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Offer a career ladder for patient access

Patient Access Weekly Advisor, December 19, 2007

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When Linda Southard, the regional manager of patient registration for Asante Health System (AHS) in Medford, OR, approached her human resources department last year with an idea to shift more money into patient access through a dedicated career ladder program, she was armed to the teeth with anecdotal feedback.

However, developing and implementing a career ladder program is easier said than done. AHS officials approached the idea with vigor two months ago and positive feedback has been overwhelming.

Southard supervises 110 registrars, so the task of creating a process for each of them was daunting. Southard and her supervisors sliced the registration department into four levels.

All initial hires fall into the entry level-Level 1, which requires six months of previous customer service experience in an office or medical office environment.

All AHS registrars must advance to Level 2 before they can work alone with patients, so Southard affords everyone six months to achieve the competencies AHS has laid out for Level 1:

• A registration training class so they can understand and demonstrate the registration process
• A training module for proficiency in insurance verification
• A training module for proficiency in AHS' Image Now program
• A training module for proficiency in creating advance beneficiary notices
• Several teamwork exercises
• An Asante Learning Management System course, also known as ALN, on effective communication
• An ALN course on patient confidentiality and HIPAA
• An ALN course on telephone skills
• An ALN course on customer service skills
• An ALN course on medical terminology
• An ALN course on the revenue cycle
• A demonstration of proficiency in AHS' insurance verification software

AHS gives staff a six-month commitment, but sometimes it's clear during the two-week initial training class that an individual isn't a good fit.

"Usually that's where we weed them out," Southard says. "They have to pass 90% or better. If they can't pass the first time, we'll mentor them. But if they can't pass after that, that's it."

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