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The Road to Professional Success and Recognition!

Date posted: Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Category: Practice Management

The Professional Association of Health Care Office Management, Inc. (PAHCOM, pronounced "PAY-COM") has been providing efficiency concepts, productivity, and networking knowledge since 1988. PAHCOM has a long and vibrant record of advancing the professional careers of individuals who supervise and manage the daily operations of physician practices throughout the country. If PAHCOM has a fault, it is our concept of concentrating on the administrative management of "small-group" physician practices of ten or fewer doctors.

In the thirty-four-year history of PAHCOM providing educational and networking concepts to the PAHCOM membership, literally hundreds of members have solidified their expertise in the "small-group" arena, then were invited to or sought out significant managerial positions in large medical care organizations. Many who have moved on to larger medical practices maintain their PAHCOM membership and continue to share their knowledge, paying it forward, maintaining professional networks, and staying connected to the core principles of medical practice administration. It doesn't hurt that PAHCOM members are generally very friendly and quick to lend support to each other. Their behavior speaks volumes for the friendly and educational culture of PAHCOM. It is not unusual to hear a PAHCOM member state, "If it were not for PAHCOM, I would still be managing a two-doctor practice." PAHCOM makes it easy to access information and build professional friendships along the way. Managers gain a strong foundation in medical administration. Remember that as a small-group manager, you're accountable for most, if not all, of the non-clinical aspects of the business. You benefit from expert peer support and not just from your local area, as they're often your competitors.

One of the unique benefits of PAHCOM is the confidential Forum. With an average of over three thousand members from all over the United States, each practice manager has 24/7 access to the Forum conversation. A member can post a question to the Forum regarding any aspect of medical office management. The question is instantaneously distributed to all PAHCOM members. Invariably, at least two or three recipients have faced that specific situation in the past. The recipients rapidly respond with their suggestions, which are then evaluated by the originator on whether to adopt the suggestions or create a hybrid resolution that most closely fits their specific situation. While the concept of a list service is not unique, the efficacy and use of the PAHCOM Forum is. PAHCOM members value it!

To be clear, recognize that an ENT practice manager in Massachusetts may receive a suggestion from an ENT manager in Oklahoma, Texas, or even Rhode Island. ENT, Orthopedics, Ophthalmology, Family Practice, OB/GYN, ad infinitum, it does not matter, PAHCOM membership consists of all specialties. The confidentiality, ease of use, and lack of ulterior motives makes the PAHCOM Forum the most honest and productive practice management tool available to small-group practice managers. The PAHCOM Forum clearly demonstrates the culture and philosophy of the association: PAHCOM Shares Knowledge!

People who do well in their respective endeavors enjoy recognition of their knowledge, skills, and abilities. To meet that need, PAHCOM created the Certified Medical Manager (CMM) program in 1992. Since then, thousands of members have sat for the extensive CMM examination. The exam evaluates the candidate's knowledge of nine domains of medical practice administration.

The nine domains are:

Domain 1. Revenue Management
Domain 2. Risk Management
Domain 3. Human Resources
Domain 4. Finance
Domain 5. Contract Management
Domain 6. Business Management
Domain 7. Technology & Data Management
Domain 8. Clinical Performance Reporting
Domain 9. Patient Clinical Education and Practice Marketing

When you meet a PAHCOM CMM, be aware that you are in the presence of a person who has demonstrated exemplary knowledge in each area. The examination is monitored by an independent proctor and accredited by the independent National Certification Commission. The credibility and excellence of PAHCOM is supported by our mutually beneficial relationship with a host of government and industry leaders including the United States Department of Labor (DOL), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Veterans Administration (VA). The DOL queries PAHCOM for statistics regarding various labor related data, such as wages. CMS engages PAHCOM for outreach to physician practices regarding CMS processes. The VA reimburses veterans sitting for the Certified Medical Manager (CMM) Exam as part of the GI Bill program. It should be noted that PAHCOM is veteran founded, owned, and operated.

Since its inception, PAHCOM has promoted sharing knowledge among the medical community. One aspect was the creation of The PAHCOM Medical Management Manual in the early 1990s. The Manual was a four-inch thick, three-ring binder that held the essence of medical small-group practice guidance. Since those early times, the Manual has evolved into six manuals, each focusing on a specific area of medical practice management. Today, those six manuals represent the current backbone of small-group practice guidance. Along with the CMM Credential and the Nine Domains, they form the basis for the PAHCOM Academic Credentialing Program (ACP).

The ACP focuses on colleges, universities, and online academic organizations that offer a degree or certificate in medical management. Each academic organization is required to include the Nine Domains in their curriculum. The concept is to permit teachers and students enrolled in such courses to become familiar with industry best practices and network as PAHCOM members. They will then be able to access member resources including the state-of-the-art online networking infrastructure with direct access to contact every member, download thousands of documents/forms/handbooks from the PAHCOM Library, participate in the forums, and receive free or discounted admission to educational events (both online and in person). Discounts are also made available for professional manuals and certification exams. Enrolled ACP students have numerous resources with which student papers, research projects, and potential employment connections are developed. A central element of the ACP is to allow the student graduating from a PAHCOM approved curriculum to sit for the CMM examination and receive the special designation of Certified Medical Manager - Academic (CMM-A). The temporary CMM-A designation can be converted to the full CMM designation upon attainment of two years of experience within the healthcare environment.

Briefly mentioned above was the PAHCOM Library. The library is a downloadable collection of rules, regulations, policies, procedures, forms, and a variety of miscellaneous tidbits that have been assembled for easy access and sharing with the PAHCOM membership. The library is a wealth of information for medical managers as it covers everything useful under the sun for managing a small-group medical practice.

Bottom line, PAHCOM is the most advanced resource for anyone either entering or remaining in the medical management of the physician practice profession. Visit www.pahcom.com for a glimpse of how PAHCOM membership benefits physicians, staff, office managers, and vendors.

Richard Blanchette founded PAHCOM after retiring from the U. S. Navy. He specialized as an Independent Duty Hospital Corpsman serving on board small ships at sea without a physician, honing his skills as a clinician. In 1971 Richard was the only medical person within the 40-member Naval Advisory Group at Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. Richard has a bachelor's degree in health care administration from George Washington University and a master's degree in organizational development from the Naval Postgraduate School. Richard retired as a Lieutenant Commander, Medical Service Corps.

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