Caring for clinic support staff in COVID-19

Photo Cred: National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

By Heather Skeens, MD, CFMP

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has rocked the healthcare industry. Many medical practices have taken a large financial hit and have had to decide between shutting down temporarily or continuing to weather the storm. Those practices that have decided to stay open, have had to modify their operations. 

To lessen monthly expenses, some practices have had to lay off, or place their employees on furlough. Previously supportive staff have been forced to file for unemployment, which, according to statistics published by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, will only replace half of an individual’s previous income, and may take weeks to receive.

As an eye surgeon, and sole proprietor, I have made the decision to weather the storm, and in doing so, had to rethink clinic operations. I am no longer able to perform elective surgeries. I am fortunate to have about three months of overhead payment capability in my corporate savings account. For those that do not plan for the rainy day, I believe this pandemic will have us all thinking differently as we recover.

I liken it to the lifestyle many led following The Great Depression, where little was wasted, and much was saved. How many rolls of toilet paper will we stockpile in our garage when this is finished? 

As a business owner, one of my highest responsibilities is to my supportive staff, who I refer to as my team members. I am responsible for my team members, many of whom are the breadwinners for their families. That can be a large burden for a business owner to bear. However, I have found that to be an effective leader, and gain longstanding trust, I have an obligation to support my team. After all, I do not operate my practice alone. I take care of my team members as my family, and I have found that they, in turn, are loyal to my patients and my business.  

Your team members look to you for advice and direction in this time of uncertainty. I conduct daily meetings with my team members, in the morning, prior to starting our day. This is a good time to relay the position of the business, update the team on government policies as they develop, and voice any praise or concerns to them. One of the first things I did when non-essential businesses were forced to close was to reassure my team of our strong financial position and discuss how each one of them could help ensure we all continue to maintain our jobs. “We are in this together,” was my message to them.

We worked very hard as a team to quickly incorporate telehealth. There are not many eye-based telehealth platforms. Our electronic medical record (EMR) company was quick to assist in finding a HIPPA-compliant application, compatible with their system, from which we could work. I reviewed emails daily regarding the technology. My team and I listened to countless numbers of webinars regarding the proper way to conduct telehealth, how to bill for telehealth, and how to be most efficient in handling telehealth appointments.

I have two team members that are single mothers with young children at home. I made sure those members were set up to work from home. Our phone service provider offers an app for a smartphone. When signed into the app, the calls coming into the practice can be accessed anywhere. These two team members were temporarily provided a laptop from the practice to access the EMR, and all calls coming into the business are taken from their homes. In addition, we video chat them for daily meetings. 

As a busy cornea transplant surgeon, we have had to continue to see some patients, despite not being able to do elective surgeries. We are also one of the only eye practices that has remained open in our area, and as such, see several daily emergencies. My team and I wear protective gear consisting of gowns, masks, and eye shields. We wash our hands after every patient encounter, and wipe down all surfaces, including door handles and counters, after each patient has exited the building. We have allowed only two patients in the office at any given time.

We have used time outside of patient care to complete projects that have been outstanding for quite some time. Your team members have amazing talents of which you may not be aware. I have learned one team member is passionate about marketing and loves to create social media posts that benefit the practice. She also loves to sew and has been making masks to give to our patients. She has helped develop an online store in my office, where we can send patients after their appointments to purchase supplements and other products. She has set aside space for news broadcasting on social media, and we have begun recording videos explaining common conditions.

Publication of your work may be important, and now is a good time to collect data. You can give a list of important research items to a team member and have that person work on collecting data. This is a great way to get a jump on your research topics. 

We have a database of nearly 5,000 patients, and while intentions have been good, e-mail addresses and cell phone numbers for many patients have never been entered. Now is a good time to update your patient databases so that you may have proper communication in the future. In addition, updating your referring doctor databases, and ensuring referring fax numbers are available, is paramount. 

Our billing team has taken this unexpected downtime to work the outstanding accounts receivable for the past year, writing letters to the insurance companies to collect on payments due. We have been able to appeal and collect on many denied claims. 

Finally, talk to your team about their own health and wellbeing. Many do not realize the stress the current situation may be causing. As integrative healthcare practitioners, we have knowledge of preventative medicine, and it is important to share that with your team so that they may boost their immune systems. 

If those around you are healthy, you are more likely to remain healthy, and productivity is expected to increase. Talk to your team about the importance of social distancing and protecting themselves when they must be in public. Remind them that each of you are trusting that the others are doing all they can to stay safe, so that no one at work is exposed to unnecessary risk.

Discuss the importance of good sleep hygiene, exercise, and nutrition. I have a room in my practice designated for yoga and meditation. I also have an infrared sauna in the office, and I encourage each team member to use it at least three times per week. 

While the above-mentioned principles have been effective for me, I realize not everyone has been able to make the decision to remain open. Even if you have had to temporarily lay off or furlough a supporting team member, you can call to check on that person, and make them aware of your business position. Optional virtual meetings are one way to bring everyone together and keep everyone informed.  

It has been a difficult and strange time in healthcare, but I believe we can grow and be stronger in our businesses when we return. We should use this break in our daily routines to our advantage, promoting growth as a team, and creating a strong, unbreakable bond for the future. 

Editor’s note: Click here for more information and ongoing COVID-19 updates for integrative healthcare professionals.

About the Author

Heather Skeens, MD, CFMP