And a Newbie Makes Two

My apologies for not blogging last week. I forgot all about it, to be honest. I was preoccupied. I was getting ready for my new associate to start. 

We are still eagerly awaiting word from Medicare and the different third-party payers regarding her credentialing. Several have said that she should be ready soon. Of course, soon is a relative word. And since she started this past Monday, there is no day that is soon enough.

There has been a change in the work flow. The staff has to learn that not all messages, lab results, and mail goes to me. And while there are enough exam rooms to go around, there is only one procedure room. It hasn’t really been an issue, but I can foresee that it may be.

And as I blogged once before, I remember being the new kid on the block, having patients be disappointed that they weren’t seeing “the man.” The same thing is happening to my new associate. But she is quickly winning them over.

The first day was rough for her. Not so much the work load. Not the medical part of it, but - as is true for most physicians fresh out of residency or fellowship - the documentation and coding part. I have been checking her notes this week, and that first day, she was coding 99201 and 99202. I saw that she was missing “points” that I knew she asked about or examined. I know because she ran the cases by me. So I had her revise her notes. They have gotten significantly better since.

Yesterday, before I left for the day, she told me she was happy with her new life. I hope that continues to hold true for a long time.