Chapter 49 The Medical Assistant as Office Manager

how are old telephone logs, payroll records, minutes of practice management meetings, and canceled checks categorized?

confidential documents

in the medical office, what measures should be taken when discarding confidential documents?

by first shredding them and then placing them in a recycling bin

what should be available for hand hygiene in every examination room?

hand sanitizer only

What may be stored in examination rooms in cupboards or drawers?

alcohol prep pads

what type of waste containers should needles and glass slides be discarded in?

rigid biohazard waste container

what is an important feature of biohazard waste containers?

all

what is the best location for storage of cleaning supplies and chemical solutions to clean the examination room?

in a central area used to store all cleaning materials

what furniture should be located in the waiting room?

two to four chairs per doctor in the office at one time

what type of magazines should be located in the waiting room?

current magazines of general interest

If there is a rack of brochures with medical information in the waiting room, who should oversee the selection available?

the physician should approve all materials

who is usually responsible for minor, routine office maintenance?

office staff

how should workplace injuries be minimized or avoided?

staff members should wear sturdy shoes with low heels

what is a comfortable temperature for treatment rooms or special procedure rooms?

68 to 70 F

how should spills that occur in the patient restrooms be handled?

they should be cleaned by staff wearing disposable gloves

what color should be used for caution signs?

yellow lettering on a black background or black lettering on a yellow background

how should biohazard waste containers be emptied?

by the staff, when they are three-quarters full

what items in the medical office should have labels or be color-coded for safety reasons?

all

which parts of the office require the ability to be locked in addition to the main office doors?

medical laboratory

if controlled substances are stored in the office, how should they be stored?

in a locked drawer within a locked cabinet separate from other items

what should be assessed during a safety inspection?

electrical cords in good repair and not obstructing walkways

how should lighted exit signs be tested?

room lights should be switched off

how should all medical records, including computer data backup disks, be stored?

in locked, fire-resistant file cabinet

what is important information about the equipment purchased for the medical office?

all

equipment wears out. which of the following would be most likely to result in a decision to replace a piece of equipment instead of repairing it?

the manufacturer no longer produce parts for repair

what is involved in keeping a supply inventory?

a list is maintained of all supplies used in the medical office

what is necessary in order to prevent running out of needed supplies?

determine a realistic reorder point, and order new supplies when that point is reached

when newly ordered supplies arrive in the office, what should the medical assistant do?

check the supplies received against the packing slip to make sure everything that has been ordered has arrived

what is the general term for establishing and maintaining policies and procedures that protect the medical office and staff from lawsuits?

risk management

what protects physicians and office staff if patients claim that diagnostic procedures, tests, or treatments caused an injury?

professional liability insurance

when does an incident report need to be completed?

all

W-4

the form used to claim withholding allowance for federal income tax reporting

W-2

Wage and Tax Statement, by January 31 of each year This form is used by the employee to complete their personal income tax forms. State income taxes are usually included on this form.

Salary

a fixed amount paid on a regular basis that does not depend on the number of hours worked.

Gross pay

the amount of money earned before any deductions, is calculated by multiplying the number of hours worked times the hourly rate.

FICA

a tax collected from employers and employees to fund the Social Security program, which provides benefits to retired workers

I-9 Form

(Employment Eligibility Verification) form before they can begin working.

FUTA

Federal unemployment tax (FUTA) is paid by the employer on the first $7000 of income at a rate of 6% (for 2024). The money, which must be deposited quarterly, is used to pay unemployment

Medicare tax

In addition, 1.45% of employee wages are withheld for Medicare taxes, and the employer must pay an additional 1.45% when the income is above a specified threshold.

Federal tax

charges collected by the national government—specifically through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—to fund public services and government operations

Sate tax

a mandatory financial charge or levy imposed by an individual state government on people, workers, and businesses within its borders