Articles

The Importance of Patient Access Support Solutions for Rural Communities

Sep 6, 2023

Healthcare is human care. At the heart of every patient-provider encounter is a unique individual trying to solve health challenges and live their best life. It’s a relationship built on trust and accessibility. But with the growing complexity of our healthcare system, encounters have become less personal while healthcare overall has become more difficult to navigate. In rural communities the issues are compounded by less choice, longer wait times, and a digital divide.

Healthcare in Rural America

Forty-six million Americans live in rural areas.[1] According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), these individuals are typically older and sicker than those living in larger communities, and they have a higher risk of dying from cancer, heart disease, stroke, and accidents.[2] Access to high-quality, timely care is a significant factor leading to this disparity; there are fewer than 40 primary care physicians per every 100,000 people living in rural communities.[3]

While many initiatives are underway to address rural healthcare challenges, there are things rural providers can do to improve the patient experience and protect their bottom line, beginning with implementing more consumer-centric patient access options.

How patient access support solutions can help in rural communities

Patient access solutions – which encompass scheduling, order management, pre-authorization and eligibility, appointment reminders, screening, and compliance – can improve convenience and access to care for rural patients as well as speed up encounters and enhance overall patient satisfaction.

The following are common examples where providing patient access support can make a difference.

Improved scheduling processes with empowered live registrars

Overall, patients claim to place a high value on being able to schedule their own appointments online. However, research shows that patient adoption has been low.[4] In rural communities, digital technology adoption is further impacted by access to reliable broadband internet service. This “digital divide” impacts approximately 19 million people in the United States.[5]

Additionally, long wait times for appointments is a common issue. More than half of adults surveyed say they have to wait more than a week to get an appointment, and 25% say they have skipped or delayed care because it takes too long.[6]

Providing empowered live registrars through a dedicated call center meets people where they are at with compassionate and proactive assistance.

Complete eligibility and verification processes before the patient arrives

Today, most eligibility and coverage verification are done manually by searching payer websites or calling payers to get the information. Besides being time-consuming, this process is prone to error and the information gained is often inaccurate or incomplete. This can lead to denials for the provider and unexpected bills for the patient.

Using dedicated staff to complete eligibility and verification processes in advance of a patient encounter allows for better data collection and quality control.

Implementing patient access support solutions

Managing an efficient, patient-centric patient access process can be challenging for rural hospitals struggling with staffing shortages but the benefits are tangible, including:

  • Higher accuracy rate during registration
  • Lower no-show rate for patient appointments

When choosing a patient access partner, it is important to look for the following capabilities:

  • Focus on the patient. The partner chosen should understand the importance of the patient experience and embrace a culture that puts the patient at the center.
  • Ease of implementation. In these challenging times, healthcare organizations don’t have the money or the staff to manage large, complex implementations. The best partners are those that have a streamlined implementation process and the ability to connect to the provider’s EMR.
  • Easy-to-use phone system. The right partner should be able to customize an IVR with messaging and connections that simplify the experience for the patient, getting them to the right person faster.
  • Quality monitoring. Choosing a partner that consistently monitors calls is important to ensure a positive patient experience and regulatory compliance. This should include scripting and coaching for agents and one-call resolution.
  • The right partner will monitor SLAs through comprehensive data analytics, allowing them to share results with the provider. This is the only way to ensure a positive return on investment.
  • Adherence to best practices. Patient access processes can be highly complex and require an equally high level of expertise to achieve optimal results. The right partner will develop their patient access processes around industry best practices and will work hand in hand with the provider, acting as a consultant, to set standards for both internal and outsourced staff.

Next steps

Rural Americans increasingly live in fear of not being able to access the care they need when they need it. Providers can help make it easier for them to navigate the care system by ensuring an effective, convenient patient access experience. Doing so sets the stage for a positive patient engagement.

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/about.html

[2] https://www.cdc.gov/ruralhealth/about.html

[3] https://www.ruralhealth.us/about-nrha/about-rural-health-care

[4] https://www.healthleadersmedia.com/innovation/survey-health-systems-see-technology-key-improving-patient-access

[5] https://www.samhsa.gov/blog/digital-access-super-determinant-health

[6] https://www.aapa.org/research/patient-experience/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=aapa_post&utm_campaign=harris_2023

Karie Bostwick

VP of People and Compliance

As VP of People and Compliance at Revenue Enterprises, Karie Bostwick oversees People functions including recruiting, training, onboarding, engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, she is responsible for compliance training, oversight and monitoring.

