office manager

[Cmsmith7]

Hi, I am a RN currently working in on a transplant stepdown unit. I have recently been asked by a good friend to become the office manager (basically everything) for her as she starts a plastic surgery practice. She will be finishing her residency in June. Does anyone have experience with starting a practice? She would basically need me to do everything billing/coding, assist as an RN, or anything else that comes up. I just graduated nursing school May 2017. I want to finish my year out at the unit I am on. But am just wondering if there are any classes or resources I could use to help me prepare. Thank you.

[Neats, BSN]

First Congratulation's on your possible upcoming job.

I have been an office Manager before and it does not matter how many providers you have there are some basic tasks that must get completed on a daily, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

There are quite a few skills you need with I assume billing one of the highest. You need to know what codes you can legally bill and how to bill. I suggest you get a workshop class before you start for if you have a hard time with billing then you will fail. There are a lot more items you need like CLIA certification (lab), like HR issues, if this practice performs surgery in office then you need autoclave tracking, supplies/tracking supplies ordering supplies. I am thinking I would not want to work as a RN part time and office manager part time unless it is only a office with not more than 1 provider. If it is greater than 1 provider I would suggest a part time billing person (20 hours weekly) would lift the burden off your shoulders.

I would look at the job descriptions of each person that works in a provider office and see what you need training on. It is not as seamless as you think it would be. You have to think like a lab assistant, claim biller, AR/AP billing office person, RN, HR, Medical Records...and then who is going to clean the office you too? Too much unless I am invested in this business too.

Good luck you will need to be highly organized just to be stretched thin in what ever you are doing.

[Cmsmith7]

Thank you so much. At first it will just be me and the surgeon.

Any suggestions on where to find workshops for billing? I have googled a few times but it just gets to be overwhelming the info that is out there and not sure what exactly I need. I have been trying to find some good resources that I can refer to or that can help me point me in the right direction.

Thank you for your suggestions.