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Checking in for an outpatient visit seems like such a simple task. Walk up to the front desk, provide your name and the name of your physician and the time of your appointment. The doctor will be with you in a moment.
However, within the realm of this relatively brief space of time, critical information needs to be gathered, verified and processed to ensure the appropriate treatment and reimbursement for services. In addition, the transactions need to be handled professionally and with the warmth necessary to set the stage for the rest of the experience. These are the lofty goals facing the Front End/Registration team as they work through the very processes so critical to the hospital’s successful interaction with the patient.
“We expect to be able to cultivate exceptionally strong administrative and support services that provide a pleasant, patient-centered environment,” said Lisa Anastos, chief operating officer of the Brigham and Women’s Physician Organization (BWPO). “Our goal is to embrace excellence and treat our customers warmly and professionally.” Anastos and Tony Autori, BWH’s executive director of Patient Business Systems, are serving as the leading executive sponsors of the Front/End Registration initiative.
The group is taking a close look at the check-in, waiting area, scheduling, registration and check-out processes to create a more patient friendly environment, while capturing the appropriate information necessary to efficiently process insurance claims.
“The registration process can be cumbersome and complex but is absolutely critical to our success as an organization,” said Roger Deshaies, senior vice president, Finance, who is also serving as an executive sponsor for the team. “If we can provide a well coordinated, individualized approach at the front end of the patient experience with standardized customer service expectations, we can be more responsive to our patients and achieve greater financial success.” Troyen Brennan, MD, BWPO President, is serving as the clinical sponsor for the initiative.
The initiative has been underway for months and has included information gathering and benchmarking from other consumer and health care organizations. It is one of four projects launched in 2003 under the BW/F Service Excellence program. The program seeks to create a culture of service excellence through the implementation of several projects annually over the next five years. /p>