Staff uncomfortable collecting? Role play
Staff uncomfortable collecting? Role play
Reduce discomfort asking for payment
To get staff more comfortable collecting, Berdia Thompson, admissions supervisor at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, TX, suggests asking staff to participate in role playing exercises with individuals from another department.
"This could possibly eliminate shyness in dealing with people they do not know personally," says Thompson. "It will give them more confidence in asking for money from strangers."
Every patient encounter is unpredictable regarding their response to being asked for money, she adds, and admission representatives might struggle with the uncomfortable task of asking for payment. "Some staff members retain uneasy feelings when dealing with strangers and money owed," she says. "Role playing with staff members who are strangers provides an opportunity for the admission reps to develop better communication skills."
Although any department that is willing to participate in the role playing exercises could help, those with knowledge of business finance or collections have the most to offer, says Thompson. "Most reps have dealt with them over the phone, but not face to face," she explains. "The financial counselors are aware of the collections process, and we can use them to bounce ideas off of."
Financial counselors are accustomed to hearing reasons as to why a patient cannot pay and will be able to suggest effective responses, she adds. "We have role played within our department many times. We have a customer service video that is played to all new hires in which collections role playing is highlighted," says Thompson. "We have done this in re-education collections training sessions, as well as department meetings."
Although only financial counselors collect at Augusta Health in Fishersville, VA, this situation will change soon, reports Beth Hall Wiseman, CHAM, director of patient access. "We are planning on having registration staff begin collecting in 2012," Wiseman says.
When registrars begin collecting, this situation will free up the financial counselors to concentrate on contacting the patients prior to their procedure to discuss payment arrangements and financial assistance, she adds. "Scripting is used for training, but our current financial counselors developed their own conversations," Wiseman says. "These have worked much better than the scripts."
Sources
For more information on increasing upfront collections, contact:
Michelle C. Gray, MHA, Director, Patient Access/Outpatient Registration, Cincinnati (OH) Children's Hospital Medical Center. Phone: (513) 636-1414. Fax: (513) 636-7531. E-mail: [email protected].
Berdia Thompson, Admissions Supervisor, Hendrick Medical Center, Abilene, TX. Phone: (325) 670-2671. Fax: (325) 670-4597. E-mail: [email protected].
Beth Hall Wiseman, CHAM, Director, Patient Access, Augusta Health, Fishersville, VA. Phone: (540) 332-4626. Fax: (540) 332-4665. E-mail: [email protected].
To get staff more comfortable collecting, Berdia Thompson, admissions supervisor at Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, TX, suggests asking staff to participate in role playing exercises with individuals from another department.Subscribe Now for Access
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