Hospital Access Management 2008-05-01

Employee retention, need for space drive telecommuting focus at CHS

Employee retention, an ongoing need for space, and the visionary thinking of a senior vice president are among the driving factors of an ongoing focus on telecommuting at Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) in Charlotte, NC, says Chris Johnson, FHFMA, vice president for patient financial services.

CHS telecommuters must meet guidelines

In addition to employment qualifications for registrar/patient account representative, staff assigned to telecommuting positions at Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) in Charlotte, NC, must meet the following qualifications before working from home:

Lab's scanning process enables telecommuting

At Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, NC, where telecommuting is a growing trend, one department in the revenue cycle arena is made up entirely of employees who work from home, says Chris Johnson, FHFMA, vice president for patient financial services.

Saint Barnabas 'Link' fills needs systemwide

When a need is expressed within Saint Barnabas Health System, based in Livingston, NJ, there's a pretty good chance its off-site call center, known informally as "the Link," will be able to help in some way, says Belynda Delgado, MSN, BSN, RN, director of Saint Barnabas Health Care Link.

Registration time shrinking with use of check-in kiosks

Patients at the Medical Center of Central Georgia (MCCG) in Macon "are responding very well" to the use of check-in kiosks, which have led to dramatic reductions in the amount of time they spend being registered and waiting for service, says Jane Gray, CPA, FACHE, FABC, assistant vice president for patient business services.

Data tracking, standardized tools aid in psychiatric care

Health care leaders at Shoal Creek Hospital in Austin, TX, and in the city as a whole are taking steps aimed to make it easier for psychiatric patients to get access to care.

Call centers play vital role in ED psychiatric care

A behavioral health call center has an important role to play in the treatment of a psychiatric patient who presents at the ED, says Sue Altman, president of the Phoenix-based Call Center Consulting Network.

States may strengthen provider referral regulation

There are signs that states may become more aggressive in their regulation of provider referrals, suggests Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq., a Burtonsville, MD-based attorney specializing in health care issues.

New patient notice rule sparks EMTALA queries

A new requirement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) affecting critical access hospitals and others that do not have physicians on duty 24-7 has prompted questions regarding EMTALA, says Stephen Frew, JD, a web site publisher (www.medlaw.com) and risk management specialist.

'Medical home' model getting more attention

Interest appears to be growing for the "medical home" model of care, which provides patients with a coordinated, comprehensive approach to primary care.

Hospital Access Management – May 1, 2008

May 1, 2008