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Through the collaborative efforts of BWH Finance, the Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization (BWPO), and Patient and Family Relations, a new approach to registration services and managed care referrals has been deployed at the new Brigham and Women’s Patient Services Center (PSC). The PSC is one of the key aspects of the Ideal Patient Experience Program being developed and implemented by a joint BWH/BWPO Service Excellence team.
The creation of this Center and the service offerings provided there will greatly enhance the patient experience, as customer focused staff will be dedicated to processing necessary registration and referral information for patients in advance of the visits. Further, the opening of the PSC will allow for complementary enhancements to the administrative services provided in our physician offices, all aimed at providing an overall service experience that harmonized with the high quality clinical care patients receive.
The PSC, located at One Cabot Road in Medford, houses a large team of patient service representatives, who concentrate on establishing insurance eligibility, finalizing pre-registration and facilitating a completed referral prior to the patient arriving for his or her appointment. This is a critical factor in ensuring each patient’s appointment runs smoothly. All insurance eligibility and managed care referral coordination for the hospital clinics and practices will eventually come together in this centralized location. The staff will adopt uniform service guidelines and work protocols to ensure that consistent high quality service is provided for every patient.
“The staff have a stronger sense of a support system as the Patient Services Center is solely focused on their success. When patient service registration staff and managed care staff were disjointed and in all multiple locations, a uniform approach to tasks was a challenge,” said Center administrator Michelle Gabriel.
“Creating a center dedicated to registration and managed care enables BWH and BWPO to ensure appropriate reimbursement for services and lessens the risk for the patient to encounter any problems when they arrive for his or her appointment,” said Kevin Coughlin, director, BWH Revenue Operations.
The Brigham and Women’s Patient Service Center opened in mid-September and is expected to be fully occupied by the end of the calendar year. According to Coughlin, nearly 30 representatives from hospital-based clinics, 850 Boylston, the BWPO and BWPO practices have already migrated to One Cabot Road.
The Center is a Partners initiative, since BWH shares the third floor of One Cabot Road with MGH/MGPO customer service representatives. The joint effort allows for efficiency in technology and savings with only one lease. According to Coughlin, the total return on investment for the entire Center (BWH and MGH) is estimated at $2.6 million for FY04.
In addition to the Brigham Ambulatory Support Essentials (BASE) training program, each Center representative is required to be certified in an intense 40-hour service training program.