We offer an array of typical practice/office management supports for independent clinicians and other health-related businesses. (For information on non-health related office management services, please go to our business-related website, ReGroup! Business Solutions at https://www.regroupbiz.wordpress.com.)

The services offered under the Practice Management category include Practice Management, Office Management and Office Assistant supports.

Practice Management typically is performed by the HHS CEO or a designated Practice Manager (to eventually be hired). The duties are higher end and demand extensive experience on the part of HHS personnel engaged in Practice Manager duties. Those duties comprise a comprehensive understanding & management of the practitioner’s business, and include aiding in the development of a business structure and strategy. Few independent therapists will use a Practice Manager on any kind of regular basis, although there may an occasional need for consultation.

An Office Manager oversees & manages everything from filing & organizing, to bookkeeping, quality assurance & client file management, marketing & social media, and more!

An Office Assistant performs more entry-level tasks, such as filing, organizing, appointment scheduling, and so forth. Office Assistants typically need more supervision and direction than other administrative personnel, and generally are only hired for specific, short-term projects.

Depending on what you need and the agreement you will have with Heritage Health Services, most of the work we do will be completed in your office, although some (non-client related) tasks may be completed either remotely, or from our offices.

Below is a reasonably comprehensive list of the functions that can be performed by HHS staff in order to allow you the time you need to do the work you love.

Bookkeeping (basic accounts receivable & accounts payable)
… set up each new client in your electronic billing system
… set up new or additional insurance companies for electronic billing
… develop & maintain systems to assure that all sessions are billed in a timely fashion
… bill insurances, MaineCare and individuals for each appointment session completed, as well as no shows
… reconcile insurance, MaineCare, private pay and any other payments
… follow up with collections from private pay clients
… send monthly statements to clients
… pay bills / invoices as needed
… maintain QuickBooks entries

Working with Insurance Companies (please see “Payments & Collections”)

Business Structure, Governance & Practices
… initial meetings with clients to complete opening paperwork
… create policies and procedures for clients such as fee schedules, cancellation notices, no-show fees
… maintain business affiliate files and forms, including insurance certificates
… ensure a standard format for all client files and progress notes
… maintain HIPAA compliant systems
… provide best practices information on business management

Client Files & Quality Assurance
… monitor opening paperwork packets for timeliness and completeness
… set up client charts and maintain them
… make certain progress notes for every session are completed, and meet Licensing standards
… enter dictated notes to proper format
… develop tickler system for reminders when quarterly plans and annual paperwork are due
… ensure discharge summaries are completed and submitted in a timely fashion
… file all client and other paperwork

General Office Work
… manage appointments & keep updated on-line and hard copy appointment books
… follow up with referrals
… monitor emails for important issues

Staff Assignments, Fee Structure and Availability

Heritage Health Services is able to provide as many or as few hours as you, the customer, need. We will take on short, time limited projects, or provide qualified long-term staffing for your on-going needs.

When HHS assigns a staff member to your work-site for office/practice management, that HHS employee is closely monitored for the first six months of service, with the CEO or a designated manager frequently on-site with the HHS employee (as described below) to ensure the responsibilities are fully understood, that there is a good HHS employee to customer fit (the customer being you, of course), and that the HHS employee will be up and running as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

The staffing ratios listed below are described as in the following example:
… During the first week an HHS employee is assigned to your work-site or office, an HHS manager will also be on site for at least one out of every 3 hours worked by the HHS employee. Both the HHS employee and the HHS manager will bill for their actual time, with the HHS manager billing at a higher management/skill level rate.

The HHS manager will support the HHS employee in
… learning your office’s needs & routines,
… implementing HHS’s methodologies, and
… assuring that the HHS employee assigned is a good match in terms of personality and skill level.

This HHS management staff to new HHS office staff ratio of 1:3 (i.e. one hour of management time for every three hours of staff time), will typically only be for the first week.

During weeks 2-8, the HHS manager will typically be on-site at your location for 1 hour each week for every 1-9 hours the HHS employee works each week. This would mean 2 hours HHS management time if the employee works between 10-18 hours per week, and 3 hours of on-site HHS management time if the employee works 19-27 hours per week in your office.

During weeks 9-17, the HHS manager will typically be on-site at your location for 1 hour every week up to about 18 hours worked by the HHS employee, or 1.5 hours every week from 19-27 hours worked by the HHS employee.

During weeks 18-26, the HHS manager will typically be on-site at your location for 1 hour every week up to about 27 hours worked by the employee.

During this first 6 months, the HHS manager will check in frequently with you to see how things are going, and to identify any additional areas of need or support that you may want or need.

By the end of the first 6 months, it is expected that HHS management and you, the customer, will be confident that the employee can handle any circumstance that might arise, needing only regular weekly group supervision at the HHS offices, or check-ins with HHS management as needed. You, the customer, are always welcome and encouraged to relay any needs, ideas and/or concerns to HHS management.

Invoicing for HHS’s services is done weekly on Sunday evenings, with the expectation that the customer will pay that invoice no later than the first Thursday following a Sunday invoice.

Cost of This Service:

Our hourly fee for our basic Office Assistant service is $38.00, billed in quarter hour increments, with weekly invoices emailed to you on Sunday evenings.

If it’s determined that you need an Office Manager, that is, someone more skilled who can also do Credentialing and/or Collections, the fee is either $45.00 per hour for those specific services (please see descriptions under their tabs), or $41.50 when combined with basic Office Assistant services.

If you have a more complex office with the need for a Practice Manager, please contact Linda Snyder at 208 / 740.2247 to discuss that option.