Executive Summary
A new Access Center has dramatically increased the satisfaction of patients and providers at Kaleida Health by facilitating access to care, such as scheduling complex appointments. The team has done the following:
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helped a mother find services for her adult autistic child;
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facilitated scheduling for patients’ follow-up care;
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Acted as a single point of contact for a family traveling from outside the country for medical care.
Recently, a patient was instructed to see a neurology group after being discharged from a Kaleida Health hospital in Buffalo, NY. The patient didn’t receive a return call from the physician office despite leaving several messages, and, in utter frustration, called the hospital.
The switchboard operator transferred the patient to Jeannie Campese, supervisor of the health system’s new Access Center. “After speaking at length with the patient, I contacted the neurology office directly and learned of the difficulties in scheduling the patient,” she says.
The Access Center reached out to hospital administration, who contacted the provider on the patient’s behalf. The patient was scheduled for an immediate appointment. “This patient had made many phone calls and was getting very nervous, and was extremely grateful for our assistance,” says Campese.
The Kaleida Health Access Center was created in 2014 to serve as the caller’s one-stop resource for a variety of adult and pediatric inquiries. Jennifer Nichols, vice president of revenue cycle operations at Kaleida Health, says, “It’s like having a friend in the healthcare system.”
“Fantastic” feedback
The team has three FTEs, with seven additional FTEs budgeted for 2016.
“Two of those will be more operator-type staff,” says Nichols. “We really would prefer to stay away from phone trees and automation and give people a live answer.”
The Access Center resolves virtually any access problems that a patient or provider encounters. Campese says, “We assist callers with simple navigation to a requested service, complex requests that require research, and everything in between.”
Providers and patients are being surveyed to determine their satisfaction with the Access Center. “We have just begun this process, so we do not have data to share at this time,” says Campese. “However, the overall feedback from the callers has been fantastic.”
Patient access leaders expect to see a return on investment due to the following:
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improved provider satisfaction;
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improved patient satisfaction;
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faster time-to-access for patients;
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reduced rework;
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increased volume due to fewer no-shows.
Nichols says, “The natural outgrowth of provider satisfaction is increased market share. We are anticipating a decrease in cancellations because patients have a higher level of service.”
Previously, if a patient called with a complex request, there was a risk that the patient would be transferred from one department to another. “One department may say, ‘That’s not us, but let us send you to that team,’ and they’d get transferred again,” says Nichols.
Now any calls that sound like they require some research and possibly a call back are directed to the Access Center. Campese says, “If the patient asks if we offer a particular test, and the operator doesn’t know what department that test is performed in, they transfer them to us.”
Exceeding expectations
Kaleida Health’s centralized model of patient access functions is very efficient, Nichols explains. “But as a very large system, it can be difficult for patients and even referring physicians to know where to start,” she says.
Some patients need a series of appointments with multiple types of providers; others have a very urgent need for services. Both types of patients typically are overwhelmed.
Campese says, “We work with so many different departments and services within the organization. We make all the behind-the-scenes calls.”
The Access Center team brings information back to the callers, so they don’t have to piece it together themselves. If callers need a cardiology appointment, for example, the team doesn’t just connect the patients or give them the correct number to call. They call ahead first to ensure it is the right department to assist the patient.
“Then, we contact the patient and conference them into that call so they don’t have to explain it all over again,” Campese says.
Once an inquiry is concluded, the team follows up to ask if the patients’ needs were met and if they need further assistance. If the patient brings up another issue, such as needing medical records, the team again assists the patient. “People will call with one question, and we will find other things they need to know,” says Campese. “Every situation and scenario is unique. That’s where our personal touch is especially important.”
Recently, the mother of an autistic child turned to the team when she could not find a particular service. The team quickly reached out within the organization and also to many community resources. “We did end up finding the service for her. But along the way, we also were able to share other resources that she wasn’t looking for, like a support group for herself,” says Campese.
The team prides itself in going above and beyond to all requests. “We don’t have limits,” says Campese. “Patients and providers know we will do whatever it takes to assist.” (See related stories on how the team helped an Australian family traveling for stroke care and how a navigator role decreases anxiety in outpatient registration areas, in this issue.)
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Jeannie Campese, Access Center Supervisor, Kaleida Health, Buffalo, NY. Phone: (716) 859-8306. Email: [email protected].
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Jennifer Nichols, Vice President, Revenue Cycle Operations, Kaleida Health, Buffalo, NY. Phone: (716) 859-8382. Fax: (716) 859-8664. Email: [email protected].
