wealth management and succession planning. Mr. Cowan
typically gets involved in helping clients operate their businesses more
productively and profitably through proper management and evaluation of their
operating systems. He is also highly qualified to address potential merger and
acquisition issues.
A graduate of Monmouth University, Mr. Cowan is a member of the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of Certified
Public Accountants. He earned the designation of Certified Financial Planner
in 2005. He was also certified by the AICPA as a Personal Financial Specialist
in 2008.
Mr. Cowan is a member of the national and New Jersey chapters of the Medical
Group Management Association. As a prominent member of the New Jersey
business community, he serves on the advisory boards of several leading banks.
A lifelong civic leader, Mr. Cowan has served as president of the Ocean
County/Toms River Chamber of Commerce and is a past president of the
United Way of Ocean County. He is also a member of the board of trustees
of Community Medical Center and serves as either a board or committee
member of various not-for-profit organizations throughout Monmouth and
Ocean counties, including the American Heart Association.
Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A.
Certified Public Accountants and Consultants
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101 • Toms River, New Jersey 08753
Telephone: (732) 349-6880 • Fax: (732) 349-1949
Email: dcowan@cowangunteski.com
www.CowanGunteski.com
MICHAEL S. LEWIS, MBA, FACMPE
Director
Healthcare Services Group
Michael S. Lewis, MBA, FACMPE, Director, Healthcare Services Group, brings a
wealth of knowledge in medical practice management to Cowan, Gunteski & Co.,
P.A. Mr. Lewis joined the Firm in 2005 after spending 27 years as a senior
executive in the healthcare industry and was named Principal in 2007. He has
demonstrated expertise in identifying opportunities and solving problems within
medical practices so that doctors can concentrate on the business of medicine. Mr.
Lewis is a recognized expert in:
Practice Management
Practice Acquisition
Healthcare Information Systems
Physician Relations
Reimbursement and Billing
Management Consulting
Throughout his career, Mr. Lewis has been actively involved in billing and account
receivable management. Practices that he has managed have been recognized by
the Medical Group Management Association as among the “Best Practices” in the
country with respect to billing and collection indicators.
Prior to joining the Firm, Mr. Lewis served as Executive Director of a 27 provider
primary care group with nine offices in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester
counties. He previously was the Administrative Director for the Department of
Surgery for the Cooper Health System; Vice President of a division of the Graduate
Health System that owned and managed physician practices; and the administrator
of an internal medicine sub-specialty practice. He has also provided consulting
services throughout the years in all areas of medical practice management.
Mr. Lewis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biology from Brooklyn College
in 1974. He went on to earn a Master of Science in Biology from Fordham University
in 1975 and a Master in Business Administration in Health Administration from
Temple University in 1977. Mr. Lewis earned the professional designation of Fellow
of the American College of Medical Practice Executives (FACMPE) in 2006.
Listed in both Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Medicine and Healthcare,
Mr. Lewis is a member of the Medical Group Management and Healthcare Financial
Management Associations, as well as the Gerson Lehrman Group’s Council of
Healthcare Advisors. He is a frequent speaker on topics related to medical practice
management for hospitals, physician groups and various trade associations, including
the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), New Jersey Medical Group
Management Association (NJMGMA), Healthcare Financial Management Association
(HFMA) and the New Jersey Dental Association (NJDA).
Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A.
Certified Public Accountants and Consultants
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101 • Toms River, New Jersey 08753
Telephone: (732) 349-6880 ext. 7715 • Fax: (732) 349-1949
Email: mlewis@cowangunteski.com
www.cowangunteski.com
DEBORAH MATHIS, CPA, CHBC
Shareholder/Director
Healthcare Services Group
Deborah Mathis, CPA, CHBC, Shareholder/Director, Healthcare Services Group,
has been working with physician practices for more than ten years. Ms. Mathis
joined Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A. in July 1996 and has focused her career on
helping physicians and other professionals keep more of their hard-earned money.
She consults with physician practices in the following areas: revenue enhancement
strategies, practice vital signs, compensation formulas, physician buy-sell
agreements and valuation of medical practices.
Healthcare providers throughout New Jersey have hired Ms. Mathis to advise them in
the formation of their practices, including business entity selection, implementation of
practice management and accounting systems, bank loan negotiations, development
of fee schedules and retirement plans. Ms. Mathis also consults with established
practices considering mergers, recruitment of new physicians, expansion into
new market areas and ancillary service offerings. Area hospitals have engaged
Ms. Mathis and the Healthcare Services Group to value physician practices for
potential acquisitions.
As a Certified Healthcare Business Consultant (CHBC), Ms. Mathis is uniquely
trained and experienced in both the financial and operational facets of medical and
dental practices. Ms. Mathis’ strong accounting and tax foundations enable her to
find creative solutions for her clients, in an industry that has seen constant changes
in regulations and reductions in reimbursements over the past decade.
Ms. Mathis is a frequent speaker and author on topics related to medical practice
management and revenue enhancement for physician groups, hospitals, and various
medical associations. She was a featured speaker at the national Medical Group
Management Association (MGMA) convention in 2006, as well as the New Jersey
MGMA Practice Management Conference for the past couple of years. Deb has been
published in MD News, as well as numerous other periodicals for the healthcare industry.