Karie has a long history of working in the revenue cycle support industry. Her skills span leadership, operations start up, policies and procedures development, operations workflow, budgeting and client management.

She is passionate about the experience of our people, patients and the Healthcare clients we serve and believes that a team of diverse, talented and motivated individuals working together toward a common goal can make a difference.

Robert Sterett

VP of Information Technology

As a transformational leader Robert Sterrett has leveraged his 20 years of experience to build effective service lines and exceptional teams. In his role as VP of Information Technology at Revenue Enterprises, Robert excels at taking a unique, balanced, and strategic approach to technology leadership with people first for the best possible outcome. Using his experience from engineering, project management and service line management he takes a multi-faceted approach to ensure the right people are in the correct position coupled with the best technology to meet or exceed all expectations from security to compliance and business continuity.

Robert’s leadership style lends itself to building long term relationships and has consistently been a relied upon strength in many organizations. Over Robert’s time as an IT operational and project leader, he has spent significant time in both hands-on technology facing roles and client centric management roles to bring the best solutions that strive to meet the business and client needs.

Focusing heavily on his personal development skills and opportunities, Robert continues to foster coaching and mentorship relationships everywhere in his life, and the lives around him.

Douglas Dunbar

VP of Sales & Marketing

As VP of Sales and Marketing for Revenue Enterprises, Douglas Dunbar leads with a passion for building strategic partnerships, nurturing relationships, and upholding customer service excellence. In his role, Doug focuses on marketing and brand strategy, sales team leadership, and working closely with members of the management team to best serve company goals.

Doug has over 28 years of National sales and marketing call/contact center leadership, with 10 years of service specifically at Revenue Enterprises. Currently, Doug serves as part of Wyoming HFMA Chapter leadership and has held various roles in Colorado HFMA Chapter leadership for over 9 years.

In his spare time, Doug is very family oriented. Additionally, he loves traveling, cycling, golfing, fishing, hunting, and boating.

Kris Brumley, MBA

SVP/COO

As SVP/COO of Revenue Enterprises, Kris Brumley is a collaborative partner within the executive team and a leader for operational functions across the organization. Kris productively shares vision, drives innovation, and supports those around her in a way that elevates them and fosters continuous improvement and results. She has helped create a supportive environment for clients resulting in 98% client retention and a 65% NPS score for all clients and 75% for top clients by revenue.

Kris possesses an MBA in data analytics and has twenty-five years of experience in the healthcare industry, with 19 specifically in revenue cycle. She brings a wealth of customer service experience to her role and has worn many hats at Revenue Enterprises including Director of Business Development, EBO Division Director, and VP of Client Experience Management.

In her personal life, Kris is as busy outside of work as inside. She values spending time with her family, and enjoys fishing, hiking, traveling and interior decorating and design.

Timothy (Tim) Brainerd

CEO

As CEO of Revenue Enterprises for almost 20 years, Tim Brainerd leads by example. He promotes a shared vision and stewards a culture of Integrity, Passion, and Respect. He has assembled and empowered high-performing talent and teams to support customers, facilitate strategic planning and manage the capital of the company. Under his leadership, Revenue Enterprises has doubled in size three times over the past fifteen years while maintaining a culture of caring and gratefulness.

Tim has close to four decades of revenue cycle experience, including nineteen years with RSI
Enterprises. He has been a past president of Colorado Chapter of the HFMA and a presenting speaker on the topic of Leadership. He is a fifteen-year member of Vistage International, the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize business leaders.

Raised in the Midwest, Tim values humble principles like being respectful, caring, passionate, self-reliant, and most importantly grateful. His most important lesson and the lesson he hopes to pass on in all relationships is living the Golden Rule–do unto others as you would have them do unto you. He is intentional in his choices and believes in making decisions, taking action, being accountable, and loving your neighbors.

Whenever possible, Tim spends his time with his wife of nearly forty years, his adult children, and his grandchildren. His hobbies include fishing, golfing, traveling as well as game nights and sharing great food with his family.