Usually, Debbie Case says her team’s work goes unseen – and that’s the way she likes it.
“Our work is often invisible and unrecognized, and honestly, that’s how it should be,” says Debbie, vice president of Revenue Cycle. “If we’re doing our job in billing and working seamlessly, no one should notice we’re even here.”
Still, a recent recognition with high praise is highlighting not only the Patient Financial Services and Coding teams, but the Rogers System as a whole. As Rogers prepares to transition to the new billing platform, Oracle Health Patient Accounting (OHPAC), Oracle Health identified that Rogers is the “definition of a success story.”
“The executive we work with from Oracle Health told me, ‘you’re coming in first in almost all metrics,’” Debbie says.
Rogers showed impressive revenue cycle metrics, including low AR (account receivable) days, which is a measure estimating how long on average it takes to collect outstanding bills. Debbie says typically teams aim for about 45 AR days or less, and Rogers decreased its AR days to about 32.
“We have a very healthy revenue cycle,” she says. “I have highly engaged teams who recognize that the more money we collect, the more good we can do and the more patients we can serve. The teams are able to tie the work we do back to the mission.”
“These results come from the organization’s continuous pursuit of improvement and operational excellence,” states the recognition from Oracle Health. “Rogers Behavioral Health continues as a leader in delivering patient care and improving the organization’s financial health.”
OHPAC, the new billing platform, is designed to further improve metrics and this level of performance positions Rogers well as early adopters.
“I am so proud of all the preparation work the team has already accomplished,” says Chris Jagoditz, chief financial officer. “These transitions are extremely complex, but their work has put us in a great position for the kickoff of this upgraded platform.”
“We will be able to work more efficiently and do more with the people we have,” Debbie says. “And It’s not just my team contributing to these successful outcomes. The revenue cycle is a process, starting with Admissions and ending with us.”
Debbie says it all takes a team effort, from her team’s partnership with ITS to the entirety of the organization.
“The revenue cycle includes everything from completing documentation, entering charges, getting the patient registered, securing authorization – not to mention departments that indirectly affect the revenue cycle by negotiating payer contracts, measuring compliance and risk, and ensuring document completion and accuracy,” Debbie says. “Basically everyone in the organization contributes to the revenue cycle, so this is not just a recognition of our departments. This is really a recognition of how well we are working together. Everyone should know they contributed to this success story. This is a recognition for the whole organization.”
“Oracle Health is one of the largest global providers of EHRs, and being among their top-performing clients is elite, to say the least,” says Adam El-Ali, vice president Clinical Technology Services. “Our success is due to the collaboration and effective use of these tools by our teams. Among the tens of thousands of clients across the globe using the same technology, we perform higher. This not only testifies to the skill of our revenue and IT staff but also to their ongoing strategic commitment to improvements that set us apart. Though Oracle is the tool, it is how our people use these tools that have truly distinguished us.”
