Patient Access Services is Top in Nation- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
Patient Access Services is Top in Nation- BWH Bulletin - For and about the People of Brigham and Women's Hospital
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January 28, 2000
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In This Issue:
Top 100-T-shirt Celebration
GM's day-after-discharge Telephone Program
Patient Access Services is Top in Nation
Final Conversion makes BWH "Needle Safe"
Bill Russell Celebrates Dr M.L. King Legacy
Pike Notes
Town Meeting
In the past, being “admitted” to the hospital would entail being greeted by a staff member, filling out some paperwork, and getting a bracelet. The patient would then be handed off to another department. Now known as Patient Access Services, both the name and the role of Admitting have changed greatly over the years. BWH’s Patient Access Services handles all the non-medical logistics from scheduling procedures in the Operating Room to providing the Billing Department with all the information it needs to cut the bill. In late 1998, Patient Access Services participated in a UHC Inpatient Admitting Process Benchmarking Study with more than 80 other admitting departments across the country. This fall, the results were released, and BWH was at the top of every category measured—from staff productivity to physician satisfaction. In addition, BWH was chosen the country’s overall best admitting department. “The dedicated staff of Patient Access Services are the heart of our success. They know the mission of the hospital and do everything in their power to ensure we fulfill it,” says Christine Collins, director of Patient Access Services. “The hospital’s integrated computer systems make it possible to achieve our goals.” For example, in addition to scheduling the hospital’s 36 operating rooms, Patient Access provides valuable information to departments from Central Processing to Nursing, in order to help them prepare for the patient’s visit. Before the patient arrives, Patient Access gets pre-authorization from insurers and sends the patient information about what will happen during their stay at BWH. Family Liaison Services, part of Patient Access, keeps the family up-to-date on their loved one during a surgery, and the computer enhances their ability to provide the latest information. The referring physician and primary care physician stay informed when Patient Access sends them electronic updates on their patient. Since Patient Access manages bed allocation in addition to discharges, they are able to admit more patients more efficiently to make the best use of hospital beds. Integration also keeps patient satisfaction high because it creates a continuum of service during the hospital stay. Physicians and staff who scheduled admissions reported in the UHC study that they were “highly satisfied” with Patient Access Services because of the communication between all those involved in patient care, the level of customer service, and the staff’s willingness to expedite the process. Says Collins, “We constantly strive to do better—whether it’s reducing waiting times or providing comfortable space for families, which will be greatly enhanced by the Bretholtz Center. What makes this job great for each of us is that we can and do make a difference in people’s lives.”