Mathis joined Cowan, Gunteski & Co. in 1996 after earning a Bachelor of Business
Administration in Accounting from Loyola College. Mathis is a member of the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the New Jersey Society of
Certified Public Accountants. She serves as the President-Elect of the United Way of
Ocean County, where she is also a member of the Campaign Cabinet and chairs
the Special Events Committee. In 2010, Ms. Mathis received the Young Altruistic
Professional Award from United Way for her community involvement and
philanthropy. In addition, she serves on the Board of Trustees of the Southern
Ocean County Hospital (SOCH) Foundation and the Meridian Health Professional
Care Committee. In addition to being named one of New Jersey’s Best 50 Women
in Business in 2010, Ms. Mathis has also been included in the 2007 Class of Forty
Under 40 by NJBiz.
Cowan, Gunteski & Co., P.A.
Certified Public Accountants and Consultants
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101 • Toms River, New Jersey 08753
Telephone: (732) 349-6880 ext. 7716 • Fax: (732) 349-1949
Email: dmathis@cowangunteski.com
www.cowangunteski.com
COwAN, GuNTeSkI & CO., P.A.
H e A LT H C A R e S e R v I C e S G R O u P
Revenue enhancement Services
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Contract Analysis and Negotiation
Reimbursement Analysis
Fee Schedule Analysis
Charge Capture Analysis
Accounts Receivable Management
Payment Denial Reviews
Ancillary Opportunity Review
Physician Practice Compliance
CPT Coding Review
Physician Coding education
Quality Assurance
HIPAA, OSHA, and CLIA Compliance
e R v I C e S
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Operational Analysis and Review
Staffing Analysis
Practice Overhead Analysis and Budgeting
vital Sign Reports (key Operating Indicators)
Financial Forecasting
Market Feasibility Studies
Benchmarking
Process Improvement
Organizational Structure
Bank Negotiations
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Physician Recruitment and Retention
Physician Search Services
Compensation Formula Development
Buy-Sell Agreements
Merger and Acquisition Assistance
Physician Credentialing
e A L T H C A R e
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Financial and Tax Reporting
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Accounting and Bookkeeping
Business and Individual Tax Preparation
employee Benefits
Financial Statements
Internal Controls
Selection and Implementation of Accounting Software
Selection and Implementation of Practice Management Software
wealth Management
Succession Planning
estate Planning
Financial Planning
Investment Advice
Retirement Plan Services
Asset Protection
Practice valuations
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H eLPING O uR C LIeNTS A CHIeve T HeIR G OALS
730 Hope Road Tinton Falls
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101 Toms River
Member of CPAmerica International
NJ 07724
NJ 08753
Phone: 732.676.4100
Phone: 732.349.6880
Fax: 732.676.4101
Fax: 732.349.1949
w w w. C o w a n G u n t e s k i . c o m
CG HeALTHCARe SOLuTIONS, LLC
AN
A FFILIATe
OF
C OwAN , G uNTeSkI & C O ., P.A.
CG Healthcare Solutions has many years of proven expertise improving the
revenue cycle for physicians and other healthcare providers. Our experience
includes working with a wide range of practice areas, including cardiology, primary
care, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, hematology-oncology, radiology, orthopedics, thoracic
surgery and ophthalmology.
Medical Billing Services Focused On Improving Your Revenue Cycle
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Real-Time eligibility verification
electronic Management of Patient Referrals
Sophisticated, Multiple-Resource Scheduling System
HIPAA-Compliant electronic Claims and Remittance
Customized Reports to evaluate How Your Practice is Performing
Handheld wireless Solution for Off-Site Charge Capture
Automated Patient Appointment Recall
Accounts Receivable Management Services Focused On Collecting Your Money Faster
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More Than 95% of Claims Paid on Initial Submission
Charges and Payments Posted within 24 Hours
Aggressive Follow-up for Primary and Secondary Claims
Fee Schedule Analysis
Coding education and updates for Staff and Providers
Coding Review Services Focused on Maximizing Insurance Reimbursement
electronic Medical Records ("eMR") Solutions Focused on Improving efficiencies
Physician and Provider Credentialing Focused on Simplifying The Process And Saving Money
Practice Management Consulting Services Focused on Helping You earn More Money
Having CG Healthcare Solutions as your Practice Management Team allows you to focus on
patient care, while we focus on your financial health. CG Healthcare Solutions is Your Prescription
For a Healthy Practice.
H eLPING O uR C LIeNTS A CHIeve T HeIR G OALS
730 Hope Road Tinton Falls
40 Bey Lea Road, Suite A101 Toms River
Member of CPAmerica International
NJ 07724
NJ 08753
Phone: 732.676.4100
Phone: 732.349.6880
Fax: 732.676.4101
Fax: 732.349.1949
w w w. C o w a n G u n t e s k i . c o m
CG HeALTHCARe SOLuTIONS, LLC
At CG Healthcare Solutions, LLC, we understand the demands of managing a
healthcare practice. You are faced with regulatory and compliance, personnel
and quality care issues. Our profitability consultants focus on helping you manage
your medical billing, accounts receivable and other practice management issues,
so that you can focus on the practice of medicine and healthcare. Our goal is to
increase your earnings through solutions that serve as Your Prescription For A
Healthy Practice.
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