Starting and Ending the Day Protocols

Starting the Day:

1. Disarm the burgler alarm.
2. Turn on the lights.
3. Check the condition of the office – did the cleaners miss anything?  Check the patient bathrooms for cleanliness and supplies.
4. Check that yesterday’s specimens were picked up by the lab.
5. Make coffee.
6. Turn on the copiers to give them a chance to warm up.  Make sure all copiers and faxes are full of paper.
7. If you’re using paper charts, make sure there aren’t any “unfound” charts for the day’s patients.
8. Check the fax machines to see if any faxes arrived overnight.
9. Have a morning huddle with the staff.  Discuss which providers are working, any problems from yesterday, any unusual things expected today, any schedule changes, any staff assignment changes, and any protocol reminders.
10. Make sure the lab/clinic person has performed the lab controls and checked the refrigerator/freezer temperatures and documented them.
11. Unforward the phones from the answering service, disconnect the answering machine, and have a staff member take any messages from overnight.
12. Open the safe and remove the check-out change drawers, placing them at check-out.  Make sure change is available.
13. Unlock the doors.

Ending the Day:

1. Make sure all patients have left the practice.
2. Lock the doors.
3. Check to make sure the coffee pot is off and the lunch room has been tidied by the staff.
4. Confirm who is on first and second call.
5. Turn the phones over to the answering service (make sure they have the call provider name(s)) or the answering machine (make sure it states how to contact the provider(s) on call).
6. As appropriate, send emails or distribute lists with the next day’s schedule if the providers are rounding, performing surgery, or working at alternate sites.
7. If using paper charts, make sure charts are pulled for next day’s patients.
8. Turn off radios, fans, heaters, copiers, etc.
9. Make sure fax machine is loaded with paper.
10. Have staff sign off all computers.  Perform computer backup, if not automatically run.
11. Lock the change drawer and the day’s deposit in the safe.
12. Lock the sample closets, Rx pads, and all on-site medications.
13. Turn off the lights, lock the doors and set the burgler alarm.