Nearterm Blog
HOSPITAL BENCHMARKS
A senior healthcare executive who recently transitioned from a successful career in another industry made an interesting comment after being part of a major health system for a few months. She asked, “Why is it that hospitals insist on comparing benchmark performance data only with other hospitals?” “Let’s face it” she added, “The service management system…
Read MorePATIENT SATISFACTION OR LOYALTY?
For years, revenue cycle professionals have been concerned with “patient satisfaction”. We conduct surveys, measure change and react to it as we design our delivery systems and work with our front line people. This has come about largely because we recognize that patients are progressively more involved in choosing their providers. But have you ever…
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ICD 10 – THE CIO PERSPECTIVE
A very interesting survey….. healthsystemCIO.com Survey Shows Most CIOs Not Sold On ICD-10 03/29/2012 By Kate Gamble Leave a Comment CIOs Are Happy to Hit Snooze on ICD-10 It comes as little surprise that most CIOs believe the decision to postpone ICD-10 was the right move; what is surprising, however, is that an overwhelming majority…
Read More“Will We Pay These Guys More Than We Collect?”
Nearterm has an Interim Management contract serving one of our more complex multi-facility clients as Interim Revenue Cycle Director. One issue identified during initial analysis was a 7 figure backlog consisting of delinquent accounts with a reasonable probability of collection if worked properly. In this case it was determined that a lot of on-site research…
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Hospital Access Professionals Wear A Lot Of Hats–How About “Loan Officer”?
Most hospitals understand how important admitting and registration professionals are in terms of public image and customer service. They are often the first encounter a patient has with a hospital and therefore represent the first opportunity for a patient and/or loved one to form an opinion about the facility. The intake process and even…
Read MoreWork claim edits remotely – a great idea for many hospitals.
We all want to handle claims only once. We do all we can to preclude denials. But when you categorize the reasons your scrubber rejects claims, you find that in order to resolve that prioritized list, many disciplines have to get involved e.g. coders, clinicians, charge master, and perhaps the patient. Often more than one…
Read MoreToo busy to look at patient accounts?
I actually thought I was that busy myself early in my career. After all, there was a hospital budget to prepare, a seemingly unending stream of meetings to attend, performance appraisals to complete, AR reports to produce/review, a conversion right around the corner and a myriad of other priorities. Then one day I was asked,…
Read MoreWhat can revenue cycle professionals learn from military science?
As Revenue Cycle professionals, we are often asked to develop and present a “strategy” but we are rarely asked to address “tactics” per se. As a result, the defining line has blurred between the two. Take a moment to review the following and consider their importance and associated differences; Strategy: The science or…
Read MoreHow do healthcare financial management professionals influence employee focus?
We all want to contribute to the success of our respective organizations. A mentor of mine once imparted to me a simple management tenet that helped me over the years to do just that. He said, “Employees determine what is important based on how you spend your time”. Because my mentor was a brilliant healthcare…
Read MoreWhy you should consider using a search firm?
Over recent years, approximately two thirds of those hired in healthcare management positions were acquired through a search firm. Most hiring authorities and HR professionals are therefore acquainted with the significant differences among these firms and the various levels of service they provide. That said, there are a number of reasons healthcare provider organizations use…
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