Hospital Access Management – December 1, 2011
December 1, 2011
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Access faces unprecedented need for education and fewer resources
Are you facing pressure to cut education resources in your patient access department? Reducing resources simply isn't an option, according to Wendy M. Roach, RDMS, manager of patient access and central scheduling at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, IL. -
New software? It's opportunity to train
The implementation of a new health information system at TriHealth in Cincinnati, OH, "has given has given us an amazing opportunity to look very closely at all of our processes," says Stacey Bodenstein, general manager of admitting and registration. -
Registrars' skills may not be what you expect
Before you attempt to measure how skilled your staff are, you might want to be certain your own skills are up to par. -
Do audits: ID why mistakes were made
Previously, registration errors were sent to individual access employees, who were required to correct the error, says Stacey Bodenstein, general manager of admitting and registration at TriHealth in Cincinnati, OH. However, corrections weren't being made quickly enough due to varying shifts. -
Use training to stop costly payer pitfalls
Payer requirements are the single most challenging area in training of patient access staff, according to Colette Lasack, MBA, executive director of revenue cycle at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, WI. -
Registration errors used for training
Mistakes in registration, such as missing information, are discovered by frequent audits done by managers at Gundersen Lutheran Health System in La Crosse, WI. These become part of the employee's annual evaluation. -
Access staff may lack excellent service skills
When Michelle M. Mohrbach, CHAM, became manager of patient access and central scheduling at Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, OH, new hires typically "shadowed" another registrar for a short time before going out on their own. This approach has changed dramatically. -
New ED copay process means service is key
Service became a pressing issue when registrars at Blanchard Valley Health System in Findlay, OH, started ED and high-dollar outpatient copay collection. -
Post-training: Increase in collections is 319%
In August 2011, emergency department (ED) registrars at University of Mississippi Health Care in Jackson were trained on patient estimator software, which increased collections by 124% compared to the previous year, while admissions areas saw a 319% increase. -
Get new hires 'up and running' with training
Training of new hires has become much more comprehensive, due to the expanded patient access role, according to Betsy Keating, interim patient access director at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, IL. Keating is a senior consulting manager at Chadds Ford, PA-based IMA Consulting, which provides revenue cycle services for the healthcare industry. -
Software got results, only after training
After a new price estimator system was implemented at St. Joseph East in Lexington, KY, results weren't seen immediately. These results came only after a significant amount of hands-on training, reports Stephanie Stamper, patient access coordinator. -
One-on-one training equaled dramatic results
After a price estimator system was implemented at St. Joseph East in Lexington, KY, the need for one-on-one training quickly became apparent, says Stephanie Stamper, patient access coordinator. -
Educate registrars on reason to collect data
Patients expect to be asked questions about their address and insurance coverage in registration areas, but they might be startled or annoyed to be asked questions about their race, ethnicity, and language.