If you’ve ever been in a hospital, you know that the first person you tend to encounter is the Hospital Admitting Clerk. What an admitting clerk goes through on a daily basis is perhaps not appreciated by those who are coming in. After all, they’re usually coming in sick, in pain, and generally not with their best game face on. They deal with all the illnesses you bring in, the cranky children, the attitude that comes when you’re in pain that you can’t help. Hospital Admitting Clerks Day is dedicated to them.
They listen to your woes, call your insurances, and have to explain to customers that don’t want to hear it exactly what their health care is going to cost. In big hospitals they take your phone calls, calm worried family and friends, and generally do everything they can to ease the panic that can come working in that environment. We rarely remember them, it’s always the Doctors name that sticks with us, or the nurses. But not the lonely vanguard at the front desk that admits us, sends us to triage, and is our first contact as we seek care.
The best way to celebrate this day is by making a point of going in and thanking these wonderful workers. There is no part of the process of you getting in to get the medical care you need that they aren’t involved with, and they’re the ones who see you on your way out and set up a new appointment. Considering all they deal with every day, don’t you think it is time you gave a little back?
To make the day really special for them, you can do something as simple as collect a bunch of flowers for the staff behind the desk, and bring them in with a card wishing them a happy “Hospital Admitting Clerk” day. You could print up plaques or fliers for your favorite clerks, or even just go into the facility you do business with and thank them for their service. It is not a common thing for them to receive such gratitude, especially without them having performed some recent service for it.
To think, in the middle of all the other work they perform, these clerks answer your calls, monitor the control centers in the hospital to be on the ball should any emergencies pop up in the hospital itself. They are also charged with protecting your valuable HIPAA information, all of the medical records and insurance and other personal information you provide to your health care provider every time you visit.
So if you’ve ever been into the hospital, or have a family member who works in one, it may be time to think about thanking these wonderful people for all they do. They truly are the backbone that helps the rest of the officer run. They handle all the administrative tasks, make sure the doctors know when your appointments are, and generally keep everything flowing nicely throughout the day. Not just making and receiving faxes, but actually keeping those machines running. There isn’t a single aspect of the hospitals infrastructure they don’t shepherd on its proper course.
One great idea is to contact your local medical facilities and talk to the management about organizing a thank you party on this day for the Medical Admitting Clerks there. You may even be able to contact local merchants, like Starbucks, restaurants, even gift shops, and get them involved in promoting this holiday and the work that these wonderful people do. This Medical Admitting Clerks Day, it’s time to thank yours!