Benefits of formalizing access rep certification
In the March issue of Hospital Access Manage ment, we posed the question of whether certification for frontline admitting and registration staff is a good idea. Brenda Chafin Merritt, patient access manager at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport (MS), responded with the following comments on why she believes access employees would benefit from a certification program:
"The job of 'registration clerk' died with the emergence of managed care. Admitting employees no longer merely admit patients. Often the access rep is the catalyst for the patient seeking treatment and services. Effective communication is provided with linkage to support personnel. The access rep ensures financial stability for the hospital by acting as the liaison between insurance companies and physician offices in obtaining precertification.
"Payment is secured through financial assistance, commercial carriers, and state and federally funded programs. While serving as a liaison in all these areas, the rep must demonstrate the highest level of customer relations skills with all customers, both internal and external.
"A higher level of job requirements eventually will attract a higher quality employee. This will help establish longevity and allow employees to earn much-needed job experience. Certification in conjunction with a formal training program will provide management the needed tools to prepare employ ees for job accountabilities and facility expectations. Valuable on-the-job training, experience, and independent education cannot be obtained from a degree in this field. There should be a way for all hospitals to recognize these skills.
"There is a common denominator that exists among access reps at all facilities due to the fraud and abuse initiative by the federal government. Federal compliance rules apply to all facilities that accept Medicare assignment, which constitutes the largest portion of the patient population.
"As payer requirements and compliance issues increase, their importance must be understood by frontline employees. A formal certification and training program will assist hospitals in accomplishing this in preparation for the future."
[Merritt can be reached at Memorial Hospital at Gulfport, P.O. Box 1810, Gulfport, MS 39502-1810. Telephone: (601) 867-4000.]
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