Life of A Medical Practice Manager

For the most part I love my job.  It challenges me.  Makes me learn new things.  Pushes me past whatever it was that I thought I was going to be every single day.  However, there are days where I cant even...

I grew up with my head in a book.  I thought I wanted to be an author, an editor, a journalists; anything that had anything to do with reading and writing was something that I was going to do.  Hell, I even went to college and got a bachelors in English Literature. 

And then shit got real.  I didn't want to be an author, although I do have a hell of a story to tell.  I would still love to be an editor, but given the tech world now and everything being on the internet, there isn't really much of a need.  And journalism, well shit. I just don't have it in me to be honest. 

Both of my parents always worked in the medical field.  When I moved down here and I was looking for a job, I was hooked up with someone my father knew who worked in the hospital nearby.  I started going back to school and someone talked me (not very hard) into the healthcare administration internship with HCA.  So my elective classes became healthcare admin (enough that I got a certification in it) with my major as business admin. 

Let me tell you something.  I love going to school.  It stresses me out in all the right ways.  I get such I high when I bust out a thesis or paper.  Studying gives me chills.  If I could afford it, I would be enrolled in school ALL the time.  But that shit is expensive.  (My reminder is the $46k I still owe and pay on monthly.  It doesn't move, it's always $46 no matter what I pay)

Before I even had my masters, my boss offered me this job in his office being a secretary.  He didn't think that I would have what it took to be what I am.  Little did he know... But he took a chance on me that I will never be able to forget.  When the current office manager was stealing from the company and let go, there was only me in the office.  I had to run clinics, administration, secretarial work.  Literally I was a one man band.  That's when shit got real for me.

I slowly, not so easily took over the place.  I learned everything I could about billing and coding, Medicare guidelines, insurance vendors, EMR/EHR systems, credentialing, reporting.. the list goes on and on.  I knew nothing when I walked in one day and just decided that I wanted this job to be mine. So I made that shit mine. 

I think the worst part for me would be the hiring and firing.  Apparently, I can't hire for shit.  If I could, then I wouldn't have to fire.  But I am young and green still.  I am slowly building a backbone.  I can do this.

I go to a conference this weekend for billing and coding.  Company is paying for me to learn even more.  I cant wait really.

I cant say that I am great at my job.  I still have a LOT to learn,, but I am learning.  In reality, I am shocked at how far I have come in such a short time, knowing nothing when I walked in.