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Many patient access departments have implemented career ladders, and many others are planning to do so, in the hopes of improving staff retention. However, participation is often disappointing.
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At Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis, TN, a variety of tools are used to keep current requirements "front and center" for scheduling, registration, and verification staff.
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Without staff involvement in registration accuracy, no matter what a manager does, needless errors will occur.
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Emergency department (ED) collections are notoriously difficult and often slip through the cracks, due to numerous challenges. However, some patient access departments have found a way to overcome those difficulties and give patients financial counseling in the ED.
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Anna Dapelo-Garcia, director of patient admitting services at Stanford (CA) Hospital & Clinics, says that since staff have become involved in setting specific goals, she has noticed "an increase in their engagement. They are excited and proud to be part of their unit, department, and organization."
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The number of self-pay accounts is increasing significantly in many patient access departments due to rising unemployment and other factors.
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What's the toughest challenge if you want to get serious about emergency department point-of-service (POS) collections? "Changing behavior with the staff as well as the patients," says Denise Helm, director of patient access at St. Rose Dominican Hospital in Las Vegas. "Both prefer the 'bill me later' approach."
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Training and education costs often are the first items on the chopping block when it's time for budget cuts. By offering education online, costs can be cut while quality is maintained.
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To really motivate your staff, you'll need to do more than simply check a "meets expectation" box on their annual reviews.
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"With layoffs now hitting hospitals and legislation and government bodies reducing payments, health care facilities cannot afford not to automate," says Katherine Murphy, CHAM, director of access services for Nebo Systems, a subsidiary of Passport Health Communications in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. Murphy also is a delegate to the National Associate of Healthcare Access Management and the president of the Illinois Access Association.