Could you start by sharing with us a little about how you began your work in the healthcare industry, and the scope of your current position at Mountain Health Network?
I began my healthcare career back in 2005 in a role with Deloitte Consulting, where I had the opportunity to work with several healthcare systems across the country. In my time working in the US healthcare industry, I have had the opportunity to work with large for-profit, not-for-profit, and privately owned healthcare systems, and I thoroughly enjoy the complexity of the US healthcare system, we never have a dull moment!
Our current priority at Mountain Health Network is to improve patient satisfaction, as well as our bottom line. Although these are the most challenging times for healthcare systems, with challenges come real opportunities. I’ve seen leaders challenging the status quo, thinking outside the box, and a willingness to try new things, breaking the barriers between clinicians and the revenue cycle, to create a clinically driven revenue cycle. To me, these are the most exciting times in healthcare.
We’re looking forward to having you join the panel discussion on point-of-service collections; could you share one way that your team is working to improve collection rates this year?
We think patient education is really important, and we want to equip all patients with the information they need to make the best, informed decision. Mountain Health Network supports patients through the complexities of care, and partners with them to identify the best solutions available to cover the costs of much-needed care. Our Patient Access teams are at the forefront, and the first impression of the organization, and we prioritize colleague education and engagement of these teams. Patient Access leaders do rounding with colleagues to identify areas of opportunity, as well as to acknowledge the good work they are doing. One-to-one training has also helped colleagues that were uncomfortable asking for payment. We also have a level of healthy competition between the hospitals and medical groups, focused on point-of-service collections. It’s fun to watch how competitive they can get!
What made you decide to participate in the upcoming Patient Access event, and what are you looking forward to discussing or benchmarking with the panelists and participants?
This is one of the hot topics and an opportunity that I believe every hospital can improve upon. I am excited to learn what other leaders are doing in this area – what worked, what didn’t work for them, and how can we continue to drive patient education and point-of-service collection.