Author: Elisabeth Callahan

Pulse Check: Try These Solutions to Avoid Authorization Denials

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: January 9, 2019
Category: Revenue Cycle
Filed under: Admission Support, Auth Denials, Authorization, Authorization Denials, Pulse Check, upstream errors, UR, Utilization Review

Authorization-related denials continue to be among the top denials for organizations. Authorization denials add to A/R days, require work to overturn, and can result in lost revenue. Here’s a list of common pitfalls and possible solutions. We’d love to hear more about your own authorization-related pitfalls and/or solutions your organization is pursing. Reach out to […]

Pulse Check: Try a New Approach to Training, One That’s Collaborative and FUN

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: December 12, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: employee engagement, Employee Training, Pulse Check, revenue cycle big picture, staff retention, staff turnover, upstream errors

Effective staff training can combat upstream errors that delay reimbursement, as well as reduce high staff turnover and create greater employee engagement. HBI developed an educational tool that successfully unites people, processes, and technology. It teaches a diverse group of staff about the revenue cycle: how it functions, who is involved, and how they fit […]

Pulse Check: Combat High Staff Turnover Through Culture Change

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: November 14, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: culture, employee engagement, employee satisfaction, Pulse Check, staff turnover

My team has been receiving many requests for ideas on how to reduce staff turnover. Our response?  High turnover in a department is likely the symptom of a much larger issue, employee disengagement. A cultural transformation is needed in order to engage your employees. When a department has high turnover, staff often have tunnel vision […]

Pulse Check: Secret shopping is essential to understand and mitigate poor patient satisfaction scores from HCAHPS and Press Ganey

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: October 17, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: HCAHPS, mystery shopping, Patient Experience, Patient Satisfaction, Press Ganey, Pulse Check, secret shopping

Are your HCAHPS scores, Press Ganey results, and other patient satisfaction indicators telling you that the patient experience is not living up to your organization’s mission, vision, and values? HCAHPS and Press Ganey are great for pointing out that a problem exists, but they fail to reveal the underlying reasons for the negative impressions. You […]

Pulse Check: Taking a Fresh-Eyes Approach to Denial Write-Off Codes

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: September 19, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: billing and collections, denials, Patient Financial Services, Pulse Check, write-off polic

Are denial write-off reason codes at your organization giving you insights into denial prevention and accountability? HBI recommends reviewing your system write-off reason codes with a “fresh eyes” approach to ensure codes are mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive. HBI’s Custom Services team finds that often healthcare organization’s lack codes for certain denial types, use ambiguous […]

Pulse Check: Become More Efficient and Effective by Developing Standard Operating Procedures

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: August 22, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: Efficient and Effective, Employee Training, KPIs, Pulse Check, Revenue cycle, Revenue Cycle Optimization, SOP, Standard Operating Procedure

Every leader wants to be efficient and effective. After all, reducing costs and maximizing revenue are dependent on efficiencies and effectiveness. HBI’s Custom Service team spends a lot of time working on-site with our clients, understanding their intricate workflows to optimize the process, the people, and the technology. Our clients get a playbook of strategic […]

Pulse Check: Improving Revenue Cycle Operations and Maintaining Patient Satisfaction – Common Pitfalls to Avoid (Part 2)

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: August 1, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: Debt Amnesty, Patient Financial Assistance, Patient Financial Experience, Patient Payment Options, Patient Satisfaction, Point of Service Collections, Price Transparency, Pulse Check

Last week I discussed two pitfalls we commonly see at hospitals that threaten patient satisfaction: confusing patient statements and delayed patient refunds. Continuing the focus on the patient financial experience, the list of pitfalls expands. Pitfall 3: Inconsistent point of service collections Time and again, HBI sees patient access staff fail to advise patients of […]

Pulse Check: Improving Revenue Cycle Operations and Maintaining Patient Satisfaction – Common Pitfalls to Avoid (Part 1)

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: July 25, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: Credit Balance, Patient Financial Experience, Patient Refunds, Patient Satisfaction, Patient Statements, Pulse Check

Whether your organization is for-profit, nonprofit, critical access, pediatric, etc., patients have a choice in their care.  As the patient financial experience has a profound impact on patient satisfaction, it is important that it is accessible, consistent, and as pleasant as possible.  The 2012 Connance Consumer Impact Study found that patients who are highly satisfied […]

Pulse Check: Top 3 Reasons Hospitals Should Invest in (or Expand) a Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) Program

By: Elisabeth Callahan
Date: June 13, 2018
Category: Custom Services
Filed under: Case Mix, CDI, CDI Specialists, Clinical Documentation Improvement, Complications and Comorbidities, Medical Necessity, Physician Queries, Pulse Check

Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) is a review process used by healthcare organizations to ensure accounts are properly documented for accurate coding. More than three-fourths of organizations surveyed by HBI have a CDI program, and that number continues to grow. CDI specialists facilitate adjustments to the clinical documentation via concurrent interaction with physicians and clinical staff.  […]