Stop high turnover with ED registration
Stop high turnover with ED registration
Turnover in a fast-paced emergency department environment often is higher than in other registration areas, acknowledges Jean Valenta, an admitting manager at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis.
"This is due to the increased responsibility of frontline staff to obtain not only demographics and signatures at the bedside, but to verify insurance eligibility and benefits, check for Medicaid or Medicare coverage, and collect copays while not impeding clinical care," she says.
Here are ways that Valenta decreases turnover of emergency department registrars:
She says "thank you" to staff at the end of a shift.
"I write thank-you notes every day. It's a great way to end your day," says Valenta. "I thank the highest copay collector for the previous day."
She gives soda or snack vending coupons to staff who work a shift to cover an unscheduled illness for a co-worker, or come in early or stay late to meet staffing needs.
She involves high-performing employees in the decision-making that impacts their workflow.
"This keeps your high performers well-informed of the organization's goals and financial position," says Valenta. "You may be surprised what your staff is willing to do to keep the organization moving in the right direction, if they believe their input is valued."
Patient access staff came up a new process to use when placing calls to consultants requested by ED physicians. "To reduce overhead paging, ED physicians began utilizing cell phones," says Valenta. A patient access staff member suggested asking the consultant to hold and then transferring the call to the ED physician, to be sure the consultant was connected to the right person.
She allows staff to self-schedule.
"Flexible hours allow for continuing education for employees," says Valenta.
She created a quick and easy way for staff to access important information for low-volume, high-risk registrations.
"Patient access staff complete an annual competency for Level 1 trauma patients, but the process is posted at the staff work area for a quick refresher if needed," says Valenta.
Turnover in a fast-paced emergency department environment often is higher than in other registration areas, acknowledges Jean Valenta, an admitting manager at St. Anthony's Medical Center in St. Louis.Subscribe Now for Access
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