Little Anecdotes and Memories
In the years from 1968 to 1992 I worked at two different Doctor’s offices, not as medical assistant but on the accounting side, manager, accountant, bureaucrat and billing clerk. Jobs, doctors do not appreciate, but have to have and must support.
AT&T transferred my husband, Hal, from Seattle to Longview, Washington and later to Vancouver, Washington.
As times before, after every transfer I had to give up my job and in the new location I had to find another. 1968 came and my Hal had to report to his new job as the manager of the communication department of Pacific Northwest Bell Co.
We found a beautiful apartment at “The Huntington” right by a park and within walking distance to downtown. Next to our apartment lived a lovely lady, named Janet. When she found out that I had knowledge in accounting and experience to set up an office with a great accounting system, she asked if I would be willing to use my knowledge and come to work for her dear friends, two brothers, doctors who had a clinic in town, but could not find competent people to establish and run an office.
Janet told me they were great doctors and wonderful people and her dear friends. After she kept asking me and stressed the part that they cannot find people to establish an office, that would yield more money, competent bookkeeping and a correct and timely insurance billing system, I gave in and went with her to meet both doctors, the older brother Neal and his younger brother Wendell.
After an interview, the older brother walked out with Janet and me and asked: “Ilona when can you start?”
That evening I talked it over with my Hal and decided that I would begin my new position in an unknown field, medicine. I was rewarded for my decision. It was a very busy clinic and as I already could tell, I had a lot of clean-up, progress and big changes to make, which I enjoyed.
The doctors and nurses’ staff were very appreciative of the work I tackled right away. To modernize and streamline this office and to automate the insurance billing was the first step. There was no interference from either doctor on any suggestions I made and presented to them. These two brothers, Janet’s friends, were nice people, as Janet had told me.
After 12 years, The Kirkpatrick Clinic was a proud clinic for the two wonderful doctors, especially Dr. Neal, the older brother. When a new doctor opened his practice in town, Neal would volunteer me for my service to set up an accounting system, modeled by his.
After 12 years, my Hal was again transferred, this time back to Seattle. It was the end of October and Hal had an appointment for an eye exam with his ophthalmologist in Bellevue. When he returned, he asked: “Would you like a job?”
I had a double garage full of boxes to unpack, but since there was an offer, I should at least check it out. By the 1st of November I started my new job as bookkeeper. Again, I had a big job, clean-up! Progress and change!
After I became manager, I was free to make more changes, but I had to show restraint and patience, I did not deal with the same caliber of men as I had in Longview. They were still with three doctors on a Peg-board system, after disappointment in a very expensive computer due to the incompetence of office employees. Getting a sophisticated computer is not an answer to a messy office, it will not clear the mess, it will only make it faster. They also had tried an on-line computer firm and that too showed how inapt this bookkeeping office was. The printouts of corrections on the month-end reports gotten longer, more pages, month after month, no one knew how to correct the original mistakes.
After months of explanations, discussions and pleading about the benefits of a computer, combined with computer savvy people, with the help of one of the younger doctors I was allowed to purchase an IBM personal computer, they just came on the market. I got busy with studying the software manuals and started to program an accounting system onto the computer. All was working well, but I ran into a big problem with the printer. The computer would not recognize the printer. I worked for days on it but could not fix it.
My husband Hal, knowledgeable in programming and computer software, was my answer. I shall ask him to help me with this dilemma, so I would be able to give the three doctors a legible and easy to understand printout at the end of this month and every month.
I went home that night with high hopes that my Hal will get me on the right track with this problem. At the dinner table I explained it all to him and hoped he would volunteer and come by the office to show me. After I explained it all to him, his answer to me was: “Read your manual.”
Well, after this disappointing answer that evening I studied until late and by the end of the next day, one could hear the printer in Ilona’s office, printing out the day’s accounting work!
Kudos to the manual, kudos to Ilona!
Well, what do you know! Here is a little tale that tells me more about Ilona that I hadn’t known before. Of course I knew that she had worked in a doctor’s office, and an eye doctor’s office. I had no idea that she organized the whole business end of the practices from the ground up. Of course I knew she was smart, but THAT smart in creating the whole apparatus necessary to manage an office and make it run smoothly! Is there nothing our Ilona can’t do and do not only well, but to perfection! And what a surprise. Our Hal didn’t just jump in and “save” his bride when she reached her limit of knowledge. He had all the confidence that she could learn what she needed in order to solve her immediate challenge and move on. He knew that by urging her to “read the manual” she would grow in self confidence and be able to make the next decisions with ease, trusting in her abilities. What a team! Makes me smile :>)
PS. I love this picture of Ilona!