Good discussion. Good policies from Trista.
The differences I see from Trista's and Greg's method is that Trista's practice is hospital-owned and Greg's, like Trista, has office managers. I am always wary of a policy with a hard and fast rule like "three strikes and you're out." If you have an employee who has been there six years, missed four days, and then, for whatever reason, misses three days in whatever time, it is hard to follow them.
But, to the point, if there is one thing I wish I had in my practice, it would be an office manager. Someone not really close to the staff who can do these write-ups one, because she isn't as close and two, because she works for me. (Sorry my whole staff is female; it's hard not to use that pronoun).
It is difficult when you have three employees that you work with very closely on a day in, day out basis to be able to lay down the law in some of these situations. I was just talking to a dermatologist with a huge practice. He has two office managers, and he says they handle all of this stuff. And, when there is a large issue, the employee meets with him. He told me that when employees are asked to meet with him, they know they are in a lot of trouble.
Unfortunately, even when you have an employee who could make a good office manager, it is nearly impossible to promote him or her as the other employees will always have the attitude of they used to do the same thing.
